WEBVTT 1 00:00:15.880 --> 00:00:19.640 Hey, y'all, welcome to another episode of Soccer for US. 2 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:22.679 I am Bart and on this episode we are talking 3 00:00:22.760 --> 00:00:26.480 about the home stadiums of the US men's national team 4 00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:30.960 and why it's a problem that they are concentrated to 5 00:00:31.160 --> 00:00:34.159 a certain group of not just states, but also cities. 6 00:00:34.600 --> 00:00:36.759 But before we get into that conversation, I need to 7 00:00:36.840 --> 00:00:41.079 ask two phases of you. First, Soccer down Here, the 8 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:44.759 network on which I put out my podcast, is a 9 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:49.759 finalist for the Football Content Awards as a best media organization. 10 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:53.840 We're in the category of broadcaster or media rights holder. 11 00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:57.640 We are just a collection of folks who love soccer 12 00:00:57.679 --> 00:01:00.840 in the South and would greatly appreciate your support going 13 00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:06.040 up against actual professional broadcast media rights holders. So if 14 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:08.000 you can take a second to go vote for Soccer 15 00:01:08.040 --> 00:01:13.439 down Here at Footballcontentawards dot com slash voting, So that 16 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:15.719 would be awesome. And also, don't forget you can follow 17 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:18.959 this podcast on Twitter at Soccer for US pod and 18 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:21.920 support us at Buy Me a Coffee dot com slash 19 00:01:22.040 --> 00:01:25.040 Soccer for US pot. All right, now that that said, 20 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:28.439 let me introduce our two guests for tonight. You know 21 00:01:28.519 --> 00:01:31.480 one of their voices very well. He's been a partner 22 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:33.439 with me on this podcast for quite some time now. 23 00:01:33.480 --> 00:01:37.159 It is the greatest historian on usmn T Twitter. Thomas 24 00:01:37.239 --> 00:01:41.239 aka US Keeper Thomas. Good evening, He and Bart, how 25 00:01:41.239 --> 00:01:45.480 are you? You know? I am recovering from some refereeing 26 00:01:45.560 --> 00:01:48.000 this weekend, but I am great. Always fun to be 27 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:49.959 able to be involved in the game. 28 00:01:50.760 --> 00:01:51.079 Wow. 29 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:53.159 Sounds good. Glad to be here. 30 00:01:55.079 --> 00:01:58.599 And also joining us. A new voice on the podcast 31 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:02.200 is but someone who is not a stranger to having 32 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:05.040 his voice not just on a podcast, but also in 33 00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:09.800 press conferences for US soccer. It is Lawrence Dockery from 34 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:13.520 the Memphis Night to One podcast, Bluff City Media and 35 00:02:13.560 --> 00:02:17.360 a lot of other outlets. Lawrence, Welcome to the show. 36 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:20.240 Hey, thanks for having me on. I appreciate it that. Yes, 37 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:24.439 I've made my voice heard in a press conference before 38 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:28.919 it it did set the internet on Internet on fire 39 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:31.680 for about two days, which was fun for the first 40 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:34.240 day and by the second day I was or not 41 00:02:34.439 --> 00:02:35.080 from it. 42 00:02:36.280 --> 00:02:39.159 Well, glad to have you on here. And as I 43 00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:42.680 kind of said, we are talking about US men's national teams, 44 00:02:42.759 --> 00:02:45.159 but just men's national team. We'll talk a little bit 45 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:47.680 about the women, but we're focused on the men's national 46 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:51.599 team stadium selection. So you may not know, but we 47 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:55.280 are heading into October of twenty twenty four, the US 48 00:02:55.319 --> 00:02:58.800 men's national team has four more matches remaining, two of 49 00:02:58.840 --> 00:03:02.960 those at home, and to play those matches, they're returning 50 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:06.360 to two stadiums, two cities, and stadiums they have played 51 00:03:06.360 --> 00:03:10.080 in within the calendar year. Actually, I mean they played 52 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:12.759 with these stadiums at least within the last thirteen months. 53 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:17.599 Those stadiums, cities and stadiums are Austin's Q two Stadium, 54 00:03:17.639 --> 00:03:21.199 which is set to host its fifth men's national team 55 00:03:21.240 --> 00:03:23.879 match since opening in just twenty twenty one, and then 56 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:27.240 Saint Louis's City Park is going to host its third 57 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:34.080 match in just two years. Most people on US Soccer 58 00:03:34.120 --> 00:03:37.840 Twitter recognize this as somewhat of a problem. The problem 59 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:43.599 being that US men's national team fans feel that US 60 00:03:43.639 --> 00:03:49.639 Soccer is I don't know, not selecting abroad enough or 61 00:03:49.639 --> 00:03:56.080 a diverse enough array of cities and stadiums. And while 62 00:03:56.120 --> 00:04:00.840 we all agree that friendly confines helped teams win, familiarity 63 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:03.520 can often breed contempt. And I think it's safe to 64 00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:06.039 say that right now US men's national teams and women's 65 00:04:06.120 --> 00:04:08.840 national team fans feel that US Soccer is a bit 66 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:12.680 too familiar with certain locations for their matches, and that 67 00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:18.360 is definitely selling resentment. Simply play US Soccer isn't letting 68 00:04:18.439 --> 00:04:23.160 the nation see the national team. Thomas, I'm going to 69 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:26.160 start with you, because I you have a spreadsheet that 70 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:28.519 I'm looking at right now that breaks down all time 71 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:31.480 locations and then you were kind enough to group it 72 00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:36.360 for me by decades since the turn of the century. 73 00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:39.079 The question, I think has to be set asked, is 74 00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:42.800 this a new problem that US Soccer seemingly has just 75 00:04:43.079 --> 00:04:45.079 you know, a handful of states and cities that they 76 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:46.800 select to play matches in. 77 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:50.199 I don't think it's a new palm bar I think 78 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:52.600 I think they get comfortable. I mean, if you go 79 00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:55.319 back to you know, two thousand to two thousand and nine, 80 00:04:55.480 --> 00:04:58.040 you look at you know, the states they played in 81 00:04:58.079 --> 00:04:59.519 the you know, and that you know, they play a 82 00:04:59.560 --> 00:05:03.279 lot in California and a lot in Massachusetts Foxboro specifically, 83 00:05:03.480 --> 00:05:07.639 and you look at their success in Massachusetts and California 84 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:11.079 during that decade. I mean they've lost they lost one 85 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:14.680 match in each of those states, and they played you know, 86 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:18.720 you know, one played uh twenty two matches and neiell 87 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:22.560 one played sixteen matches. And so when you're losing one 88 00:05:22.600 --> 00:05:26.560 match in those in those you know, venues in those states, 89 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:30.000 in those areas, you know, US Soccer gets. 90 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:30.399 Comfortable with that. 91 00:05:30.439 --> 00:05:33.600 They say the team's comfortable, that the players are comfortable there, right, 92 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:36.399 so so why not continue going there? 93 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:36.839 Right? 94 00:05:36.839 --> 00:05:39.519 And so there is a pattern of that, you know, 95 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:42.680 that far back, and probably that's you know, I mean, 96 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:45.040 they could be even further, but that's really when things 97 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:48.800 started to try to change for them and making the 98 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:53.240 players comfortable, making the situation comfortable, for set up and 99 00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:54.959 how they roll it out. 100 00:05:56.600 --> 00:05:59.240 Yeah, Lawrence, that's a good point that Thomas makes as 101 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:03.959 a success maybe at certain locations. Look, since twenty twenty, 102 00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:09.360 Texas has hosted ten matches, Ohio has hosted six, Florida five, 103 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:14.639 Kansas of Florida five, California five, and then Kansas five, 104 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:17.199 Missouri four. Now I'm gonna play with the numbers a 105 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:20.519 little bit there and say Missouri has host Missouri has 106 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:23.360 hosted nine because let's be honest, it's Kansas City, Kansas 107 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:28.199 is basically Missouri. But they've been fairly successful, especially when 108 00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:30.959 you look at a lot of those choices were made 109 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:35.199 with both World Cup qualifying and Nations League in mind. 110 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:39.800 So you know, yes, US Soccer wants to go play 111 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:43.639 in facilities that they feel they will have success. But 112 00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:46.839 is that really the best way to choose a friendly 113 00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:49.879 location which we've seen is you know, this year maybe 114 00:06:49.879 --> 00:06:52.720 a little bit more diverse, but still this fall it's 115 00:06:52.759 --> 00:06:53.759 not very diverse at all. 116 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:59.560 No, And so it's I do understand the concept of 117 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:02.519 when you have a home World Cup qualifying game, you 118 00:07:02.600 --> 00:07:05.920 want to ensure maximum hold field advantage, which, let's be real, 119 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:11.000 has historically until probably the beginning of the you know, 120 00:07:11.079 --> 00:07:13.959 early two thousands, when they started playing games at what 121 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:17.639 is now known as Historic Crew Stadium, you know, home 122 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:20.319 field advantage was not something we ever enjoyed on a 123 00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:26.759 regular basis. So I do I understand the desire and 124 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:30.560 perhaps the necessity of playing in places where you can 125 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:35.759 guarantee home field advantage. We are in the middle of 126 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:39.360 a cycle now where we don't have to worry about 127 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:43.839 World Cup qualifying, we're the host nation, and yet we 128 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:48.199 continue to cycle through Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, 129 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:52.160 TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Q two Stadium in Saint Louis, 130 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:54.560 and I'll bet my bottom dollar at some point next 131 00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:59.639 year they'll end up at Exploria Stadium in Orlando. And 132 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:02.360 this is not a knock on those venues. This is 133 00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:05.199 not a knock on the support the team has gotten 134 00:08:05.319 --> 00:08:07.959 in those venues or the results they've gotten. But as 135 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:13.680 you said, this is the national team the nation. You know, 136 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:16.040 that's the keyword there, and that's the key that the 137 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:20.199 root word of national is nation. The national team needs 138 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:25.199 to be accessible to, maybe not the whole nation. You know, 139 00:08:25.240 --> 00:08:26.680 I don't think we should be playing a game in 140 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:31.720 Alaska anytime soon, but you know, more people need to 141 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:34.360 be able to see this team and that and that's 142 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:38.320 that should be a fundamental tenant. But especially now more 143 00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:41.960 than ever, that you are hosting a home World Cup 144 00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:45.399 in less than two years, and if you want it 145 00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:49.879 to be as big of a success as possible, you 146 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:53.559 need to get as many different nooks and crannies and 147 00:08:53.559 --> 00:08:57.480 and and and small towns and mid sized cities across 148 00:08:57.480 --> 00:09:00.320 the country excited for the World Cup. Because one thing, 149 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:03.519 it's this is not to suggest that the World Cup 150 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:06.360 will be a disaster if the US men's national team 151 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:09.759 doesn't play friendly the year before in Louisville or Memphis 152 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:12.879 or wherever it's the World Cup, it's going to be 153 00:09:12.919 --> 00:09:18.120 a success. It would take just disaster beyond comprehension to 154 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:21.759 make a World Cup not a success. But one of 155 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:24.200 the things that gets talked about about the nineteen ninety 156 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:26.960 four World Cup is, yes, it's still the most attended 157 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:30.120 World Cup of all time by a wide, wide margin, 158 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:35.039 and it did incredible amounts for the game in this country. 159 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:38.360 But what you what you hear, and what you don't 160 00:09:38.360 --> 00:09:42.120 necessarily think about until somebody brings it up, is yes, 161 00:09:42.200 --> 00:09:44.639 the crowds were great, and we've you know, we haven't 162 00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:47.279 seen had never seen crowds like that before and really 163 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:49.080 to an extent, haven't seen many of them quite like 164 00:09:49.159 --> 00:09:49.840 that since. Then. 165 00:09:50.679 --> 00:09:51.200 That was it. 166 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:53.480 It was the crowds were big, and then everybody went 167 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:56.679 home at the end of the day. You know, this 168 00:09:56.799 --> 00:09:59.559 was not you know, like that was. It was a 169 00:09:59.559 --> 00:10:03.200 big deal in like six cities, and not every city 170 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:06.159 in this country is hosting games. Not every city is 171 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:09.440 getting fan fests or or warm up friendlies or any 172 00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:13.240 of that. So US Soccer it's in their mission statement 173 00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:17.360 to grow the game, taking the national team to a 174 00:10:17.399 --> 00:10:20.000 place where you either have not been in a long 175 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:23.480 time or have never been. I feel like is a 176 00:10:23.519 --> 00:10:25.600 great way to go about growing the game, and I 177 00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:31.399 will point out a contemporary as in within the next 178 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:37.879 month example, local media attention is everything, and the US 179 00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:41.799 women's national team is playing a game in Louisville next 180 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:45.080 month at Lynn Family Stadium, one of the premier soccer 181 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:50.080 specific stadiums in the USL Championship. The US men's team 182 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:52.480 has never played in Louisville. The US women's team, I 183 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:54.759 think has played there three times, and not since two 184 00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:57.799 thousand and four, and they played at the University of 185 00:10:57.799 --> 00:11:02.399 Louis's Football Stadium, playing in a soccer specific stadium which 186 00:11:02.440 --> 00:11:07.559 has hosted club friendlies. The NCAA Final four National Championship 187 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:10.240 game was in Louisville last year, so like it's a 188 00:11:10.519 --> 00:11:12.960 the city is a potential base camp for a team 189 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:15.120 at the twenty twenty six World Cup. I've got a 190 00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:17.120 lot of family there, I follow a lot of media 191 00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:19.840 outlets there. And when US Soccer said the US women 192 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:22.960 you just won your gold medal, You're going to play 193 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:27.200 in Louisville, local media and Louisville went wild for three 194 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:30.960 or four days. Like Wall, the wall, NonStop interviews with X, 195 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:33.399 Y and Z, and so if you're a person in 196 00:11:33.399 --> 00:11:36.039 Louisville that doesn't know a whole lot about soccer and 197 00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:38.759 you see all of this, that's what gets you interested. 198 00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:40.840 That's what brings you in, and you're like, oh my god, 199 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:42.559 we're hosting a World Cup in two years and then 200 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:44.840 we've got the Olympics here two years after that. Like 201 00:11:44.919 --> 00:11:47.919 that's how you grow the game, as you take the 202 00:11:47.960 --> 00:11:50.240 game to people who don't normally get a chance to 203 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:50.639 see it. 204 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:55.159 For the record, my grown is because my team West 205 00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:59.120 Virginia lost in the semi finale club in Louisville. I 206 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:04.159 had tickets purchase for that championship game. Thomas, I think 207 00:12:04.440 --> 00:12:07.039 what Lawrence is talking about, and you and I have 208 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:11.360 talked about both on and off air, is bringing the 209 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:14.000 game to the nation. Obviously, you know the idea of 210 00:12:15.559 --> 00:12:19.679 using the men's national team to drive not just hype 211 00:12:20.200 --> 00:12:23.879 for the World Cup coming up, but then to help hopefully, 212 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:27.480 you know, plant seeds of not just support for the 213 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:30.360 men's national team, but soccer as a whole in some 214 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:33.879 untouched areas. So I'm gonna go through some more stats 215 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:39.879 because I think this goes to our point, right, I said, Texas, Ohio, California, California, Florida, 216 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:44.399 and Kansas, Missouri, right, whatever which way you're looking at it. Well, 217 00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:48.000 all but Ohio are hosting World Cup matches, right, So 218 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:51.799 there's that. And Ohio is not a stranger to getting 219 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:54.679 big time US men's national team matches or even big 220 00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:58.360 time you know, they're hosting Club World Cup in Cincinnati 221 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:00.759 next summer. They get a lot of cup matches. 222 00:13:00.919 --> 00:13:04.440 They hosted the two thousand and three Women's World Cup. 223 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:08.039 And they did they did. Yeah, So Thomas, I mean, 224 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:11.679 I think that that's kind of the point we're talking 225 00:13:11.720 --> 00:13:16.919 about here, right, is the places we're playing the most 226 00:13:17.240 --> 00:13:20.279 are gonna be the ones who are highlighted and showcased 227 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:23.919 during the World Cup. And of course they're probably going 228 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:27.679 to continue to get you know, soccer games and hype 229 00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:29.679 and all these things for not just the men's national 230 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:32.480 team but for soccer. But can you find a way 231 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:36.600 to grow the game with the men's national team? And 232 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:40.480 I think that it's kind of the issue here, and 233 00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:44.440 I think is kind of a historic issue for US 234 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:47.759 soccer is the places that soccer is big is the 235 00:13:47.799 --> 00:13:49.240 only places they seem to go to play. 236 00:13:50.519 --> 00:13:51.399 Yeah, and that's true. 237 00:13:51.559 --> 00:13:54.600 And I think now it's an opportunity to hey, we 238 00:13:54.679 --> 00:13:57.399 got a new manager, you know, big name, you know, 239 00:13:57.519 --> 00:14:00.159 maybe you know, if there's a fear that you're they're 240 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:03.440 not gonna make the revenue or bring in enough players. 241 00:14:03.720 --> 00:14:05.799 Look, they fail all the time with that. I mean, 242 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:07.159 you know, it's like, the. 243 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:10.080 Only sellout this year is the one they played in 244 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:13.039 San Antonio, which was a new stadium in city that like, 245 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:17.440 they haven't played in San Antonio for damn yeah, and 246 00:14:17.480 --> 00:14:19.240 that was a new stadium. So Thomas right, Like, it's 247 00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:21.000 not like they're selling out everywhere they go. I mean, 248 00:14:21.240 --> 00:14:25.960 they had decent enough crowds for Copa America, but you 249 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:31.600 only sell out as a eight thousand stadium, Like, well. 250 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:34.039 That's probably that's the problem. 251 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:36.679 I think US soccer has an issue when you talk 252 00:14:36.759 --> 00:14:42.039 about the ability to maximize revenue and maximize attendance, and 253 00:14:42.120 --> 00:14:44.679 so fans want that experience. 254 00:14:44.919 --> 00:14:46.440 Players want that experience. 255 00:14:46.759 --> 00:14:48.919 So if you're not able to do that in these 256 00:14:48.919 --> 00:14:52.919 bigger stadiums, then maybe and you're going back and it's retreads, right, 257 00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:55.360 Like fans are like, I catch it next time, and 258 00:14:55.399 --> 00:14:57.240 so now you have a little bit more of a 259 00:14:57.320 --> 00:14:59.879 draw with the coach, and I think that's something that 260 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:02.200 they have to leverage, you know what I mean, leverage 261 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:06.639 that bring that soccer to different areas, see what you 262 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:08.320 can pull into it because they're missing out. 263 00:15:09.879 --> 00:15:13.799 Yeah, I mean, look, it's it's worth noting that the 264 00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:17.759 two friendlies in September, both in Kansas City and then Cincinnati. 265 00:15:18.039 --> 00:15:23.080 Kansas City had nine thousand, a little bit more than that. 266 00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:29.759 Cincinnati had about fifteen and change, well below those venues capacities, 267 00:15:30.200 --> 00:15:35.360 but it is you know, you can understand a little 268 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:38.120 bit that maybe not everyone's wanting to go see a 269 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:40.799 substitute teacher lead a group of guys who brought grouped 270 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:43.840 at the gold at the Copa America. But at the 271 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:48.000 same time, you had just played in Kansas City like 272 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:48.879 a month and a. 273 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:52.399 Half literally the game before literally right. 274 00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:56.720 Watch this team lose to Uruguay and get grouped at 275 00:15:56.759 --> 00:16:00.679 the Cope of America. There is a NWS Kansas City 276 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:03.559 current game going on across the river the same day, 277 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:07.559 I think that same afternoon actually even and then for Cincinnati, 278 00:16:07.639 --> 00:16:09.200 I mean we talked about it. It's not like there're any 279 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:12.600 stranger to it. They've hosted four matches since twenty twenty, 280 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:14.879 and to be fair to Cincinnati, a lot of those matches, 281 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:19.080 you know, have been somewhat important matches and to try 282 00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:22.039 to pitch you fifty bucks for a ticket to see 283 00:16:22.279 --> 00:16:25.000 a team without a coach is a little unfair. Now, 284 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:28.960 I do have to say that so far are we 285 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:33.879 on track this particular decade to be the most if 286 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:40.679 you will, diverse array of stadium selections the century. Now, Thomas, 287 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:44.559 your point about playing in California Massachusetts one, Foxborough was 288 00:16:44.600 --> 00:16:47.840 a beloved location because you know, I think it's fair 289 00:16:47.879 --> 00:16:50.600 to say Robert Kraft is a great supporter of soccer, 290 00:16:51.240 --> 00:16:54.960 and then California has tons of soccer stadiums but also 291 00:16:55.000 --> 00:17:00.000 great weather. But Lawrence, we have twenty three, twenty four 292 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:04.480 or soccer specific stadiums now in MLS, plus as you 293 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:07.720 mentioned Louisville and some others in USL some that are 294 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:17.119 being built, so you have a lot more just infrastructure 295 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:18.720 to pick from. You know, you don't have to go 296 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:21.079 to Cayle State Fullerton to play a soccer game because 297 00:17:21.079 --> 00:17:23.240 it's you know, the only thing that has a wide 298 00:17:23.319 --> 00:17:27.240 enough pitch. You have locations to choose from. So when 299 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:32.559 you look at yes, it's it's a little bit more diverse, 300 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:36.279 if you will, but it seems like they're still not 301 00:17:36.599 --> 00:17:41.599 really leveraging all the resources they have in you know, 302 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:42.519 twenty twenty four. 303 00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:45.440 And one thing, one thing that you mentioned that I 304 00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:49.279 do want to touch on that we that is this 305 00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:54.599 weird bizarro notion from US Soccer that if it's not 306 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:58.680 a US Soccer controlled event, then it just it just 307 00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:01.279 did It wasn't real, It didn't have happened. Right, we talked, 308 00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:04.839 We just talked about them playing a friendly in Kansas 309 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:07.200 City right after they played, like literally right after they 310 00:18:07.240 --> 00:18:09.880 played a COPA America game in Kansas City. And US 311 00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:13.039 Soccer will tell you, well, we didn't pick Copa America 312 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:15.960 to go to Kansas City. No, but after you had 313 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:19.319 your COPA America group stage schedule, you still picked Kansas 314 00:18:19.319 --> 00:18:21.839 City to host a friendly. Like, did that COPA America 315 00:18:21.880 --> 00:18:26.200 game just not happened? I know Thomas is up in 316 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:29.400 the New England area right. The US men's national team 317 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:32.880 has not played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough since twenty fifteen, 318 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:36.799 a friendly against Brazil. They hosted a Gold Cup game 319 00:18:36.839 --> 00:18:39.759 against Haiti a month and a half. Two months before 320 00:18:39.799 --> 00:18:43.480 that friendly, against Brazil. Obviously, US Soccer will tell you 321 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:47.319 we don't pick the Gold Cup venues before. If we 322 00:18:47.319 --> 00:18:50.759 were to just pick that apart, I think we might 323 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:55.559 lose all cabin pressure for them. But like it's it's 324 00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:59.759 quite frankly, it's asinine from US Soccer to act a 325 00:19:00.119 --> 00:19:02.319 like they have no saying Gold cut venues, but be 326 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:06.799 to sit here and say, hey, you know, yeah, this 327 00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:10.599 game that we just picked today is the same city 328 00:19:10.599 --> 00:19:12.880 as this other event. Is this other event that we 329 00:19:12.920 --> 00:19:16.160 didn't have any control over, but like look at the calendar, guys, 330 00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:18.680 it's really not hard. You know, you may not have 331 00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:22.279 picked Copa America or Gold Cup or World Cup, which, 332 00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:26.480 by the way, does anybody remember Greg Burhalter after coming 333 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:28.759 out and saying, yeah, we told FIFA we're gonna play 334 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:31.359 in La La and Seattle and FIFA said. 335 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:34.119 Yeah, he said, they wanted to say West Coast, right, Yeah. 336 00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:39.039 Like no, Like can you imagine, like FIFA is the law. 337 00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:41.480 They They're like you, it's our way or the highway. 338 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:44.519 And US Soccer got to pick the World not just 339 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:48.400 friendly the World Cup venues that they wanted, and people 340 00:19:48.440 --> 00:19:50.559 was like, yeah, sure, go ahead, So you mean to 341 00:19:50.599 --> 00:19:53.720 tell me that you have no sway at Common Bowl 342 00:19:54.119 --> 00:19:59.359 or Conca Calf and you you have no control over 343 00:19:59.400 --> 00:20:01.480 where those venue get picked, which is why you always 344 00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:03.480 happen to play in venues that you always want to 345 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:07.839 play in any way. Uh, but it's it's as nine 346 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:12.000 to say we don't have any control over this, but 347 00:20:12.039 --> 00:20:15.920 then you put a game right there right after the fact. 348 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:18.640 They did that, like I mentioned like Copa America and 349 00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:23.440 friendly this year, gold Cup and friendly and foxbro in 350 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:26.119 twenty fifteen. And one of the things about that that 351 00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:29.599 drives me crazy is you mentioned, you know, we've already held. 352 00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:31.200 On they met that in St. Louis last year. 353 00:20:31.319 --> 00:20:33.920 They did that exactly. I can't mean the. 354 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:35.680 Two they got the Gold Cup and then they had. 355 00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:39.480 And the friendly later exactly exactly. 356 00:20:40.519 --> 00:20:42.680 People filled it up that I mean that that's the point, 357 00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:43.880 right we. 358 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:48.240 We You mentioned it specifically to Cincinnati, where they've hosted 359 00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:50.480 some big games. Why am I going to spend eighty 360 00:20:50.519 --> 00:20:53.960 five dollars to go to a friendly with an interim 361 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:59.400 boss And we see this happen on a micro Yeah, 362 00:20:59.640 --> 00:21:03.319 we see this happen on a more micro level with 363 00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:07.400 the US women's national team again, Conka caff controls the scheduling. 364 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:10.599 We don't have anything to do with it. When there 365 00:21:10.680 --> 00:21:13.799 is Olympic qualifying or World Cup qualifying tournaments played for 366 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:16.359 the women's team here in the US, and the women's 367 00:21:16.359 --> 00:21:19.759 team will play three group stage games in the same 368 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:22.039 stadium in the space of seven days. 369 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:24.759 Which was definitely chosen by CONCA CAF. I think that 370 00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:27.680 is like Conka Kaff wants to minimize that because they're 371 00:21:27.839 --> 00:21:29.839 cheap and they. 372 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:35.079 But what why would you go to the Wednesday night 373 00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:38.200 game when you know you can make the Saturday afternoon game. 374 00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:41.640 So you're playing too many games in the same space 375 00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:44.200 in such a short period of time. You're going to 376 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:46.319 pick one or the others. 377 00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:49.240 You're not going We saw the most recent w Gold Cup. 378 00:21:49.240 --> 00:21:51.799 By the way, right the best attended game was the 379 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:54.640 USA Mexico game, because of course it was. I mean, Thomas, 380 00:21:54.680 --> 00:21:56.200 you've got a daughter. If you if they were to 381 00:21:56.200 --> 00:21:58.519 play three games in Fox, well actually you would probably 382 00:21:58.519 --> 00:21:59.559 take your daughter all three. 383 00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:01.440 Games, but a normal human. 384 00:22:04.519 --> 00:22:08.160 Would pick one. But that's the point, right, like we 385 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:10.799 we look at you know, to build on that. You 386 00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:13.160 you look at what we just had this year specifically, 387 00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:16.359 so we opened the year in San Antonio, fine, whatever 388 00:22:16.759 --> 00:22:21.200 new stadium I get it from. Like, also, it didn't 389 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:23.720 turn out this way, but in theory the weather should 390 00:22:23.720 --> 00:22:26.079 have been a little bit better for a January friendly. 391 00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:28.640 You don't want to play no offense, Thomas, You don't 392 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:32.319 want to play up in Portland, Maine for a camp 393 00:22:32.359 --> 00:22:37.079 Cupcake friendly, but you know, I get that. But then 394 00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:41.039 you you played two matches in Arlington because cocka cap 395 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:45.920 chowse that for Mexico the Nations League finals, right, and 396 00:22:45.960 --> 00:22:49.279 then you got yeah, well yeah, and which by the way, 397 00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:51.559 then it's sell out those either And then you played 398 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:56.319 in Arlington, Texas again for your opener for CO of America, 399 00:22:56.359 --> 00:22:57.960 which I don't have a problem with. Look, it's a 400 00:22:57.960 --> 00:23:01.599 big stadium, centrally like whatever. I understand why it's chosen 401 00:23:01.640 --> 00:23:03.160