When If the USA's bid is accepted by FIFA, 9 to 12 venues will make the final cut. So, which cities are likely to make it? Here is my guess for the ten cities that will make it:
Seattle (Qwest Field - 68,056)
Los Angeles (Rose Bowl - 89,109)
Denver (INVESCO Field - 75,165)
Phoenix (Univ. of Phoenix Stadium - 71,362)
Dallas (Cowboys Stadium - 91,600)
Miami (LandShark Stadium - 80,240)
Washington, D.C. (FedEx Field - 89,690)
Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field - 69,111)
New York (New Meadowlands Stadium - 84,046)
Boston (Gillette Stadium - 73,393)
Average stadium seating capacity = 79,177 = $$$$
It's hard to imagine any of the domed/turfed stadiums (Indianapolis, Houston, Atlanta) making the cut, even though several of those are fairly new. I also ruled out San Diego, Tampa Bay, Nashville, and Kansas City for less-than-ideal and not-so-new stadiums (especially when compared to Phoenix and Dallas). I was tempted to add Miami to that list since LandShark Stadium will be ancient by the time 2022 comes around, but it seems that Miami will be a sporting mainstay for a long time (see this year's NFL ProBowl and SuperBowl). I also wished that I could add Baltimore to that list, but I cannot picture any scenario in which the Capital is snubbed.
When FIFA last visited the States in 1994, the tournament featured just 24 teams (now up to 32) and set a total attendance record of 3.6 million - a record that still stands to this day. Estimates place this future World Cup (the US is favored to be named as host of the 2022 Cup) as breaking all sorts of attendance records (somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 million), as just about all of the stadiums in the above cities can seat 70,000 or more fans. By contrast, just two of the ten World Cup 2010 venues in South Africa surpass the 70,000 seat mark.
According to US Soccer, these cities and their stadiums offer "unique distinctions for the United States bid...[including] new venues with retractable roofs that offer climate certainty and the newest amenities catering to fan experience and game performance such as Cowboys Stadium."
My, what a big stadium you have...
What's uncertain about the climate in an American summer? Or, by 2012, will there be such a constant string of tornadoes, hurricanes, mudslides, and any number of natural disasters plaguing the globe that the availability of playing indoors would deliver genuine relief in the form of climate certainty?
Well, at least the US Bid Committee was upfront with their presentation. There was no hiding the rationale behind these stadium selections, because as most bid countries (whether for the World Cup or Olympics, etc.) have realized about the bidding process with international sports organizations like FIFA or the IOC, it's all about the benjamins, baby.
Would that many people in the US really go to watch Soccer? Not trying to knock the World Cup, but soccer isn't exactly the most popular sport around here ...
ReplyDeleteIt's a fair question. But if 1994 isn't proof - and the attendance records suggests, to me, that it is - consider the summer exhibition tours (specifically, 2009's World Football Challenge and 2004's Champions World Tour) that have taken place in the States the last few years.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, this past summer, in Baltimore, English football team Chelsea and Italian team AC Milan drew a crowd of 71,203 to M&T Bank. Another game in this Challenge, held in the Rose Bowl, between Chelsea and Inter Milan, drew over 81,000.
A previous tour, in 2004, which featured Manchester United and a host of other top European clubs, also performed well at the ticket office. A game between Man U and AC Milan at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands that summer brought in 74,511.
I guess my argument is, when the world's top teams come to the states, tickets get sold. I mean, if a Gold Cup match this summer between Mexico and Haiti can bring over 80k to the new Cowboys Stadium, imagine Germany, France, England, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, etc.
If we're using the MLS attendance as a barometer, then I'd say you're definitely right. And of course, in twelve years time, who knows what will happen...but it's hard to discredit the potential attendance of a USA WC with the string of recent successes international soccer has had in the States.