im sure AO will have a package but its just as easy, if not more advantageous to make your own travel arrangements
The attempt at working out a schedule instead of a draw went like this: USSF: We will only play Mexico in Feb in Maine. Mexico: Draw it is.
Not really as you cannot impose one match, it really went like this: "So, who wants to play Mexico in the last game?" "...." This was confirmed by 2 concacaf representatives.
In all reality, it doesn't really matter where you play a team in your schedule. Granted, teams think it does, but a loss to Mexico in the first game is the same a loss to mexico in the last game.
What they mean is that teams didn't want to play Mexico at a point where they would likely be in a do-or-die situation where a World Cup berth is in the balance. You can recover from a loss in the first match. After the last match, there are no more opportunities to recover.
I tend to agree with jangles for a few reasons. If you're going to lose to Mexico either way, then you have 8 games against non-Mexican teams; just consider your last one of those 8 to be your do-or-die game, even if you still have one game in Azteca after it. And "recovering from a loss in the first match" can go either way. You could recover from it, or it could demoralize you and make you crash and burn. Actually, I would argue that it is advantageous to play Mexico as late in the Hex as possible, because the later you play them, the more likely that Mexico will have already clinched a WC spot and that they will not start their first squad.
I believe it is an advantage to have your easiest games first as it can leave you with assured qualification with the final matches to spare. It can also totally destroy you if you don't take care of business at home, Canada stop crying please. But lets assume the schedule was made like this for the US. @ Antigua Guatemala Jamaica @ Guatmala Antigua @ Jamaica The US would have had 10 points by the 4th match day. This of course would essentially have ensured qualification as the team would need only a point in their two final games. Instead the US had arguably their two toughest matches in the first half of qualifying. Antigua @ Guatemala @ Jamaica With a draw and a loss, but heck even a draw at Jamaica would have left the team with 5 points and looking worse than it was considering the easiest part of the schedule was left for last. Jamaica @ Antigua Guatemala It left a do or die game at home with Guatemala, which is kind of better than a do or die game away. Canada please stop crying. However at the same time if you get your home matches and easy road games first you can wrap up qualification to the next round earlier than the other way around.
So with that, let us assume that in terms of ability this is how the Hex groups shake out. Mexico Honduras Costa Rica Panama Jamaica I based the rankings mostly on historical success and the last Gold Cup positioning as a tiebreaker. Not much thought was put into ranking them beyond that so don't quibble with them. If you have this as your schedule @ Jamaica Panama Costa Rica @ Honduras Mexico @ Panama Jamaica costa Rica Honduras @ Mexico Lets assume a win at home is a given for all US matches, which it should be, but of course is not. Lets assume a draw away at places we have historically had success getting results in, Honduras, Panama and Jamaica. That is a reasonable expectation whereas I'd say Costa Rica and Mexico are not. By the end of the 2nd round of games we have 8 points. By the end of the next round we have 12, and after the next we have 15. Last go around Honduras and Costa Rica tied with 16 points to qualify 3rd and 4th in the Hex. A win at home against Honduras or an unexpected point away to Costa Rica would see an already qualified team going to Mexico. Any additional away wins, like a 1-0 friendly win in Panama, or the 3-2 in in Honduras would see this happen earlier. Of course conversely this scenario could be a nightmare where if the team were to drop points at home would see a away game in the Azteca as necessary for qualification. Of course if that were the case, the game in the Azteca really wouldn't be the one that dropped us.
I'm really thinking about Costa Rica. Two questions: 1.) Is San Jose a nice place to visit, or is it like Kingston where it's practically the dump of the country? 2.) I see flights from NYC at under $350 total on Spirit. has anybody flown spirit before and would I be better spending more with a better airline?
I would recommend spending the extra 150 on a real airline. You will pay that in fees on Spirit anyway and their customer service is really really bad.
San Jose isnt the best place in Costa Rica to visit but its more suited for a weekend trip than Kingston is and there is a bit more to do. Still, might be worth traveling to the coasts if you are there for an extended period of time. You get what you pay for. Spirit is pretty much sh!t and like Corona said, they will nail you with fees.
Was just down there in May. San Jose is nothing special. Urban sprawl @ its best coupled with many calles with NO names. Watch the match in their new national stadium (funded and built by the Chinese) and then head to Marco Antonio NP on the Pacific Coast for some real relaxation and scenery. Easy 3-4 hour drive on a new too road.
I'm 99% sure that the stadium still exists, and while they usually do play in the nice new stadium, rumor is that they will go back to Saprissa for the US game for the obvious home field advantage.
Fair enough...for some reason I thought they had torn it down. Either way, that would be up there on my list if it's at the Saprissa.
I don't mind spirit. It's cheap with no frills, but it gets the job done. Yeah, they will get you with some fees and definitely don't try to change your flight after you have booked it, but overall you will save money. One other downside is many of their flights land late at night in order to save airport fees. I have used it three or four times flying to central/south america and I would use it again.
The Chinese screwed up & built their stadium around a track. Fans are too far to yell in your face & throw pigs blood & piss bags. Nobody fears their new stadium. That is why they want to play to US in Saprissa, the un-friendly confines.
From 2013 Hexagonal Draw and Schedule Feb. 6th: @ Honduras March 22nd: vs. Costa Rica March 26th: @ Mexico June 7th: @ Jamaica June 11th: vs. Panama June 18th: vs. Honduras Sept. 6th: @ Costa Rica Sept. 10th: vs. Mexico Oct. 11th: vs. Jamaica Oct. 15th: @ Panama February 6th (@ Honduras) is a Wednesday. March 26th (@ Mexico) is a Tuesday. June 7th (@ Jamaica) is a Friday. September 6th (@ Costa Rica) is a Friday. October 15th (@ Panama) is a Tuesday.
This schedule sucks. All the games are Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday - so it's impossible to take a "weekend trip" to get to one without using any vacation days. ******** you CONCACAF. Why no Saturday or Sunday games? WTF is this shit?