USA - Ghana (SPOILERS)

[Nonlinear FC]

I was at the Sept. 1, 2001 game vs. Honduras and the stadium was 70 percent Honduran. That game is the only home World Cup qualifier the US has lost in the last 30 years.

ETA: Old school ESPN story.

So yeah, RFK/DC will likely never get another meaningful WC qualifier ever again.

I was there for that, too. Amazing atmosphere and game. But totally agree with everyone on not putting a WCQ there again. A little more info/backstory...

Beyond putting games in harder to reach locations, as previously mentioned, those venues also benefit from the proliferation of soccer-specific stadiums. When we rolled Mexico in La Guerra Fria (Uno), a huge part of the success was the ability to block out Mexicans from acquiring tickets. They were able to, basically, pre-sell almost the entire stadium with Crew season ticket holders and Sam's Army members. There were still lots of El Tri fans, but the limited supply and the LOYALTY of those buying the tickets (ie not scalping them) built the first pro-US crowd versus the Mexicans in a WCQ.

They tried doing something similar at RFK against the Guatemalans in that cycle, but a) the venue is too big so there's no way to box out all the opposing fans and b) there are a ton of El Sal, Guatemalans and/or non-USians in the DCU season ticket holder base to begin with... You just weren't going to achieve that result at RFK.

Now, might you have slightly better luck if DCU gets the long-awaited soccer stadium down at Buzzard's Point? Maybe. Certainly better odds with a 30,000 seat venue than RFK's 45k+.

[Nonlinear FC]

I think that is an issue that will always exist for USMNT, that can be managed with smart scheduling. I also think that it won't be confined to the US going forward, given patterns of immigration, globalism, yada yada. Didn't England play a friendly this year where an assload of people showed up for the visitor?

It's just the nature of being the US. I know this is an obvious point, but when you put yourselves in the shoes of an immigrant, especially one from a soccer-crazed country, these games are a rare opportunity to see your team in person.

But beyond that, these games are often a de facto family reunion. If you've ever been to a game against Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras or Guatemala, you'll see vehicles with the names of the cites or regions they are from painted on the side... and you'll see license plates from states all over the country. This is their World Cup, especially the non-Mexico squads who rarely make the big show.

Going back to the 80s and 90s, US fans weren't likely to hop in a car and drive 3 hours (let alone 10) to go see a US squad struggle and likely lose to El Salvador. You saw a big shift in the 2002 cycle, and it has really started ramp up for US support in each cycle. We expect to win every home game, we put the games in venues to provide maximum effect. It took about a dozen years after the 94 WC, but we've finally found our home field advantage footing.

[The Sybian]

I wondered if things maybe had changed. Not to the extent that playing a WCQ vs Mexico in the LA Coliseum (or even Home Depot), but that by 2014 we could pack the house (with white people) at RFK vs Jamaica.

The size of the crowd at that Swamp roadtrip for the USMNT/Turkey friendly four years ago at Philly made an impression. Then again, the Brazil friendly at the new Giants Stadium (that same year???) surprised me at how many Brazillian people existed in the NYC area, assuming they were all in the seats that night.

Seriously? Newark and a large area surrounding it is filthy with Brazilians. Half the caretakers in the infant rooms at my kid's daycare are Brazilian with a Portuguese or two thrown in.

not to mention all the brazilian strippers in go-go bars in essex county. or so i've heard.

There is an overlap between Brazilian strippers in Newark and teachers in the daycare.

[elflaco]

and you're just now mentioning this.
figures.

[degenerasian]

I think that is an issue that will always exist for USMNT, that can be managed with smart scheduling. I also think that it won't be confined to the US going forward, given patterns of immigration, globalism, yada yada. Didn't England play a friendly this year where an assload of people showed up for the visitor?

It's just the nature of being the US. I know this is an obvious point, but when you put yourselves in the shoes of an immigrant, especially one from a soccer-crazed country, these games are a rare opportunity to see your team in person.

But beyond that, these games are often a de facto family reunion. If you've ever been to a game against Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras or Guatemala, you'll see vehicles with the names of the cites or regions they are from painted on the side... and you'll see license plates from states all over the country. This is their World Cup, especially the non-Mexico squads who rarely make the big show.

Going back to the 80s and 90s, US fans weren't likely to hop in a car and drive 3 hours (let alone 10) to go see a US squad struggle and likely lose to El Salvador. You saw a big shift in the 2002 cycle, and it has really started ramp up for US support in each cycle. We expect to win every home game, we put the games in venues to provide maximum effect. It took about a dozen years after the 94 WC, but we've finally found our home field advantage footing.

Is there an advantage for season ticket holders in a particular stadium?

For example if a USMNT game is played in Salt Lake City, do Real Salt Lake fans get priority? That would weed out the visiting fans.

[P.D.X.]

Yes.

[wlu_lax6]

Yeah getting the pre-sale US Soccer Fan ticketmaster code or season ticket holder pre-sale code is not really that hard if you are not a US Soccer fan/member or season ticket holder...but guess it is a high enough bar to help keep the home team the home team.