Here is the schedule, released this morning, of the final round of qualies: Match Day 1 - Wednesday, February 9 Trinidad & Tobago vs. USA Match Day 2 - Saturday or Sunday, March 26-27 Mexico vs. USA Match Day 3 - Wednesday, March 30 USA vs. Guatemala Match Day 4 - Saturday or Sunday, June 4 or 5 USA vs. Costa Rica Match Day 5 - Wednesday, June 8 Panama vs. USA Match Day 6 - Wednesday, August 17 USA vs. Trinidad & Tobago Match Day 7 - Saturday or Sunday, September 3 or 4 USA vs. Mexico Match Day 8 - Wednesday, September 7 Guatemala vs. USA Match Day 9 - Saturday or Sunday, October 8-9 Costa Rica vs. USA Match Day 10 - Wednesday, October 12 USA vs. Panama Now, first thing that hits me is the TnT game isn't until Aug 17th. I figure that game is perfect for Frisco, and our new DeathStar should be fully operational by then. Also, the Panama game isn't until Oct 12th, also good for us. Those are the only two matches I can see being held here in Frisco. So, good news for us that neither of them are too early for the stadium. In general US terms, I'm not crazy about starting the Hex on the road for two games. The summer Mexico home game sucks since we can't take them to Columbus in March and freeze their asses off (which has worked nicely in the past). So we'll have to do that to Guatemala.
It would be nice to get at least one qualifier. Panama and Trinidad &Tobago are not likely to be "away" games for us if they are held in Frisco, the way Guatemala and Mexico woudl be. Seems like those two would be a safe choice to test our WCQ waters. Not sure what the odds we get a WCQ are though.
I would think they are quite good as it has been the policy of US Soccer to reward those cities that build SSS's with National Team games. The more I look at it, the more likely the Panama game is. Middle of August is a bit hot for Texas, and that might push them away from Frisco. But a mid-October matchday would be perfect.
Fixtures set for CONCACAF World Cup Final Round Qualification next year http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.asp?id=2863 USA Vs. Mexico March 26/27 in Mexico USa Vs. Mexico Sept. 3/4 in USA
Re: Fixtures set for CONCACAF World Cup Final Round Qualification next year 2006 CONCACAF WORLD CUP QUALIFYING Draw Results #1 Panama #2 Guatemala #3 Costa Rica #4 Mexico #5 Trinidad & Tobago #6 USA 2005 Final Round Home Teams Listed First Match Day 1 – Wednesday, 9 February #1 Panama vs. #2 Guatemala #3 Costa Rica vs. #4 Mexico #5 Trinidad & Tobago vs. #6 USA Match Day 2 – Saturday/Sunday, 26/27 March #3 Costa Rica vs. #1 Panama #2 Guatemala vs. #5 Trinidad & Tobago #4 Mexico vs. #6 USA Match Day 3 – Wednesday, 30 March #1 Panama vs. #4 Mexico #6 USA vs. #2 Guatemala #5 Trinidad & Tobago vs. #3 Costa Rica Match Day 4 – Saturday/Sunday, 4/5 June #5 Trinidad & Tobago vs. #1 Panama #2 Guatemala vs. #4 Mexico #6 USA vs. #3 Costa Rica Match Day 5 – Wednesday, 8 June #1 Panama vs. #6 USA #3 Costa Rica vs. #2 Guatemala #4 Mexico vs. #5 Trinidad & Tobago Match Day 6 – Wednesday, 17 August #2 Guatemala vs. #1 Panama #4 Mexico vs. #3 Costa Rica #6 USA vs. #5 Trinidad & Tobago Match Day 7 – Saturday/Sunday, 3/4 September #1 Panama vs. #3 Costa Rica #5 Trinidad & Tobago vs. #2 Guatemala #6 USA vs. #4 Mexico Match Day 8 – Wednesday, 7 September #4 Mexico vs. #1 Panama #2 Guatemala vs. #6 USA #3 Costa Rica vs. #5 Trinidad & Tobago Match Day 9 – Saturday/Sunday, 8/9 October #1 Panama vs. #5 Trinidad & Tobago #4 Mexico vs. #2 Guatemala #3 Costa Rica vs. #6 USA Match Day 10 – Wednesday, 12 October #6 USA vs. #1 Panama #2 Guatemala vs. #3 Costa Rica #5 Trinidad & Tobago vs. #4 Mexico 4th Place Playoff Matches with Asia First-leg – Saturday/Sunday, 12/13 November Second-Leg – Wednesday, 16 November
Two safe predictions are that Frisco will get a qualifier, and that it won't be Mexico I'd say #4 (if it gets finished that fast) or #6 are the best shots.
HSG controls the field, if they want to make sure there are no gridiron lines on that field on Oct 12th, there won't be, very simple. It's grass the lines come off nice and easy if you put them down properly.
Do you recall what the HSG Junta said @ the Town Hall meet? they will try to accomodate the lines issue but do not count on it. I'm sure that a greater effort would be made for a qualifier but those darned lines do NOT come off easily on grass as you may think...
I think they meant on a regular basis. I fully expect gridiron lines from late August until the end of the season at ULHOWA. But for a WCQ they can easily make sure the lines are either extremely faint or not there at all. The problem most fields in the states have is that the gridiron lines are dominant and the soccer markings are done with yellow, temporary paint. This 'should' be reversed at ULHOWA, making the removal much easier.
Re: Fixtures set for CONCACAF World Cup Final Round Qualification next year I feel a holiday trip to either T&T or Mex. coming up.
Re: Fixtures set for CONCACAF World Cup Final Round Qualification next year Threads merged. First come, first served.
Side question: are the yellow (usually soccer) lines put down with lime like the white (usually football) ones are? Seems that might have something to do with something, though I could be way off there.
I'll allow the master of turf, texgator, reply to your question... in the mean time I will add my $0.02. ULHOWA will be a SSS thus; you THINK that the primary lines will be that of soccer. With that being said this being Texas and HSG Junta allowing Frisco ISD to use the stadium in return of funding, the footy lines are all up in the air. I am still not conviced that the pointy lines will not be visible.
Master of turf I am not, but I do know that when stadiums host an MLS game on Saturday, using yellow soccer lines and white gridiron lines, and then a NFL game on Sunday you can barely see the soccer lines, if at all. If the situation is reversed, and HS football is played on Friday and an MLS match on Saturday, they should be able to diminish the effect of the yard markings. Particularly for something as important as a WCQ....which HSG assumed they would get in Frisco and is part of the revenue projections for the stadium.
That one and the T&T one are the ones that make the most sense. Guatemala - field won't be ready. Mexico - I think not. Costa Rica - would be nice, but that might be a bit dicey in terms of HFA. Neither T&T and Panama will travel as well as the other teams. My concern is the quality of the field - it will be a new surface, after all. Yes, Panama would probably make the most sense. Then again, when has the USSF done what made the most sense (at least, since February of '01)?
If the football lines are laid down in chalk, they wash off rather easily. I remember that that's what they did for Oilers games in the Astrodome back in the day while the Astros season was still going on, back before they installed a new turf system in the late '80s. By the end of an Oilers home game, a lot of the lines were smudged and smeared a bit from the wear and tear of a football game. The don't-wash-off-very-easily lines are generally laid down with paint, which is used pretty much everywhere these days.
There was a bit about the Cotton Bowl on the news last night, with the mayor stating that the city was "dedicated" to keeping the CB active and that they were planning to attract more college football and "soccer championships" to be played there... Dunno where that fits in here, but thought it worth noting in any case.
She was trying to bring another pointy game during the fair. She was trying to lure TAMU and TTECH. Soccer is a long shot for the CB w/ ULHOWA in Frisco. Championship soccer? What league?
Yeah, I heard that crap last night too. All they are likely to get is more Mexican league friendlies....and from what I'm hearing the market is getting saturated with those and attendance has dipped significantly making them less profitable then they once were. Sorry, Laura.....you guys lost out when you didn't make a deal with the Cowboys.....the Cotton Bowl is bound for failure now.....and Fair Park is not too far behind, I fear.
And since I'm pretty sure that ULHOWA will be going after those games as well, I'm not sure that even that plan is destined for success. Sad, but true.
I'm your dream, make you real I'm your eyes when you must steal I'm your pain when you can't feel Sad but true
And even at that, Frisco will through lower costs beat the CB out for some of them. TAMU and T-Tech, however, is a good idea. Both of those teams have more alums in Dallas than in their hometowns, and that's a rivalry that could plausibly be developed into something good (T-Tech plays well enough against TAMU, that's for sure). Not that it would necessarily save the CB. (What else could they reasonably do?)