Why are these games being played in huge satdiums like in Boston? There are about 100 people in the stands for some of these matches. Its absurd! They should have chose MUCH smaller venues. It looks horrible on TV and at the stadium. Ss
They at least should have had the US playing Martinique somewhere else. Everyone that needed to see a national team game got to see the El Salvador game. In fact, Foxboro gets WAY TOO MANY UNSMNT games. The US - Martinique match should've been played somewhere smaller and a few hours away. And the El Salvador - Martinique game should have been played in NYC. Concacaf is run by morons. Look at their website or the TV situation for this tournament for evidence of how they don't even take themselves seriously.
Hosts Will this tournament ever be held anywhere besides the US or Mexico? I know Central America could do it.
The problem is that the tournament itself is a joke. Groups of three? What kind of a cockeyed competition is that? It should be an 8 team continental competition (no Brazil or Colombia), with the prize, at least for the top three, at least a bye to the final round of World Cup Qualifying. This would make the Gold Cup and the Qualifying for it, which would double as WC qualifying (as the Africans are smart enough to do now). Then, it would be worthwhile. I know that CONCANAF won't do it now for 2006 (the current WCQ proposal for 2006 is still just a proposal, until FIFA rules on it for the next few weeks), but in an ideal world they should turn the 2005 Gold Cup either as part qualifying or final qualifying for the WC (screw the homefield advantage argument, a real competition should be the qualifying for the real competition such as the WC). The complaint about not having home games for WC Qualifying would be met by saying that Gold Cup Qualifying IS World Cup Qualifying. And the gate and TV money generated from such a worthwhile tournament would quash any arguments about loss of revenue. There is no other answer. Stadiums would then be filled regardless of the size of the stadia or the country that is hosting (and it should be moved around). The potential anglo-American attendence might not understand that, but the Latino-Americans and the fans from other countries (even Canada ) would .
Just add one more each grp! that will do... move the stadiums to etnic populated areas or just the games, move the treams around even if it is in USA.... in other words, let Salvador play in RFK or Honduras in New orleans (any university) or Houston--- the USians shuold do fine anywhere, even if the crowd is on thier arsessss... is better than the travel abroad. Miami for haiti or Jamica or colombia (even NY) BUT DO SOMETHING!
Yes, that's a start. SOMETHING is what Mr. Warner should do. And the Latinos (and God bless them, without them soccer would be dead in Canada and the US)would move around even more (even to Canada!) if the tournament meant soething tangible.
If the US had soccer stadiums they would be played there but since there isnt one except for LA then they play in football stadiums.
The games should be played in a wider variety of areas, in the US and other countries, but just for the record: attendence at the US v El Salvador game was almost 34,000 and there were far more supporters for the visitors than for the usmnt.