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Australia’s bid to host the 2018/2022 World Cup has been dealt a blow with the USA further enhancing its soccer credentials with what has been dubbed “The Summer of Soccer.”
The summer of soccer included games from Major League Soccer as well as international soccer events that took place in the USA over the past few weeks.
With little sporting action to compete with (only the MLB season is currently in operation), the summer of soccer was very well attended.
The international tournaments included the CONCACAF Gold Cup, won by Mexico, which was played in front of large crowds throughout the country.
The Mexico v Haiti Quarter-Final being the standout, with over 82,000 fans witnessing the first sporting contest played at the stunning new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington Texas.
One might think that the crowds were only for Latin-American teams. However, The World Football Challenge, a four-team exhibition tournament that included AC Milan, FC Internazionale, Chelsea FC and Club America and numerous exhibition matches, proves otherwise.
Over 81,000 watched Chelsea play Inter in Los Angeles and a sold out 71,000 watched Chelsea play AC Milan in Baltimore.
AC Milan v Inter in Boston attracted 42,000 on top of the large crowds supporting Mexican giant, Club America.
The USA was also host to friendlies involving Major League Soccer clubs that included AC Milan and LA Galaxy playing in front of a sold out Home Depot Centre crowd of 27,000. FC Barcelona and LA Galaxy played in front of 93,137 fans at the Rose Bowl. Chelsea at Seattle Sounders FC, played in front of 65,289 fans at Qwest Field.
FC Barcelona and Seattle Sounders FC in front of 66,800 fans, once again at Qwest Field, Real Madrid and Toronto FC, in front of a sold out crowd of 20,000 at BMO field and Real Madrid versus DC United in front of 72,368 fans at Fed EX field in Washington DC.
Meanwhile, Australia had the pleasure of playing host to Wolverhampton and Fulham and Celtic, played in front of some very average crowds.
With FIFA president Sepp Blatter in attendance for the Gold Cup final, and stating that the USA has improved as a soccer nation but has more work to do, one gets the feeling FIFA would like another crack at giving the USA the World Cup.
With superior stadia, training facilities and infrastructure, along with an “All-Star” bid committee, the USA bid is already ahead of Australia.
To also quote US Soccer President Sunil Gulati,
“We are getting receptivity in Philadelphia and in other markets that is very different from what we had in 1986 or 1987. Having been part of that effort back then, in many cases we were having to explain what the World Cup was and in this case that is a non-issue.
“We’ve got civic leaders, stadium leaders, team owners and politicians very interested in trying to bring the World Cup to their city. It’s a very different response, people understand what the World Cup is about.”
The recent crowds have shown Americans will attend high quality games in droves, and with predictions of over 5 million fans attending a World Cup in the USA, it might be too hard for FIFA to ignore.
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