To my knowledge the last friendly played in Seattle was vs. Venezuela in 2003. 17,800 showed up. Yeah the opponent wasn't the greatest, but Japan ain't exactly Brazil either. And net out the opponent's team's fans for each game and there were still twice as many US fans in SF the other night. Both games were played at nice, new, downtown stadiums. Ironically the opponent for that game vs Venezuela was supposed to be another team that backed out because of security concerns due to the start of the Iraq invasion: Japan.
And by the way that was our A-team: USA — 18-Kasey Keller (capt.); 15-Bobby Convey, 4-Carlos Bocanegra, 23-Eddie Pope (3-Nick Garcia, 85), 6-Steve Cherundolo (2-Frankie Hejduk, 66); 25-Pablo Mastroeni, 5-John O’Brien, 7-DaMarcus Beasley, 17-Chris Klein (8-Earnie Stewart, 46); 20-Brian McBride (11-Edson Buddle, 80), 9-Jovan Kirovski (10-Landon Donovan, 60). Subs not used: 1-Tim Howard, 21-Kyle Martino.
Ah, thanks. I'm clueless when it comes to any other sport but soccer. Good to hear that he thought more soccer games should be at SBC Park. But talk is cheap. Also, wasn't the Oakland A's owner (sorry, again I don't know his name) mentioned as an interested future owner of a Bay Area soccer franchise?
Talk would hardly be cheap considering he has let several Mexican football matches take place on the China Basin turf, and some of them even occured during baseball season. It's their stadium, and they need to hold non-baseball events to pay off the debt load. So if US soccer wants to come, come it shall. The ball's in USSF's court on that issue. It's too small to hold a World Cup qualifying match, but the US has played in an inordinately small number of places lately, so the USSF needs to spread the love around when it comes to friendlies. There's no reason that it shouldn't become a regular visitor. Candlestick Park could be used for WCQs. It's a dump, but WCQs last time were held at Legion Field in Birmingham, and RFK Stadium. Legion Field is falling apart, and RFK was considered by far the worst stadium in the NFL in its last few years of service. Candlestick is still in reasonably good shape, just old and funny-shaped. But it holds 70,000, and could likely fit a FIFA-sized field.
Coordinating with the Giants would most likely mean the soccer team would be playing more games on a Wednesday night. Another reason I would favor a Great America site over downtown San Jose, just in case the Baseball San Jose Pipedream somehow became a reality. Great America has great freeway access, light rail a block away, and Amtrak within walking distance. Plus the team would be in the south bay, where it belongs. I wouldn't get too giddy over the 37,000 at SBC. 1/3 were supporting Japan, many US supporters came from outside of the bay area, and many locals knew they wouldn't get a chance to watch live top level soccer in this area for awhile. Factor in the World Cup buildup, plus add in the novelty element of being the first soccer game at SBC and you were bound to have a good turnout. Another opponent in another year and it would be a different story.
In Seattle's defense for the 17K, there was a big wet-towel thrown on the budding excitement of that friendly when Japan pulled out. I was up in Oregon right b4 the announced withdrawal, and I remember meeting ppl who were seriouly excited and were going to drive up there in groups for the game. And these were regular Joe Six Pack-type sports fans, not your Portland Timbers fanatics/Sam's Army guys. Obviuosly that didn't happen, as ppl were kinda deflated... A-MEN!! Although I would add WCQs to that as well. That's the main point, that DC, NE and C'bus have gotten plenty o' USMNT love. As the nation grows as soccer spectator nation, I think attendance at WCQs is going to increase. There are going to be more and more fans of the US at these games. Plus, as US Mexicans move into the middle class and as Mexico's middle class expands, they'll travel to wherever we put the game. So put it in a bigger venue and make $$ to reinvest in grass-roots soccer programs.
I'm not so sure about that, Andy... I was at the two Gold Cup doubleheaders last summer at Qwest, and San Francisco did a lot better than Seattle did.
March 2, 2002 - USA vs Honduras - 38,534 And Honduras in Seattle is a far worse draw than Japan in San Francisco.
Venezuela was a last minute replacement for Japan. I believe the presale was over 25k when Japan pulled out.
Euro hatred? Because some blowhard from En-ger-land has to scold me when I make a comment about an iffy foul and I respond in kind? (Wow I can use an emoticon too.)
Kudos to Seattle. But it's been 4 years since we had a turnout for a friendly equal to the other night in San Francisco.
And England. But a Mexico game in Texas (with what I remember, pretty solidly pro-Mexican support) and England are far bigger draws than Japan. A fairer reflection would be the fact that more people showed up to a US game - on a Friday night, no less, a really terrible time to drive into SF - than showed up for a 2002 WC warmup against Holland, one of the bigger draws. And remember that both teams played A-minus squads. It is very, very impressive considering those facts. More people showed up for the US-Japan game than have showed up for a game at Foxboro in five years. Pretty telling evidence that US soccer needs to spread the games around more.
Hmmm. Well, from Northern California I flew up to Seattle last summer to watch the US in Gold Cup matches. In two US GC matches, the attendances at Qwest Field was 15,831 and 15,109 and both of those games were part of doubleheaders. FWIW, the GC final in New Jersey drew 31,018 (on a Sunday, wasn't it?). A couple of weeks ago, I went down to San Diego where the US-Canada match did not quite sell out a 7,000 seat stadium. The match vs. Norway drew something like 16,000+. So I think the 37,000+ on a Friday night in SF is more than quite respectable. And the Quakes were not moved from SJ because of lack of fan support. It's maddening to read that in the San Jose Mercury and hear that on KNBR (the all-sports radio station in this area) from people who really couldn't care less (one of their DJs told us that soccer would never make it here and that we should take our soccer ball and go back to Europe)--but it's particularly infuriating to read that from soccer knowledgeable people on these boards.
If you're talking about La Revancha en la Cancha in Reliant, it was about 60-40 Mexico. Houston represents the US well.
They play canned music? Never noticed. for future reference : If you hear the music you aren't celebrating nearly hard enough
LOL! Bravo! I agree with you, but in all seriousness that Phillips "Goals, goals, goals" song is pathetic. Just sing "Go, go away, we hate this (insert your own colorful adjective) song!"
That will never happen. If an SSS is going to be built outside of San Jose/Santa Clara, it has to be in a more suburban area. See my comment above.
No way an SSS will ever get built in the City of San Francisco, for many reasons. Which will never happen (and thus is one of the many reasons).
You got to be kidding me. Those games were both against Mexico in Texas and had highly pro-Mexican support. Someone mentioned England, that game (May 05 in Chicago) was also 1/2 fans of the other team. And we were playing England!!! There were more US fans in SF the other night than at any of those games.
Wasn't/weren't the US-Mexico game(s) in Reliant fairly evenly representative of both teams, w/ an edge to Mexico? Didn't USMNT come out in force in Reliant?
A few observations: * The fans and atmosphere around the stadium were great. Once inside, the place wasn't exactly rockin' -- part of it being the Japanese fans were quiet for most of the game (and for good reason) plus there were lots of fans who seemed to be getting their first cap. * The Sam's Army section (where I was perched) was somewhat disappointing to me -- the front half was great, and basically filled with many familiar faces from the Earthquakes fan base. The back half was 100% lame, with little cheering and lots of squabbles over people standing in other peoples spaces (despite there being plenty of room for everyone). * The sections behind the goal were better than expected -- not super loud, but great fans, standing almost the entire game and doing a good job cheering. * I didn't hear any insult or disrespect from the Japanese fans (of course there weren't too many in the Sam's Army section and surrounding areas!) However, there were at least two times that US fans in the Sam's Army section started chanting "1945". * Scalpers were getting $150 at the door for tickets, which is the highest I've witnessed at any friendly.
I was in the middle of the Sam's Army section and behind us there seem to be alot of kids. That probably attributed to the back section being pretty quiet. I can vouch for the folks bickering about seats. It was pretty annoying. You had a couple people trying to tell folks that they are in the Sam's Army section but they wouldn't hear it. There were also a number of folks at the top and the adjacent section that kept yelling for all of us to sit down. I guess they couldn't see while sitting on top. A gentleman actually came down about half way and asked us if we really are going to stand the whole 90 minutes of the soccer match like it was the wrong thing to do. A couple of people gave him a weird look and he trotted back up.