Fake turf in, US Men out
A little while back I noted that the proposed US-Honduras match on April 11th might not happen in Birmingham, Alabama, if they did not meet US soccer's demands to keep a real grass field for the match.
The Birmingham Parks and Recreation Board could not agree to delay the insulation of fake grass because they would not know till some time in February what the delay in installation would cost. Since the US needed a decision by Friday, the board had to say no.
The U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams have played at Legion Field several times dating to 1996, including five times in the past six years. Each of these matches brought national television coverage and generated an economic impact of $3 million to $5 million, according to the foundation.
A rep from the federation said that the installation might not mean that future international matches will never find their way back to Birmingham saying that artificial turf might be something that soccer wants to use down the road. However, University of Alabama at Birmingham soccer coach had one of the best remarks about such an idea that I have ever heard. "I think it will happen somewhere around the Year 3050," he said. "Before that time, I don't think anybody would choose it over a good grass surface."
So cross Birmingham off the list of possible big name soccer sites in the US for about a millennium.
The Birmingham Parks and Recreation Board could not agree to delay the insulation of fake grass because they would not know till some time in February what the delay in installation would cost. Since the US needed a decision by Friday, the board had to say no.
The U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams have played at Legion Field several times dating to 1996, including five times in the past six years. Each of these matches brought national television coverage and generated an economic impact of $3 million to $5 million, according to the foundation.
A rep from the federation said that the installation might not mean that future international matches will never find their way back to Birmingham saying that artificial turf might be something that soccer wants to use down the road. However, University of Alabama at Birmingham soccer coach had one of the best remarks about such an idea that I have ever heard. "I think it will happen somewhere around the Year 3050," he said. "Before that time, I don't think anybody would choose it over a good grass surface."
So cross Birmingham off the list of possible big name soccer sites in the US for about a millennium.
posted by Mike H at 6:11 PM
1 Comments:
Listen to this interview with Chris Economides, the guy in charge of the new USL franchise in Cary.
http://trisoccerfan.blogspot.com/2006/01/triangle-pro-soccer-vp-economides-on.html
Listen closely to what he has to say about the US National Team and see if you interpret what he says the same way I do. It sounds to me like he is tipping his hand on setting up a game for the US in Cary in "mid-April".
Someone else that was at the press conference last week here in Cary mentioned Honduras as coming up in the press conference (but in what way, I don't know since I wasn't there).
I don't want to start any unsubstantiated rumors, so I'll let you draw your own conclusions.
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