Very true! It may theoretically be possible to see the game on the 8th! She has family down there (I've been down twice), about an hour and a half from SPS. This summer there was a home qualie against Netherlands Antilles, but we didn't have any way to get home (the buses stop running after 6 or 7), so we couldn't go. 'Course, it all depends on if Honduras can dispatch Costa Rica on the 17th! The whole country is getting jazzed...at least three newspaper articles every day in La Prensa.
I have spent the afternoon working on WCQ 2005 accomodation reservations. Although I don't know which venue and date that the USA is playing, I do know what dates of the HEX. So, I booked 2 rooms for all the possible dates in Columbus, Boston, LA and KC. To aid in my flight flexibility, on week-end dates, I made a separate reservation for Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. However, for Wednesday night games, I intend to fly in on Wednesday morning and fly out Thursday night (may have to reconsider this though). 18 reservations * 2 rooms * 4 cities = 144 reservations (couple extras when I couldn't get the entire week-end at a single hotel.) So I'm set for 2005 WCQ hotels. Just need to figure out the 5th city (if Columbus or Boston doesn't get 2 games).
You truly are a soccer fan! So are you going to have problems cancelling your reservations when you need to? I bet that's going to take a lot of time too.
Just need to cancel within a day of arrival without penalty. I figure it will take a couple of hours in Dec/Jan to cancel the un-needed reservations.
Are the numbers assigned at random, or are they seeded based on results from previous rounds, or based on FIFA World Rankings? First 2 numbers are at an advantage and I see no reason why the US and Mexico wouldn't be given the good treatment, based on results and rankings.
Last time around, as well know, the US played Mexico first. So, if the same system was in place last time, then the US was 1 and Mexico was 2, or vice versa. It could very well be the same thing this time. CONCACAF would love, no doubt, to have the best match be its first match, to kind of get the focus on the tournament, to have almost two months of hype to build up this match, to get qualifying off on the right foot. Also, remember last time the first day had three rivalry matches: US-Mexico, Jamaica-Trinidad, Costa Rica-Honduras. This time, it could easily be: US-Mexico, Costa Rica/Honduras-Guatemala (Central American clash either way), Trinidad-Jamaica/Panama (obviously, the Jamaica matchup would work best). I wouldn't mind seeing the US either 1 or 2 because that way it sets up home, away, home, away, etc. instead of playing a bunch of games at home and a bunch on the road. IIRC Trinidad started off the first two on the road last time and they lost them both and were basically out right away.