Any of you goin? I was curious, and decided to go on ticketmaster to see if there are still tickets available. Oooh boy... There are seats in freaking 108, Row C...and we have a month to go until match day. Seems like there are a ton of seats available. That, coupled with the lack of buzz and practically ZERO marketing, I'm thinking this is not going to be a big game. Maybe there will be a large walk-up crowd?
I went to the 2005 GC here. I think attendance was right around 20k by the time the US match started. It was definitely much more laid back than a Sounders match is today, but nonetheless it was a great day of football. I will be at this years matchday as well. We so seldom see the NT here that I will get out and watch my country play every time I get the chance. I am not in a position right now to travel with Sams army, having two kids will do that. But I would love to be able to do so one day.
US Team in my backyard on the Fourth of July? Heck ya! We will be there! We got a big block of seats together with friends...should be fun!
Contrary position: With all the big games coming up this summer plus the full season of MLS, I found it easy to choose not to participate in the Gold Cup as a fan: 1) NT will certainly not be 1st line players 2) The competition is weak 3) The first game features 2 teams that are also going nowhere. I've supported every apperarance of big time soccer in the NW but honestly, haven't we proven ourselves? Don't we deserve a better slot than opening game in a mildly important competition? The reason that game will draw less than an SSFC match is not because we don't support soccer here, but because enough fans recognize that the overall quality of the event is far behind all the other matches we have to look forward to this summer. It's time the USSF scheduled some later round matches at Qwest and rewarded us for our support, rather than taking us for granted. My $.02
Its our ********ing national team. Who cares what lineup is there. Have some pride in your team and go support em, no matter the name on the back. It is the country they are playing for that matters. And after all that... Unfortunately I am broke and can't afford to go:-/
I understand it's the national team, and I've ALWAYS gone before. But I guess I do care what the lineup is. After all, the reverse question is, don't our better national team players care enough about Gold Cup to participate? But honestly, if the game were against Mexico, or Costa Rica or even Honduras, which looks strong this year, I'd be there in a flash, but Grenada? Seriously? My point isn't to denigrate anyone for choosing to go. I'm just saying that I've allocated significant resources to Sounders Season, Chelsea, Barca, a couple of road games. This match up doesn't feel compelling and I don't think I'll see good soccer or anything resembling an entertaining match. Could be wrong, hope I'm wrong, but that's how it feels at the moment. Who knows, maybe July 4th rolls around and the idea of hanging with my nieces and nephews makes me crazy and I decide to bail and take in the game instead, but for now I'm taking my stand for better match ups, more meaningful games coming to Seattle.
The confederation championship is a mildly important competition? WTF? As far as I know no players have chosen not to represent the U.S. at the Gold Cup. Of course considering there are 4 WCQ's and the Confederations Cup this summer there are only so many games players can play. We're going to find out quickly how deep the U.S. is, and looking at the competition (Grenada/Honduras/Haiti vs. Italy/Brazil/Egypt) it seems to make more sense to use the second team in the Gold Cup. More chance of winning both competitions that way.
From an American perspective, I think this tournament should go to being every four years like every other continental championship (with the exception of Africa, which will be every two years for the foreseeable future). Have it in 2007, 2011, etc., with the winners moving on to the Confederations Cup two years later. It would also create a little more of a sense of drama to the event. And, as is the U.S. will almost always have its "B" team in the 2009/2013/etc. events since it is right in the middle of a 10-game World Cup qualifying campaign plus, hopefully, a Confederations Cup tournament. (the 2007/2011/etc. years are perfect for that as WCQ does not start for another year) Then again if there is enough value to this tournament in terms of money for CONCACAF and the vast majority of teams sending their "A" teams every two years (the smaller countries in the field), I don't see it changing since this tournament is around more so for the rest of the continent than for America.
As do I. And I didn't mean to demean by saying "mildly" important, it just feels like an afterthought with the various tournaments and WCQ qualifying games. The notion of every 4 years between WC is a good one...and therefore has no chance in hell of being adopted.
USA-Cuba was ~15,800, while USA-Candada was ~15,100. Very easy walk up purchase. Wide open spaces and places . . . Expensive seats + weak opponents + virtually nonexistent marketing last time around really doomed the event. We're skipping this one because of all else we do on the Fourth, as opposed to cost or caliber of opponent.
The Canada match felt fuller, I have never been a good judge of Qwest attendance though. I always overestimate. Nonetheless it was good times, we paid $25 per seat sat at the 35 or so just south of midfield and were maybe 15 rows back. Not sure where I will be this year as I am waiting on my immediate family to decide who is and who is not going. Since I live in Seattle I will not be missing anything on the fourth by attending, even less so now that Ivars has bailed on their show leaving only the Lake Union show. And with the personal fireworks ban in Seattle, my extended family no longer does the large gathering that we used to do.