It appears that CONCACAF really wants the top seeds to go through. As I've said it seems to me there is already a gulf in quality between the 6 top seeds and the others, but this is handing them a pretty significant advantage as the Pot 4 and 5 teams are really weak.
The only thing that makes it ever-so-slightly tougher for the top seeds is that the #2 seeds also host all the #3 seeds. So its still set-up to come down to that one match at the end between 2 teams with 9 points. If they made the #2 seeds travel away to the #3 seeds, the #1 seeds might've had more margin for error.
good point as there is a good chance the groups will be decided in those last matches. So the opportunity will be there for the #2 seeds assuming they don't stumble before that, and I think some will. I still think this is as good as can be hoped for with the shortened timeframe. WAY better than the absolutely unfair and uninteresting plan that was floated a few months back. For me, those Round 1 final games should be very interesting, the Round 2 head-to-head matches must-see do-or-die matches, and the new Octagonal packed with interesting games that in the end should reward the 3.5 most deserving teams. With such a long dry spell of meaningful matches for the USMNT I am super ready for this to get started. And it'll come fast and furious with 22 meaningful matches in 12 months from March-21 to March 22 (Nations League, WCQ, Gold Cup). 7 months still to wait though.
If we take Montagliani at his word, his explanation to a Honduran TV panel - featuring Salvador Nasralla, the longtime sports broadcaster who would've won the presidency (not the Football fed, the presidency of Honduras itself!) if the election hadn't been stolen - the smaller FA's asked for a more concise schedule, as they currently don't have the funds for a prolonged WCQ campaign. And (methinks) sure as hell weren't going to burn their budgets chasing scraps in the Tier II tournament.
I am a bit confused here. Are you saying you were thinking Seattle but then realized that it cannot happen because they play on turf?
yeah I almost did an edit when I posted cuz I realized I worded that poorly. Here's what I should have written: At first I was thinking Seattle would be a good candidate for USA to host Mexico but then I realized it's right in the middle of the NFL regular season so the difficulty of installing grass and getting it set (not sure how long that takes) between Seahawks games probably precludes it. I suppose it can be done but there are other easier options for that match, like what will be the brand new MLS stadium in Columbus.
I would like that too, more than Columbus. I'm seriously considering continuing straight on to Jamaica for the second match that window, so one consideration is the most efficient starting point to get to Jamaica the fastest the morning after the Mexico match. I doubt that's much of a consideration for the schedulers though, even though the team has to make the same trip.
Potential USMNT venues for qualification USA v. B/E winner likely Canada @ Atlanta, GA Mercedes-Benz Stadium USA v. Jamaica @ Sandy, UT Rio Tinto Stadium USA v. Costa Rica @ Saint Paul, MN Allianz Field USA v. Mexico @ Columbus, OH Mapfre Stadium or New Columbus Crew Stadium USA v. A/F winner likely Trinidad and Tobago @ Kansas City, KS Children's Mercy Park USA v. Honduras @ Orlando, FL Exploria Stadium USA v. C/D winner likely Panama @ Washington, DC Audi Field I feel like US Soccer will try to cash in on one of these qualifiers like they usually do with a big NFL stadium. I feel like the lowest risk is facing Canada this cycle. You don't want to create a road game so it can't be Mexico or Central American fanbase who will swallow up tickets. Matchday 1 is likely at Trinidad and Tobago so not a ton of travel going from T&T to Atlanta plus we also have to keep in mind travel to Matchday 3 which is at Honduras since we will be playing 4 qualifiers in June 2021. I see NFL stadium options are Atlanta, Chicago and Seattle. Also keep in mind you can't use those NFL stadiums in September, October, November and January because of the NFL. Add to that you don't want to use those stadiums against Mexico or a Central American fanbase and that's why I selected Atlanta in June of 2021 against Canada. The only other option is on Matchday 4 against Jamaica for a big NFL stadium that meets the criteria I've stated before. The other one that was tricky for me was against Honduras January of 2022. You are playing at Azteca the following match against Mexico. Its January so you have to be somewhere where you can properly train and play the match. Against Honduras normally you are thinking a colder climate, but given these factors I picked Orlando.
If it ends up being Haiti, OTOH, you do not want that game anywhere on the East Coast or in the South Houston or Dallas would be better. Honestly, for Canada as well - do you really want that game in a cavernous NFL stadium? 25-30k at the MBS would look awful. Playing Honduras in FL? That's an away game just waiting to happen We could either give them the winter wonderland treatment in Colorado (and get a headstart on adjusting to altitude), or take advantage of the particular weather in the PNW to have more reliable outdoor training facilities. Panama(?) OTOH we can play in Orlando again just to mess with their heads and get used to the weather they'll face in Costa Rica.
Obviously if it's Haiti it's not in Atlanta. You think only 25-30K buy tickets if it's in Atlanta against Canada? Not sure about that. US Soccer was getting over 50K in Chicago for qualifiers over a decade ago. Sport is way bigger now. I can see your point on Honduras. As stated above that was a tricky one. The way US Soccer does Tix kinda ensures a mostly pro USMNT crowd in the MLS stadiums, buy I see your point.
I mentioned this in the USA forum but I would personally pick: Canada in Orlando. Jamaica in Utah Costa Rica in Kansas City Mexico in Minnesota. El Salvador in Cincinnati/Columbus Honduras in San Jose. Panama in Colorado.
One thing I'd wonder is about the new stadiums that will be finished during qualification like Cincinnati and Austin? Another venue is Portland, I think it t would be great but could they get real grass in there? I think the obvious ones are finding a date for Minnesota, Kansas City, Columbus and DC. I think DC is overlooked. We've had good success at RFK. It's just been a while since they've had an actual useable stadium. Fanbase there has been great. After those 4, the others I think can be debated.
Hey, bigger football minds than myself have been wrong about Atlanta before - maybe we get a crowd like USA/Panama in Seattle. The sport is bigger, no doubt. The USMNT, OTOH? Enthusiasm hasn't been this low since '98. IIRC the US didn't even break 10k for that Nations League match against Canada in Orlando...WCQ is obviously more important, but unless we get our mojo back in the Nations League finals (at this point, just winning the thing will do the trick, even if we have to hang on for dear life against Mexico), I'm afraid that first home game won't be the hot ticket we'd normally expect.
First meaningful game since 2014 WC + nothing but social distance hiking for all of 2020 = hot ticket for world cup qualifying no matter who they are playing if prices are reasonable (I know, that is a big IF).
article on this very subject from my friend Donald Wine of the American Outlaws. I don't know if Donald has any insider info, but he is on the USSF supporters' board (can't remember the official name) and serves AO at the National level. https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2...n-home-venues-atmosphere-home-field-advantage
I read the article he makes some good points. Forgot about the whole Field Turf thing. Knowing US Soccer I just see them trying to cash out on one of those June qualifiers in a big NFL stadium. My question is after one bad result to we completely abandon the Columbus thing? The new stadium should be ready to go by then. My other question different from the article is what NFL stadiums and cities with grass would be good for US Soccer. Chicago, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Las Vegas....I'm just asking? Would any of these cities venues do 50k plus against a Canada or Caribbean side?
Asia has cancelled qualifiers the rest of 2020. There are 4 remaining matchdays this round. Plus 10 matchdays next round. Plus 2 matchdays after that for an Asian playoff. Plus 2 matchdays after that for the international playoff. I'm not sure there is time left for qualification without a modification to the process. Surely you can't modify the rulesin the middle of a round either. March 2021 Rd 2 Matchday 7-8 June 2021 Rd 2 Matchday 9-10 September 2021 Rd 3 Matchday 1-2 October 2021 Rd 3 Matchday 3-4 November 2021 Rd 3 Matchday 5-6 January 2022 Rd 3 Matchday 7-8 March 2022 Rd 3 Matchday 9-10 June 2022 International Playoffs To me they've got two options maybe 3. Option A is eliminate Rd 4 which is the Asian playoff for the half spot and just give it to the best 3rd place team from Round 3 or Option B after Round 2 finishes immediately have a draw for Round 3 and schedule Matchday 1-2 in June 2021. The logistics of that in Asia might be beyond the realm of possibility. The only other way Option C is cramming 3 Matchdays in two of the Round 3 windows and in Asia with the travel that could be difficult.
Round 3 only needs 6 matchdays (3 groups of 4). So the playoffs could begin as early as Jan 2022. Although they might choose to spread round 3 out over a longer period to reduce the travel burden.
Didn't the AFC get an extra week in June 2021? OTOH it would be mad impractical to have a week of games, conduct a draw for the Final Round and play the first 2 matchdays of said round in the same two weeks.
Yes, exactly that's the point. It would be very hard to do that so with these recent cancellations using all 4 matchdays is almost impossible.
I think Australia already has June 2021 games on: June 11 v Uruguay July 16 v Paraguay July 19 v Bolivia June 22 v Argentina July 27 v Chile Plus Possible 4 July (less likely 2/3 Muly) Plus (Pretty unlikely 6/7 July and 10 July) J