How long after qualifying is over and the fixtures are set do the tickets for Germany '06 go on sale? When IS qualifying over?
No idea about when tickets go on sale to the general public, but qualifying from the CONCACAF zone usually lasts late into the year preceding a World Cup finals year. So in this context, CONCACAF qualifying should end around November or December of 2005 for the 2006 tournament. FIFA's official World Cup site might have some answers to your ticketing questions.
how does this work? can i buy tickets just for usmnt games? how would i know what tickets to buy not even knowing if we have even qualified yet? i plan on going to germany, but i must say, at this point i am lost.
It's a good thing for you that "at this point" is moot because the cup is still 2 years away. Plenty of time to figure it out. I believe that when tickets apps are accepted you can sign up for tickets several ways. One of them being by choosing a team. If they don't qualify, you get refund.
The official WC site says tickets will go on sale "first quarter 2005." http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/o/tickets.html Prices: http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/releases/tickets/2006fwc_ticket_prices.pdf In the past, you could buy tickets several different ways. You could buy a package of all the group stage games of a certain country. You could also buy a package of group stage games hosted in a particular city. The exact methods of selling the '06 tickets haven't been determined yet, but these are likely possibilities. As was mentioned, if you buy the USA package (3 group stage games) early in '05 and (heaven forbid) they get knocked out in qualifying later that year, you would be eligible for a refund.
in the past it has been by lottery... you apply for tickets in the spring of the year before the cup and the lottery decides in you choose a package (catagory) of tickets and a duration (first round or more, right up through finals) and decide whether you want a "team specific" ticket or a "venue specific" ticket... you have to pay for them up front and you will be refunded if you don't get selected by lottery or if your team does not qualify... the last 2 cups there have been tickets available through Sam's Army, but this was not assured until right before the cup and I have a suspicion that there will be more demand for tix in Germany than there was either in France of Korea... rand rand