I almost fell out of my chair after reading this! My only suggestion would be to put the game on top of an aircraft carrier and build up a huge set of bleachers (similar to what they have done for NCAA bball games over the past few years) with the only "fans" being Naval officers in attendance.
I would add to the discussion about who/how should get tickets, but I think we should not venture off topic (at least here). That conversation can go on for pages without a feasible solution, and add more unnecessary posts to read for new comers to the thread.
Only 56k (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_CONCACAF_Gold_Cup_Group_A#Mexico_vs_Panama) Considering is is just a step above a 'partido molero' with a really crappy coach/MEX team and bunch MEX players that couldn't sit on the bench of the A team it is not too bad. Only 19K for the US gave vs Belize (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_CONCACAF_Gold_Cup_Group_C#Belize_vs_United_States) But I digress from the topic of this thread.
agreed - it is a lot better than it used to be, but we are still catching up. That is why I support AO - because they are dedicated to getting groups of US fans to games - both home and away. 62k Hispanic fans and me showed up in Charlotte a few years to watch the Mexico B team play Iceland in a friendly - we had 48k for a Gold Cup double header a couple of years ago. I had a great time interacting with the other fans - I also saw the US-Honduras game in DC in 2001 - that was a blast as well. Looking forward to my first US-Mexico game!
You are a much better attendance finder than I. I looked at that page, but my eyes didn't see. Still, I stand behind what I said.
this is along the right track. at many clubs, for tickets where demand will heavily outstrip supply - i.e., derbies away, cup finals, etc. - not only do 'members' get first shot, but which members get them are determined by 'loyalty points', which can be accumulated by attending other matches, buying various club accoutrements, etc. so man united fans are not going to get into spurs allotment of FA cup final tickets (i'm hypothesizing here - go with it), no matter how many of them live happily and legally in london (see what i did, there?*). *lest there be confusion, that's a genial jab at man u fans, and not at our neighbors and countrymen of mexican lineage. it's less fun when you have to explain, but god forbid ... *sigh*
Ditto. I've been watching my email inbox, but didn't get anything. Didn't know anything about an AO/Sam's Army presale until a friend asked me about it, and now it's too late. Looks like I'll have to go the Visa application route and sit with Mexican fans.
I agree with your post. The US got 19K in Portland, 40K in Seattle for a WQC last month, lets see how many Mex gets in Seattle tonight. Mex got 56K against China in '08, and 50K agains Ecuador in '11. I think mid 50s tonight. That right there tell you all you need to know. Mex outdrew the US in Seattle by average of 13K fans, even for meaningless friendlies vs a WCQ.
To be fair the US game in Seattle was capped at some 42k tickets because of a baseball game next door. But there is no denying the huge pull mexico games get here in the states.
Do you renew your membership? To get the pre-sale, you need to be a paying member. Without being a paying member, you still get emails, but not pre-sales.
Oh yeah. I forgot to remind you that you better get your spam filter on if you don't want to be hounded with specials offers, etc., by US Soccer.
I've seen it at plenty of USA-Mexico games. One kid has a Landon Donovan jersey, one kid has a Chicharito jersey or whatever. Just to get this out there, but it's a sports game people. It's 22 grown men chasing a ball around a field. If that's your litmus test for patriotism and citizenship .... I don't know.
I may be there with my US Army major, Mexican-American nephew - if he can fit it into his West Point professorship schedule.
"Loyalty points" for national team games are stupid. Not everybody lives in a MLS city that the US frequents for meaningful games. And not everybody can afford to travel to every single game either. I've watched almost every US game for the last 15 years and I just made it to my first away WCQ this year (Mexico) and I'll be at my first home WCQ in September (Mexico). The away section in Azteca was an awesome experience and it's only fair the Mexicans get their own away fans in Columbus. The 100% US crowd was never happening anyway.
sign me up for my dna id card then! we've only done maybe 50 games in the last couple of decades, but we've split them between USMNT and USWNT (across about 5 countries, 3 continents). should be good for a tiny bit of priority, which would have been handy....
But we won't get the cool riot police escort :-( source: http://www.coloradorapids.com/news/2013/03/commentary-time-i-left-azteca-paddy-wagon
This game and the USSF allocation of World Cup tickets are pretty much the only events for which such a system would be needed. However, I do not think we have a large enough group that travels very frequently to US games for it to serve its purpose of filing up a large portion of the stadium with pro-US support. For this game, the USSF is trying to place tickets in the hands of US fans who have gone to one or two (or zero!) US games over the past one or two years. Such a system would be of little help in that situation, because just about anyone (including away fans) could qualify pretty easily.
Yeah. I think what we have is the best we can do. I'm looking forward to my fourth trip to Columbus for a US-Mexico qualifier!
Do you think this process the USSF have put is place is more about vetting ticket buyers or will there actually be an availability issue? How many tickets do you think AO has requested, I mean even if it was say 4-5K the USSF could accomidated it even after taking care of Crew Season Seat Holders?
I will probably sell at least 8 tickets. I will try to meet the people in person though so I can guarantee American. Is that ethically wrong?
Way to prepare me. A series of questions that only a US fan would know. Somebody who is willing to pay $$$$$ for a ticket to this game is going to know some crazy US soccer trivia if they are an American fan.