I just got back from a week in Guadalajara, and I took a pilgrimage past Estadio Jalisco to at least daydream about what it would have been like to have gone to the the games last year. My impressions of Guad were not good (sadly, the most polluted place I have ever seen, never felt quite safe there though I met tons of wonderful people), though our place in Tlaquepaque was incredible (Casa Contenta, highest recommendation for service and location). But... Let's assume for the sake of argument that we get past Harbour View. Has anyone been to Pachuca, our most likely foe? What's the town like? Big? Small? Cute and colonial? Like New Jersey on its worst day? (Please, take it from me, what passes for freeways in Guadalajara will have you longing for I-66 inside the beltway at 4:30.) Finally, I see if things play out like they could, Atlante! Cancun, are you kidding me? If I hear of anyone going to Senor Frog's or Hooters after the game, please, I expect so much more out of you guys. Anyway, let's have some travel advice!
Well a buddy of mine as far as pachuca goes is playing really really bad right now. Atlante on the other hand is red hot, with their venezuelan goal scorer Maldonado who is tearing it up for them right now. If we make it past View, and Pachuca we most likely will meet atlante in the final.
I've never stayed in Pachuca, but I've always thought of it as a mining city. There's some connection with turn of the century (1900) English miners, which I'm sure can be looked up on the internets. I think it's about 2400m above the sea level. The city is known as La Bella Airosa, I believe because of the winds. In Mexican soccer, it's known as "La Cuna del Futbol" (the crib of soccer), as the club claims to be the oldest club in Mexico (a couple of clubs on the coast in Veracruz debate this claim). It's nowhere close to the size of Guadalajara, but is probably about an hour out of Mexico City. As far as league play, Pachuca was 9th place last fall and lost in the wildcard round (pre-qfs). Atlante was 3rd place and won the title. This season, Pachuca has a 2-2-0 (wlt) record, while Atlante is 2-1-1.
You guys should ask Houston as I know about 20 of them went down to Pachuca for their away game last year.
Well, you should never take any game lightly, to be sure. But then again, no Caribbean team has ever beat an MLS team in the CCC -- or for that matter, no Caribbean team has ever even advanced at all in the CCC since moving to the current format. We should beat Harbour View. It would be pretty embarrassing if we did not IMHO.
Pachuca has a wonderful new stadium that the folks there are rightfully proud of -- we should probably play them just for the blueprints -- but there's not much to see in or around the city. It's about an hour and a half from Mexico City. The pyramids of Teotihuacan are on the road to Pachuca. If you don't have your own car, however, you'd probably have to stay overnight in Pachuca unless you make other arrangements. The bus station is practically across the street from the stadium, but the buses to the D.F. stop running about 10 PM, right before the game would probably end.
Anyone know if the Harbor View games will be aired anywhere on TV? Any bars in the area? Live stream online? Sopcast?
According to MLSnet, the games will be on Fox Soccer Channel and FSE (Sorry, don't know what that one is).
I'm going to do a search myself in a couple minutes, but does anyone know off the top of their head, do US citizens need passports for entry into Jamaica? Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the info... but I won't be going now, ...not for the game anyway. I need to learn to stop procrastinating!
You now need a valid U.S. passport to fly anywhere from the United States, even to Canada and Mexico. Period. And since the end of last month, you need both proof of citizenship and a government-issued ID to cross the land borders back into the U.S. The plan is, by sometime in 2009 you'll need a passport (or the new, cheaper passport card) to cross the land border as well. -- your friendly neighborhood consular officer
But you wouldn't need one to go to US owned territories, right? Like Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands...
Man, Pachuca really kicked butt on Wednesday night! http://www.mediotiempo.com/fmf/primera/clausura_2008/ficha.php?id_partido=22393 Apparently Tigres coach's idea of duct-taping his keeper to the post didn't pay off. The coach got fired after the game.
Move along children. Take the pissing match elsewhere. Perhaps we should talk soccer on a soccer forum? Novel idea, no? Riz, where are you!?