A U.S. National Stadium?

[OMMF]

While I don't think the USMNT needs a national stadium, but if the powers that be were considering establishing one, I would use the following criteria:

(1) Nice, relatively modern venue -- doesn't have to be brand new, but it must be in good condition, with great sightlines.

(2) Easily accessible by plane, especially planes from Europe -- makes it more convenient for our European-based players to get to and from games

(3) Located in a "hotbed" of soccer to ensure sell outs -- higher likelihood of rabid fans who can sell out the matches

(4) Located in an area lower Latin populations -- most of the opponents will be from CONCACAF, so the US need to do anything to prevent a US home match from becoming a quasi home match for the visitors

(5) Preferably in a continental/microthermal climate -- CONCACAF opponents (except Canada) struggle in cool weather.

As it stands right now, I don't see any venue fitting these criteria. Cities like Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, LA, Chicago, and even New York and DC turn into home matches for the opposing side. Seattle would be a decent choice if it weren't so far from Europe. St. Louis or Kansas City might make my short list. Minnesota wouldn't be bad if people here actually cared about soccer (and if they had a decent venue). I think Boston might be pretty good too.

That said, I think Columbus has demonstrated its ability to support the USMNT, and that's why it is the default home of the US-Mexico qualifier. If they could fill up the Horseshoe with 100,000 screaming US fans, then I'd love to see the matches moved there--otherwise, it's fine where it is.

Do you want it to be close to Europe or easily accessible to Europe? Seattle has non-stop flights to/from London, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt. With Icelandair and their non-stops to Reykjavik, Northern Europe is also very accessible.

[lilgump]

Plus for Seattle you can just fly over the pole so its not really that long of a flight compared to other places in the US.

[The_Admiral]

Why would we build a national stadium for a sport nobody really cares about?

[NJTank]

In these countries that have national stadiums, they don't have sports like we do, where we have many stadiums and many leagues that could all serve as a facility for a major event, plus most countries are smaller then the USA. Canada also does not have a National Stadium for the same reason.

[gosioux76]

Why would we build a national stadium for a sport nobody really cares about?

Lets see you back up that statement.

[The_Admiral]

I don't need extensive citations to state that international soccer is not important enough to the American sports landscape to warrant its own stadium. Furthermore, the sheer size and population distribution of the United States, relative to South American and European nations, makes the idea of a "national stadium" implausible, as everyone has said already. Just be happy with what soccer is to Americans, because it'll never be what it is to the rest of the world, and that's just fine.

[xxjdm66]

Why would we build a national stadium for a sport nobody really cares about?

Man, does this sport really intimidate people like you? I don't get it. Let by gone's be by gone's and keep the hate to yourself.

p.s. Jim Rome called he wants his jock strap back.

[gosioux76]

I don't need extensive citations to state that international soccer is not important enough to the American sports landscape to warrant its own stadium. Furthermore, the sheer size and population distribution of the United States, relative to South American and European nations, makes the idea of a "national stadium" implausible, as everyone has said already. Just be happy with what soccer is to Americans, because it'll never be what it is to the rest of the world, and that's just fine.

No, what I asked was for you to justify your statement that soccer is a "sport nobody really cares about."

And the reason you didn't answer it is because you can't.

[The_Admiral]

Hi! Not sure if you'd picked up on it yet, but I, like many, often prefer to communicate in a flippant manner that is not necessarily to be taken literally. We do so for numerous reasons, not the least of which being that it, in theory, saves keystrokes. When I say that "nobody cares about soccer," that's to be interpreted along roughly the same lines as superficially outlandish statements such as "nobody likes Brussels sprouts," or "nobody actually enjoys studying music theory." What people generally mean when invoking the sweeping generalization is "I, like many, do not enjoy an unpopular thing, though other people do, but who cares." Now I'm not a complete dummy: I know people like memorizing modes (I do), some people find sprouts tasty, and there are Americans who care passionately about soccer. Though the existence of a soccer fanbase can't be denied, you also can't say that it's any sort of American cultural institution on par with our beloved baseball and football, or that it's relevant on the same level that it's relevant elsewhere. Through immigration patterns and the proper marketing of MLS as a low-cost family entertainment option, soccer can be a successful niche sport in select pockets of the country (kind of like hockey should've been before their reach exceeded their grasp and they had to cancel a season and buy their failed teams out of bankruptcy). But there is no way, no how that this country will ever build a soccer-specific "national stadium" for our national teams, for a number of reasons, and to keep discussing the possibility is as foolish as debating whether the NFL will put an expansion team on the Moon.

So much for conserving keystrokes, huh.

[Don]

When the conversation was started about a "National Stadium" i didnt quite see it as soccer specific. I was thinking of sports that other countries can compete with us in, and that we have relatively successful national teams, ie hockey, and baseball, and basketball. soccer, as much as i love it, is quite the niche sport in this country, and since football is basically an all american sport, it doesnt deserve a "National Stadium". that was my reasoning behind my answer, I wasnt really thinking about soccer.

[Jigga]

Why would we build a national stadium for a sport nobody really cares about?

Man, does this sport really intimidate people like you? I don't get it. Let by gone's be by gone's and keep the hate to yourself.

p.s. Jim Rome called he wants his jock strap back.

Where is this sentiment when people are up here hating on the NBA?

[knox]

USA is too big for a national stadium. Would be way to unfair to the rest of the country. I like that, for example, WCQs by the USMNT are played all over the country. Means I can make it to one.

[xxjdm66]

If the USSF could build a national stadium (which will never happen) I think they would build it in the northern part of the USA. The federation could schedule all USMNT games in California, Texas and Arizona, and the new stadium would be paid off quickly, just make sure the play Mexico.

[gosioux76]

Hi! Not sure if you'd picked up on it yet, but I, like many, often prefer to communicate in a flippant manner that is not necessarily to be taken literally. We do so for numerous reasons, not the least of which being that it, in theory, saves keystrokes. When I say that "nobody cares about soccer," that's to be interpreted along roughly the same lines as superficially outlandish statements such as "nobody likes Brussels sprouts," or "nobody actually enjoys studying music theory." What people generally mean when invoking the sweeping generalization is "I, like many, do not enjoy an unpopular thing, though other people do, but who cares." Now I'm not a complete dummy: I know people like memorizing modes (I do), some people find sprouts tasty, and there are Americans who care passionately about soccer. Though the existence of a soccer fanbase can't be denied, you also can't say that it's any sort of American cultural institution on par with our beloved baseball and football, or that it's relevant on the same level that it's relevant elsewhere. Through immigration patterns and the proper marketing of MLS as a low-cost family entertainment option, soccer can be a successful niche sport in select pockets of the country (kind of like hockey should've been before their reach exceeded their grasp and they had to cancel a season and buy their failed teams out of bankruptcy). But there is no way, no how that this country will ever build a soccer-specific "national stadium" for our national teams, for a number of reasons, and to keep discussing the possibility is as foolish as debating whether the NFL will put an expansion team on the Moon.

So much for conserving keystrokes, huh.

Fair enough. And I agree with you that there's no need for a national stadium.

As to your so-called "sweeping generalizations," they work best when it's clear that the sentiment is absurd. Obviously, it's impossible to quantify that "nobody likes Brussels sprouts." Therefore, absurd.

By calling soccer "a sport nobody cares about," you came off sounding like the very real and all-too-vocal group of U.S. sports fans so threatened by their inability to understand the sport's appeal that they're left with only ridicule as a defense.

[BBTV]

By calling soccer "a sport nobody cares about," you came off sounding like the very real and all-too-vocal group of U.S. sports fans so threatened by their inability to understand the sport's appeal that they're left with only ridicule as a defense.

Wow, that may be one of the top 10 absurd things I've read on here.

I've worked at many soccer games, most recently a CONACACAF Gold-cup double-header. I've BSd with hundreds of soccer fans from all over the world, and all over our country. One thing I've noticed - fans of non-US teams (Honduras, Spain, Italy, etc. - people who either traveled here from there, or immigrated here) are more than happy to talk to anyone else about soccer, and explain the game, and help you understand what's happening and why a certain strategy is being employed, etc.

The American fans (for the most part, there's obviously exceptions) are the most arrogant and snobby fans I think I've ever encountered. As soon as they realize you don't "appreciate" soccer, they just act like you're inferior and unintelligent because you "can't understand" the beauty of the sport. It's like they have their little snobby club, and don't want anyone else to get in.

I talk to people and ask questions because I legitimately want to learn about the game, because frankly, I don't understand it and want to see what the rest of the world sees. My lack of understanding certainly isn't from a lack of intelligence, but rather a lack of experience and education. I've learned more about the game from a friend I made who is originally from Iran, than from any of the dozens of American-born fans that I know.

Again, I know that there are good American soccer fans who understand that to grow the sport, they need to be outgoing and accepting of those who aren't as versed as them. Unfortunately, it's been my experience that those people represent the minority.

I guess it's not that much different than hockey...

[DG_YouKnowWhatThatMeans]

Except hockey doesn't have the cute scarfs!

[rainmaker17]

By calling soccer "a sport nobody cares about," you came off sounding like the very real and all-too-vocal group of U.S. sports fans so threatened by their inability to understand the sport's appeal that they're left with only ridicule as a defense.

Wow, that may be one of the top 10 absurd things I've read on here.

I've worked at many soccer games, most recently a CONACACAF Gold-cup double-header. I've BSd with hundreds of soccer fans from all over the world, and all over our country. One thing I've noticed - fans of non-US teams (Honduras, Spain, Italy, etc. - people who either traveled here from there, or immigrated here) are more than happy to talk to anyone else about soccer, and explain the game, and help you understand what's happening and why a certain strategy is being employed, etc.

The American fans (for the most part, there's obviously exceptions) are the most arrogant and snobby fans I think I've ever encountered. As soon as they realize you don't "appreciate" soccer, they just act like you're inferior and unintelligent because you "can't understand" the beauty of the sport. It's like they have their little snobby club, and don't want anyone else to get in.

I talk to people and ask questions because I legitimately want to learn about the game, because frankly, I don't understand it and want to see what the rest of the world sees. My lack of understanding certainly isn't from a lack of intelligence, but rather a lack of experience and education. I've learned more about the game from a friend I made who is originally from Iran, than from any of the dozens of American-born fans that I know.

Again, I know that there are good American soccer fans who understand that to grow the sport, they need to be outgoing and accepting of those who aren't as versed as them. Unfortunately, it's been my experience that those people represent the minority.

I guess it's not that much different than hockey...

A-freaking-men. Well said.

[The_Admiral]

When you're a soccer fan from Honduras, there's nothing else to it. You're just a guy who likes soccer and lives in Honduras. You don't need to pride yourself on being one of the select few who truly understands the world's game, The Beautiful Game, because everyone you know likes it. You can know more about it than the other guy, but you're not in a club.

There's a good parallel being drawn between soccer fans and hockey fans. Some similarities there, though the soccerheads dismiss non-fans as people who simply can't understand it, whereas puckheads dismiss non-fans as people who suck. As a hockey fan who is not necessarily surrounded with fellow hockey fans, I do what I can to help people get into the game, and will welcome anyone who wants to watch the sport (provided they don't support the Red Wings), a position that increasingly puts me at odds with an ever-growing fringe of doofuses who miss the good old days of nobody caring about the Blackhawks. Of course, I talk a good game about happily embracing prospective fans and novices, then I turn around and say the league should have never bothered expanding to unproven markets, so maybe I'm the doofus.

[gueman]

By calling soccer "a sport nobody cares about," you came off sounding like the very real and all-too-vocal group of U.S. sports fans so threatened by their inability to understand the sport's appeal that they're left with only ridicule as a defense.

Wow, that may be one of the top 10 absurd things I've read on here.

I've worked at many soccer games, most recently a CONACACAF Gold-cup double-header. I've BSd with hundreds of soccer fans from all over the world, and all over our country. One thing I've noticed - fans of non-US teams (Honduras, Spain, Italy, etc. - people who either traveled here from there, or immigrated here) are more than happy to talk to anyone else about soccer, and explain the game, and help you understand what's happening and why a certain strategy is being employed, etc.

The American fans (for the most part, there's obviously exceptions) are the most arrogant and snobby fans I think I've ever encountered. As soon as they realize you don't "appreciate" soccer, they just act like you're inferior and unintelligent because you "can't understand" the beauty of the sport. It's like they have their little snobby club, and don't want anyone else to get in.

I talk to people and ask questions because I legitimately want to learn about the game, because frankly, I don't understand it and want to see what the rest of the world sees. My lack of understanding certainly isn't from a lack of intelligence, but rather a lack of experience and education. I've learned more about the game from a friend I made who is originally from Iran, than from any of the dozens of American-born fans that I know.

Again, I know that there are good American soccer fans who understand that to grow the sport, they need to be outgoing and accepting of those who aren't as versed as them. Unfortunately, it's been my experience that those people represent the minority.

I guess it's not that much different than hockey...

A-freaking-men. Well said.

BINGO!

[BBTV]

I was expecting to get flamed for at least two whole pages over that.