[galperin]

I've been thinking about the World Cup being here in the US in either 2018 or 2022, and where the venues ought to be. I know US Soccer and FIFA both will want to maximize the number of tickets it can sell by using the largest venues possible all across the country...but I wondered what people think about trying to regionalize the venues instead. Here is an example of what I mean:

32 teams, 8 groups of 4.

Group A: Region 1 - Washington DC (RFK), Baltimore (Ravens)
Group C: Region 2 - Raleigh (NC State), Charlotte (Panthers)
Group C: Region 3 - NY (Meadowlands), NJ (Red Bulls)
Group D: Region 4 - Denver (Broncos), Boulder (Univ. of Colorado)
Group E: Region 5 - Detroit (Lions), Ann Arbor (Univ. Michigan)
Group F: Region 6 - LA (Coliseum), LA (Rose Bowl)
Group G: Region 7 - San Francisco (49'ers), Oakland (Raiders)
Group H: Region 8 - Seattle (Quest), Seattle (Univ. of Washington)

Have each team play 2 of its 3 group stage games in the same region. For example, if England was in Group A, it would play 1 game in Washington, DC, one game in Baltimore, and then 1 game in another region. This would allow England to keep their travel down, and help keep their fans' travel down as well. There 3rd game could be in a nearby region, either NY or NC.

I think having 2 stadiums in each region would bump up the World Cup feeling in each area. Of course, you could also do the regionalization thing with 3 stadiums in each region, but that is a little harder to have all 3 stadiums in close enough proximity.

Anyway....what do people think of the idea?

[shaunsindelman]

Are you saying Meadowlands as 1 venue and the new Red Bulls stadium as the 2nd venue in that region?

If so, they are both in the same place (NJ). Maybe they should try and go with a venue in nearby Philadelphia or even the stadium on Randalls Island in NYC.

[Antonio81]

Why would Raleigh and Denver be options over Chicago´s Soldier Field? Houston, Dallas, and Miami would be options too.

[cmedina1983]

Doesn't matter, they're not going to get it anyway.

Try again in another 4 or 5 cycles.

[Celtigo]

Originally Posted by cmedina1983

Doesn't matter, they're not going to get it anyway.

Try again in another 4 or 5 cycles.

The US has an excellent shot for 2022. If you think anyone has a slam dunk case over that country (and Europe and South America will not be competing), you're unfamiliar with the bids.

[ECUNCHATER]

Originally Posted by Antonio81

Why would Raleigh and Denver be options over Chicago´s Soldier Field? Houston, Dallas, and Miami would be options too.

Carter Finley Stadium isn't wide enough to host a soccer game, so Raleigh can forget it. They have already been scratched off the list.

People have brought this issue up and I think it could work well, if they made teams play their group matches in the same general area like NJ/Philadelphia/Landover or Minneapolis/St. Louis/Chicago. It would still be a long drive, if traveling by car between these places, but it wouldn't be as bad as Tampa to LA.

[AussieDynamo]

Better grounds out there that would miss out under your system. The best grounds should host the games, then you can worry about regions

No TX ground? Yea, don't think they'd go through without at least one venue in TX.

[scmcbride21]

U.S. Soccer has already narrowed the list down of host cities. I'm sure they will make changes if newer stadiums get built in certain cities.

http://www.gousabid.com/pages/bidding-cities

Ok this is a mock World Cup bid for the U.S. I have game times at 1, 4, and 9p.m. est. Here's why, the 1 and 4 game times would be essential for european markets. the 9 time slot would be great for the americas markets and well as east asian and australian markets because games would then actually be played when people are awake in those countries. No game is before noon local time. In my bid no venue is used in consecutive days. No team plays in the same venue more than once in group play. For round of 16 games every team would have to travel, but winners of the group would not have to travel outside it's group stage region. There are two regions. The east and the west. Here's what my mock world cup and schedule look like. I have selected 12 stadiums. I think it's possible we may be able to convince FIFA into letting us use 15 venues as this would reduce travel and give more cities a chance to host games. My 3 alternate stadiums are: Charlotte, North Carolina (Bank of America Stadium) Nashville, Tennessee (LP Field) and Denver, Colorado (Invesco Field) For times I listed all times using eastern standard time.

STADIUMS
E. Rutherford, New Jersey (New Meadowlands Stadium)
Landover, Maryland (FedEx Field)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Lincoln Financial Field)
Foxbourough, Massachusetts (Gillette Stadium)
Indianapolis, Indiana (Lincoln Financial Field)
Miami Gardens, Florida (Dolphins Stadium)

Chicago, Illinois (Soldier Field)
Los Angeles, California (New LA Stadium)
Arlington, Texas (New Cowboys Stadium)
Houston, Texas (Reliant Stadium)
Glendale, Arizona (U. of Phoenix Stadium)
Seattle, Washington

Group A
USA
Iran
Greece
Cameroon

USA v. Iran Friday 4p.m. @ Landover, Maryland
Greece v. Cameroon Friday 9p.m. @ Foxbourough, Massachusetts

USA v. Greece Wednesday 9p.m. @ E. Rutherford, New Jersey
Cameroon v. Iran Thursday 1p.m. @ Indianapolis, Indiana

USA v. Cameroon Tuesday 9p.m. @ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Iran v. Greece Tuesday 9p.m. @ Miami Gardens, Florida

Group B
Germany
Ghana
Colombia
Portugal

Germany v. Ghana Saturday 4p.m. @ Arlington, Texas
Colombia v. Portugal Saturday 9p.m. @ Seattle, Washington

Germany v. Colombia Thursday 4p.m. @ Los Angeles, California
Portugal v. Ghana Thursday 9p.m. @ Houston, Texas

Germany v. Portugal Tuesday 4p.m. @ Chicago, Illinois
Ghana v. Colombia Tuesday 4p.m. @ Glendale, Arizona

Group C
England
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Ivory Coast

England v. Russia Saturday 1p.m. @ E. Rutherford, New Jersey
Saudi Arabia v. Ivory Coast Sunday 1p.m. @ Indianapolis, Indiana

Ivory Coast v. Russia Friday 1p.m. @ Miami Gardens, Florida
England v. Saudi Arabia Friday 4p.m. @ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

England v. Ivory Coast Wednesday 4p.m. @ Landover, Maryland
Russia v. Saudi Arabia Wednesday 4p.m. @ Foxbourough, Massachusetts

Group D
Argentina
Japan
Croatia
Mexico

Croatia v. Mexico Sunday 4p.m. @ Houston, Texas
Argentina v. Japan Sunday 9p.m. @ Los Angeles, California

Argentina v. Croatia Friday 9p.m. @ Chicago, Illinois
Mexico v. Japan Saturday 9p.m. @ Glendale, Arizona

Argentina v. Mexico Wednesday 9p.m. @ Dallas, Texas
Japan v. Croatia Wednesday 9p.m. @ Seattle, Washington

Group E
Italy
Australia
Honduras
Czech Republic

Honduras v. Czech Republic Monday 1p.m. @ Miami Gardens, Florida
Italy v. Australia Monday 4p.m. @ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Italy v. Honduras Saturday 1p.m. @ Landover, Maryland
Czech Republic v. Australia 4p.m. @ Foxbourough, Massachusetts

Italy v. Czech Republic Thursday 4p.m. @ E. Rutherford, New Jersey
Australia v. Honduras Thursday 4p.m. @ Indianapolis, Indiana

Group F
Brazil
Sweden
Nigeria
Korea Republic

Brazil v. Sweden Monday 9p.m. @ Chicago, Illinois
Nigeria v. Korea Republic Tuesday 9p.m. @ Glendale, Arizona

Korea Republic v. Sweden Sunday 9pm. @ Seattle, Washington
Brazil v. Nigeria Sunday 9p.m. @ Arlington, Texas

Brazil v. Korea Republic Thursday 9p.m. @ Los Angeles, California
Sweden v. Nigeria Thursday 9p.m. @ Houston, Texas

Group G
Spain
Costa Rica
Netherlands
Paraguay

Netherlands v. Paraguay Tuesday 1p.m. @ Foxbourough, Massachusetts
Spain v. Costa Rica Tuesday 4p.m. @ Landover, Maryland

Spain v. Netherlands Sunday 1p.m. @ E. Rutherford, New Jersey
Paraguay v. Costa Rica Monday 9p.m. @ Indianapolis, Indiana

Spain v. Paraguay Friday 9p.m. @ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Costa Rica v. Netherlands Friday 9p.m. @ Miami Gardens, Florida

Group H
France
Turkey
Uruguay
Egypt

France v. Turkey Wednesday 1p.m. @ Arlington, Texas
Uruguay v. Egypt Wednesday 4p.m. @ Seattle, Washington

Egypt v. Turkey Monday 1p.m. @ Houston, Texas
France v. Uruguay Monday 4p.m. @ Los Angeles, California

France v. Egypt Friday 4p.m. @ Chicago, Illinois
Turkey v. Uruguay 4p.m. @ Glendale, Arizona

Round of 16

A1 v. B2 Saturday 1p.m. @ Foxbourough, Massachusetts
C1 v. D2 Saturday 4p.m. @ Indianapolis, Indiana
D1 v. C2 Sunday 1p.m @ Houston, Texas
B1 v. A2 Sunday 4p.m. @ Los Angeles, California
C1 v. F2 Monday 4p.m. @ Landover, Maryland
G1 v. H2 Monday 9p.m. @ Miami Gardens, Florida
F1 v. E2 Tuesday 4p.m. @ Glendale, Arizona
H1 v. G2 Tuesday 9p.m. @ Seattle, Washington

Quarterfinals

* If this date fell on July 4th I would switch this game time to 1p.m. Giving European a greater viewership and since it's a holiday in America it wouldn't interfere with the normal American workweek. Thus the reason weekday knockout round games are at 4p.m. and 9p.m. instead of 1p.m. and 4p.m. like the weekend.

E1/F2 v. G1/H2 Friday 4p.m. @ E. Rutherford, New Jersey
A1/B2 v. C1/D2 Friday 9p.m. @ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania *
B1/A2 v. D1/C2 Saturday 1p.m. @ Chicago, Illinois
F1/E2 v. H1/G2 Saturday 4p.m. @ Arlington, Texas

Semifinals

Tuesday 9p.m. @ Landover, Maryland
Wednesday 9p.m. @ Los Angeles, California

3rd place game

Saturday 9p.m. @ Chicago, Illinois

World Cup Final

Sunday 2:45p.m. @ E. Rutherford, New Jersey

[galperin]

Originally Posted by Antonio81

Why would Raleigh and Denver be options over Chicago´s Soldier Field? Houston, Dallas, and Miami would be options too.

I was just citing an example. I was not trying to say these should be the cities. Sorry if I was unclear.

[cmedina1983]

Originally Posted by Celtigo

The US has an excellent shot for 2022. If you think anyone has a slam dunk case over that country (and Europe and South America will not be competing), you're unfamiliar with the bids.

Only 24 years after the fact?

Sorry, but all delusions aside, why would FIFA care about hosting the World Cup so soon in a market that obviously doesn't care for the sport anyway? Sure, you have great stadiums, sure, you have hosted the event before (recently, though), but if it's hosted in the USA that soon again, I'll suggest it's money talks and bullshit walks.