As the CONCACAF Gold Cup is winding down towards the Semi-Final Round on July 29th and the sold-out final in Las Vegas Nevada on August 1st. We are nearly one full month till we get to September 2nd, as the final round of FIFA World Cup Qualifying will be on its way as the US Men’s National Team will face seven other opponents for the right to travel to Qatar.
Fourteen games (7 home and 7 away0 with common opponents like Jamaica, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, and so on. While the USA Will host Canada on Sunday, September 5th in Nashville, and then host Jamaica in Austin’s Q2 Stadium on October 7th, the big game will always be USA Vs. Mexico. While the match will remain inside the state of Ohio, there will be a change of scenery.
On Friday, November 12th the home qualifier is known to many as Dos a Cero will be moved to the brand new TQL Stadium on the West Side of Cincinnati as FC Cincinnati’s home stadium will earn its first-ever US Men’s National Team game and it’s the biggest one of them all. The border war that brings every single USA Soccer fan as the pilgrimage will be walking towards a different city.
“When you talk about great rivalries in our sport, USA-Mexico is one of the best,” U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter said to TQL Stadium reporter. “We are fortunate to have so many great venue options in this country, and for this match, Cincinnati ticks all the boxes.”
“This is a special game that requires a special atmosphere, and we know it’s one that Cincinnati will provide.”
“This match is the culmination of years of planning and hard work,” said Jeff Berding, FC Cincinnati President. “We had the vision to build a stadium that was not only home to FC Cincinnati matches, but also a premier destination for world-class events. This is one of the biggest matches in North America, and we are proud to play host to all of the fans that will be in attendance.”
While this is an exciting moment for FC Cincinnati, you know that this city which is known for the Reds & the Bengals can handle a monumental event like Soccer. Who can ever forget a full Nippert Stadium on the campus of the University of Cincinnati, when they host many 2017 US Open Cup matches like the 5th round match against the Chicago Fire where they won it in a penalty shootout, and a full stadium in an extra-time loss in the Semi-Finals against the New York Red Bulls.
I have no doubt that the city of Cincinnati can handle the fame and the spotlight of this monumental match in USA Vs. Mexico. While it’s tough not to have lower.com Field missing this opportunity, there are still five home games left for the brand new home of the Columbus Crew to get selected from US Soccer. I believe that the venue will be selected again for USA Vs. Mexico in the future, but for right now Cincinnati has plenty of time to set up, prepare & get ready for the greatest pilgrimage as the sea of humanity of American Soccer fans will arrive.