I have been entertained to watch football. I don't care if the quality was bad. If you want to watch fluidity and high goal scoring. Stick with European football.
Legit? Eh... What's definitely beyond dispute is that the fans in NJ paid more for their tickets. Not even close - but that's more because Nicaraguan fans aren't really futboleros just yet, so they only fill up the Estadio Nacional when their team's doing well. See: that last Nations League game against Suriname before friends and family. Thank you, I appreciate the thoroughness. So on one hand, your proposal cuts the organizing costs by $500k. Not bad! On the other, your proposal has - at best - 2 Mexico games in the US. The current Gold Cup has up to 6. Just on that, Concacaf makes waaaaaay more profit by sticking with the current format.
For me playing home and away matches for a tournament sounds like a logistics nightmare for the organizers. In Europe its way easier to cross boarders around countries. But in Carribean and Latin America, its not so easy, and many airports are not up to standard like in the US. I know this for a fact. Panama is one of the worst countries to travel. Specially during covid times.
Just watch the highlights of the games. Their stadium holds ~32k so it wasn't full but definitely a sizeable crowd. If it was under 19k, it wasn't much. On the other hand, the game in NJ you can clearly see most of the top sections of stadium were empty as well as other lower bowl sections. 20k would be extremely generous. I'd estimate there were 5,000 for the first game, 15k for the second. Well, yes, they make slightly more on ticket sales but lose out on all the other sales when there are only 5,000 people in the stadium, not mention a pretty lame game experience. I don't know how much to read into that. Playing a B league match in a new competition seems like a much different scenario. One match in the Azteca would likely equate to the whole of the group stage. And scarcity would likely mean bigger attendance for the other games. I think it would likely balance out.
If you think Mexico/Trinibago in any competition's going to sell out the Azteca, you're gonna love this deal on prime real estate in the Everglades... If Nicaragua hadn't flubbed their lines in St. Vincent before, that B-league match would've had a Gold Cup berth on the line and Nicaragua would've had closer to a a sellout.
Why would they want to add a dozen minnows to their competition? Would really water it down. I'd think a 16-team competition would go down better with them
That works too Considering their has been some consistency in the top 8 of Concacaf lately 6 teams seems fair
I’d bet on a knockout tournament match selling out there whether it’s Trinidad or whoever. Seems we agree Nicaraguans would show up
Go back over the knockout games Mexico had to play in the early round of WCQ (in the oughts, when no one got byes to the semifinal round) and get back to me.
Huge crowds. 50,000, 60,000, 70,000 for pre-Hex matches. 80k+ for Hex. A Gold Cup knockout match would likely see Hex level interest.
I didn't say pre-Hex, I said pre-semifinal round. Mexico played their home game against Belize in 2008 in Monterrey, knowing full well that it would be a hard sell at the Azteca (and under the circumstances, the 42k+ attendance was impressive). Or, for a like-to-like comparison, check out the attendance figures the last time Mexico played at home in the Gold Cup...
The pre-Hex and Hex are a better barometer than some cakewalk pre-qualifier. As for the Gold Cup, you're comparing an event (from 2003 no less) in which they played 5 matches at the Azteca to one in which they'd play just one. Not "like-to-like" at all.
They could fill out 3-4 spots with invitees, some of the traditional Copa/Gold Cup invitees like Qatar, Japan, Korea, South Africa. Even some of the European teams if they missed out on the Euros that summer, at one point they were talking about inviting some of them to the 2019 Copa
They're a better barometer of Mexican interest in qualifying for the World Cup. You drastically overestimate the importance the average Mexican local fan gives to the Gold Cup. Be that as it may, the only time the Mexican fans showed up in force was when they played Brazil. They look down on everyone in Concacaf, and can only be bothered to care when making the WC finals is on the line. ...now, bring back the Confederations Cup and you may be on to something.
The French overseas territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which is just off Newfoundland, may compete in qualifying for the next Gold Cup. The islands have played 7 matches since making their debut in 2003, scoring twice and conceding 78 against the giants of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Mayotte, New Caledonia and Reunion.
So all it took was for Canada to start getting successful (women's Olympic Gold, men doing well in WCQ, Davies winning everything w/ Bayern) for Saint Pierre and Miquelon to want in
Officially a Gold Cup year now! Apart from SoFi stadium in LA hosting the final, has anyone seen anything about other venues.
Nothing yet - and a bonus question is (presuming the US makes it that far... or regardless, I fear?) whether the city/-ies chosen to host the Nations League finals will be left out of consideration for the Gold Cup as well.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.co...ited-wrexham-concacaf-gold-cup-semifinal-july Snapdragon stadium to host 1 semifinal. No other info whatsoever, trust me I’ve been looking like crazy. I was hoping Orlando or Miami get something but I have a feeling they might go with newer mls stadiums such as Geodis park (Nashville) or Citypark (St. Louis) and move west to SoFi for the final. I believe Texas will most likely host at the least with 2 venues, so much money to be made there especially with the Mexican fans. Besides, Texas always seems to get picked.
I'd take issue with this line: ... if it weren't true for most of the Gold Cup's history It went unnoticed b/c the US and Mexico eventually won their groups (although neither was in 1st place going in to the last matchday), but we finally had a mixed bracket that didn't keep them apart until the Final in 2021. For the sake of integrity, Concacaf has to keep it that way...
Haven't seen this shared here before, so... Following the conclusion of the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League group stage, we now know 13 of the 16 Gold Cup participants (Qatar included as an invite), plus the field for the Gold Cup prelims: League A final standings 📊 #CNL Each group winner will play the Concacaf Nations League Finals in Las Vegas!The winners and the second place of each group will also play the @GoldCup 2023, and the third places will play the Gold Cup Prelims. pic.twitter.com/tEviNQyHtY— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) March 29, 2023 League B final standings 📊The winners of each group get promoted to League A for the next edition of #CNL and will play the @GoldCup 2023! The second place of each group will play the @GoldCup Prelims! pic.twitter.com/DqKg9smkgX— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) March 29, 2023 League C final standings 📊The winners of each group get promoted to League B for the next edition of #CNL and will play the @GoldCup Prelims! 🇸🇽 Sint Maarten🇰🇳 @SKNFA_🇱🇨 @SaintLuciaFA🇵🇷 @FPFPuertoRico pic.twitter.com/JkkEwyko2R— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) March 29, 2023
Everything is ready for the 2023 #GoldCup draw! Teams will be distributed in Pots 1-3 based on the Concacaf Men’s National Team Rankings 3 Prelims winners and Qatar will be placed in Pot 4 Pot 1 teams will each be seeded into a group Source