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NCFC MLS bid/General Soccer Bizzo

Paulie Walnuts said:
Can they add 10k temp seats to Wake Med stadium? I thought it was designed for that .
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That was before the permanent seating was built on the east side. Now I think they can only bulk up by about 3-5,000 ... and mostly in the corners. Far from ideal. But honestly, the capacity is 10,000 and it would be almost an automatic sellout even if the Courage don't make the final. They haven't drawn anything like that for their Finals over the last couple of years.
 
Paulie Walnuts said:
also a bunch of the best Courage players did not play in the ICC so they were also at a disadvantage.

Since they were denied a home playoff game this year they should host the title game next year regardless of the stadium size. But that is not likely to happen unless as I suggested they play in the panthers stadium and that is a longshot. Too bad all 3 local college FB stadiums have fields that are too small.

Can they add 10k temp seats to Wake Med stadium? I thought it was designed for that .
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I’m going to guess that the 2019 Championship game will be at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. It’s the home of Real Salt Lake in MLS and the Utah Royals in NWSL. RSL essentially took over the failed FC Kansas City franchise when MLS club Sporting Kansas City wouldn’t and new ownership couldn’t be found.

I don’t think they can add temp seats to Wake Med, certainly not to that level.
 
jeffbear said:
That was before the permanent seating was built on the east side. Now I think they can only bulk up by about 3-5,000 ... and mostly in the corners. Far from ideal. But honestly, the capacity is 10,000 and it would be almost an automatic sellout even if the Courage don't make the final. They haven't drawn anything like that for their Finals over the last couple of years.
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The only finals that exceeded 10,000 attendance have been those held in Portland. So they could hold it here and have another full house instead of half empty MLS stadiums in Orlando and Houston.

2018 - Portland, 21,144 (North Carolina Courage v. Portland)
2017 - Orlando, 8,124 (North Carolina Courage v. Portland)
2016 - Houston, 8,155 (Washington v. Western New York)
2015 - Portland, 13,264 (Seattle v. FC Kansas City
2014 - Seattle, 4,252 (Seattle v. FC Kansas City)
2013 - Rochester, NY, 9,124 (Western New York v. Portland)

One other possibility for next year’s championship match is Chicago. The Chicago Red Stars have ended their nomadic journey through the Chicago suburbs and play at Toyota Park...in the Chicago suburbs. They share it with the Chicago Fire of MLS. Soccer House, the US Soccer Federation headquarters, is in Chicago too.
 
Paulie Walnuts said:
did Panthers build a bigger field to be used for soccer or does the NFL require that?
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The NFL does NOT require it, but Panthers Stadium was intentionally designed and built with a sufficiently wide playing surface to host soccer on a proper turf field. They've hosted the NCAA tournament a couple of times and have been a regular on the international rotation for CONCACAF Gold Cup, exhibition tourneys and friendlies. I think that's a big reason the new Panthers owner is so interested in MLS. They already have a suitable facility without spending a dime and it's privately owned and managed ... if not fully privately financed.
 
andyt said:
The only finals that exceeded 10,000 attendance have been those held in Portland. So they could hold it here and have another full house instead of half empty MLS stadiums in Orlando and Houston.

2018 - Portland, 21,144 (North Carolina Courage v. Portland)
2017 - Orlando, 8,124 (North Carolina Courage v. Portland)
2016 - Houston, 8,155 (Washington v. Western New York)
2015 - Portland, 13,264 (Seattle v. FC Kansas City
2014 - Seattle, 4,252 (Seattle v. FC Kansas City)
2013 - Rochester, NY, 9,124 (Western New York v. Portland)

One other possibility for next year’s championship match is Chicago. The Chicago Red Stars have ended their nomadic journey through the Chicago suburbs and play at Toyota Park...in the Chicago suburbs. They share it with the Chicago Fire of MLS. Soccer House, the US Soccer Federation headquarters, is in Chicago too.
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Yeah ... I forgot about that prior game in Portland and hadn't seen the attendance from this last game yet. IMO if you can continue to generate 15-20K in Portland, then keep the bloody thing in Portland.
 
jeffbear said:
Yeah ... I forgot about that prior game in Portland and hadn't seen the attendance from this last game yet. IMO if you can continue to generate 15-20K in Portland, then keep the bloody thing in Portland.
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With the quality of the Thorns, that gives too big a potential home field advantage. They’ve been in half of the finals, winning twice and missing the playoffs only once.
 
I agree that would be like the ACC tourney at PNC or Dean Dome, you cannot give 1 team a home field every year for the title in any sport.

BTW Charlotte cannot get a MLS team - they have no dowtown. They only have uptown. :smilielol5: They decided they don't use "negative " words like down . (I'm not making that up)
 
andyt said:
With the quality of the Thorns, that gives too big a potential home field advantage. They’ve been in half of the finals, winning twice and missing the playoffs only once.
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That's one reason that it would be nice is the USSF had a proper home field. Then you could host all sorts of stuff there and it would be "neutral" ... as is done in a variety of soccer playing nations in Europe. Hampstead is a giant cavern of a place outside of Edinburgh, but the Scottish federation hosts all sorts of championships and tournaments there for a variety of different levels of the sport. There was some speculation about MAPFRE being bought by the US Federation if the Crew end up leaving Columbus, which now looks even more inevitable. That would work nicely for this kind of thing.
 
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andyt said:
Yeah, MAPFRE would be perfect. Which is why it won’t happen.
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Dunno ... apparently Cordero mumbled something about it in one of his open interviews before being named President. I think if they can find a solid sponsor to cover some of the costs, they might actually do it.
 
Saw something about USA Women's World Cup Soccer Games at Wake Med Soccer Park next month? If true, I haven't heard much about it in the media.
 
JFG said:
Saw something about USA Women's World Cup Soccer Games at Wake Med Soccer Park next month? If true, I haven't heard much about it in the media.
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It’s World Cup qualifying for CONCACAF, the federation for North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wake Med is hosting one group, including the US, the other group is in Edinburg, Texas. The top 2 in each group advance to the final round in Frisco, Texas. The top 3 teams,qualify for the World Cup, the 4th place finisher plays a home and home series against Argentina with the winner getting a spot in the tournament.

All the matches at Wake Med are double headers, with matches at 5:00 and 7:30. Tickets are available at USsoccer.com and Ticketmaster.

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/78d35...3-8a6d-943ed0accda0/18_CWC_Schedule_V4.01.pdf
 
they change names a bit more frequently than Trump changes wives.

BTW they are copying those names from the England league names. only difference is MLS vs. Premier league for the top league.
 
I may have to actually try making it to the USA v Mexico tilt next month. How is the Mexican women's team? Will this even be a game?
 
FIFA has Mexico at #25 Trinidad and Tobago at #50. Panama not ranked due to a lack of recent games so they could be very weak.

USA vs. Mexico is same night as Canes home opener
 
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NoMich said:
I may have to actually try making it to the USA v Mexico tilt next month. How is the Mexican women's team? Will this even be a game?
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Mexico handed the US its only loss ever in this tournament, in the 2010 semifinals. The US had to win the 3rd place match and then beat Italy in an intercontinental playoff to advance to the 2011 World Cup, which they lost the final to Japan. They played 2 matches in April with the US winning both, 6-2 and 4-1.

But it is opening night down the road at PNC.
 
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