Panama Qualifier location rumor

The Bank of America stadium? Around 73,000 seats, 37,000 in the upper bowl, so maybe you don't sell those. Are there any other smaller stadiums in Charlotte?

I thought they would play this game in a smaller stadium because we'll probably have qualified already at that point. They really should play it in Hawaii as a reward for the players, plus it would draw pretty well.

 

Are you sure they didn't say Charleston, SC?

Seriously. The odds of the Panama game drawing more than 10,000 are probably currently less than 50/50.

- Wednesday night - school night
- between the last two weeks of the MLS season
- mid-October, baseball playoffs
- Panama
- and the kicker: meaningless.

This is the Jamaica game from last November all over again, but with less of a draw.

This game should be in one of the smaller venues like Blackbaud or SAS Stadium. Maybe PAETEC Park in Rochester.

 

Frisco, damitt!!!!!!!

 

Plus they could call in Brian Ching. He's Hawaiian you know.

 

If there ever was a game that is safe to play in HDC, this is it.

After all, isn't that place supposed to be the "Cathedral of US soccer", despite the fact that it's the RFK of the West Coast; an away game vs. almost any CONCACAF opponent?

 

I'm in for Frisco.

 

And we are most certainly going to be hosting playoff games (hee hee) and its in the thick of the HS football season. Good point.....I hadn't considered that. Sonofa.....I want a local qualifier!!!!

 

I can get behind that idea.

WCQ at the HDC: it's time!

 

I'm with you,

The HDC: For qualifiers after we've qualified

With pre-sales and the Galaxy crowd, I think people may be surprised at what this crowd/stadium would be like.

 

Today's Boston Globe (or maybe it was Sunday's) had a little blurb about Craig Tornberg mentioning that USSF *considers* Gillette Stadium to be in the *running* to host this match. Don't remember the exact words but the gist was that there is a list of possible venues of which Gillette is one. Not sure of the credibility, but it was in print for all to see.

 

Well obviously they would move one of the games and make it a doubleheader.

 

They should put this game at Giants Stadium. But I guess Giants is getting its fill with the Gold Cup - ah well

 

Why not put it at the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN?

It has an immaculate field (the women's and youth national teams have played there several times), and can hold just about the right amount of people for this game.

The stadium has handled crowds in the 15,000-16,000 range with the addition of extra bleachers.

I don't think they'd have any problem at all selling at least that many for the full national team, which has never played here to the best of my knowledge.

Spread the wealth.

 

Sadly, as you know adam, if you're sitting in those bleachers on the east side, even if you're in the front row you're soooooo far away from the action (as those of us who were at the US-Canada U-20 will attest)...

As much as I would love a 15-minute drive to get to a quailfier, I think this one should go to HDC or Frisco if we've already qualified.

Until last Saturday, I would have said...if, on the other hand, by some incredible fluke our World Cup lives hang in the balance on the Panama home match, it has to go to Crew Stadium.

Now...put it back in Salt Lake.

 

I would doubt they will re-install grass for a game three days before the Utes host San Diego State.

 

They wouldn't need to. They could just get the fieldturf fifa approved, if it isnt already.

not like the mlsers arent used to it.

 

This whole SLC orgy reminds me of post-April 25, 2005 when an even more pro-US (over 30k of 37k total) school night crowd had turned heads.

49+ months later and the U.S. Men's national team has yet to return. I hope SLC gets another. The atmosphere was great. The stadium was great, and the 3.2 beer was plentiful

 

obviously im down with anywhere close to nc.

 

can you cover up the gridiron lines on fieldturf though? I doubt FIFA would let a WCQ be played on a pitch that had more than just soccer lines.

 

Gee Andy, do you think that whole "ownership" thing might have had something to do with it for 2005?

 

Definitely. But that's only been since last December. From April 26, 2001 to some point in late-November/early-December 2004 HSG and the Wizards were interested in hosting a USMNT match.

Way to overstate my point - which wasn't about the Wizards, but more that RSL is just the current flavor of the month. I could just as easily dug up a similar quote from the USSF with regards to Portland, OR post-1997.

Oddly, all three of those games were vs Costa Rica. Other than a pre-98 tune-up vs Kuwait (which was also a great crowd) has the USMNT been back to Portland since?

I'm just saying that RSL was great, and the coach loved the atmosphere, but I wouldn't start planning the next Sam's Army tailgate there until after the next game there is announced.