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Green Bay futbol?
Packers show interest as World Cup hosts
By Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Apr. 9, 2009
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Futbol at Lambeau Field could be more than just a fantasy, if the United States is able to land the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
The home of the Green Bay Packers is listed prominently among the initial list of 70 U.S. stadiums being considered as sites for World Cup soccer matches.
And Green Bay Packers President Mark Murphy said Thursday that the franchise would be interested in being a host for the matches.
"We're honored and flattered they're considering us," Murphy said. "We're looking at other events we can hold in Lambeau.
"We're obviously very proud of Lambeau. To me, it's the best football stadium in the country. To expose it to a whole new set of fans would be a real positive for us."
The U.S. list will be trimmed to 25 or 35 stadiums by the time of a May 2010 meeting, when final paperwork is due from nations bidding to be selected as tournament host.
FIFA's 24-member executive committee will study the bids and name the host countries for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in December 2010.
A total of eight to 12 stadiums will be selected to play host to World Cup matches, said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati, if the U.S. earns the right to be the tournament host for the first time since 1994.
Lambeau Field would appear to be a long shot because of several factors, although the stadium capacity of more than 70,000 is well above the FIFA minimum of 40,000 for opening-round matches.
Larger markets were the sites of games during the 1994 World Cup, including Detroit and Chicago in the Midwest, with games being played then at the Silverdome and Soldier Field.
But USA Bid Committee executive director David Downs compared Green Bay's situation to that of Kaiserslautern, a smaller city in Germany that successfully played host to first-round games in 2006, including a match between the U.S. and eventual champion Italy.
"While Germany clearly had Berlin and Munich and Frankfurt, they also had Kaiserslautern as a site," Downs said. "We're evaluating this as what kind of legacy this event leaves behind both to the sport in the U.S. and to the impressions of the world.
"I think all forms should be considered, not just major markets."
One of the questions about Lambeau Field is whether it would accommodate a wider pitch needed for soccer. The field would need to be from 75 to 80 yards wide, considerably wider than the configuration in the National Football League.
"That's something we'd have to look at," Murphy said. "The issue is at the ends of the field and in the corners."
The World Cup is played in June and early July, so there would be no conflict with the Packers' season or exhibition season.
U.S. Soccer has often used NFL stadiums for national team matches, including Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., and Soldier Field in Chicago.
"There are going to be any number of venues that are going to be in the mix but only if they can make certain modifications," Gulati said. "Not in terms of seats, but in terms of playing field. We've looked at Lambeau in the past for a national team game. In some cases it doesn't make sense to make adjustments when you're talking about one game and it's an exhibition or even a World Cup qualifying game.
"But for an event like the World Cup, with sufficient time to plan, with the economic impact it brings, with the international visitors it brings, venues and municipalities will look to make those modifications."
Lambeau Field's capacity was increased from 60,890 in 2001 to 72,928 with a stadium renovation completed in 2003.
In 1994, nine stadiums were used when the U.S. was host of the World Cup, which then featured a 24-team, 52-match format. Today 32 nations qualify for the World Cup and play a total of 64 matches.
The World Cup final was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., and the tournament opener was played at Soldier Field. Gulati said stadiums with a minimum capacity of 80,000 now were required to play host to the tournament opening and final match.
Gulati pointed out that it’s advantageous to have several venues in each region of the country. If Soldier Field were chosen as a venue, it would not necessarily prevent Lambeau Field from being considered, for example.
“We definitely want to have a national footprint for the World Cup,” Gulati said. “In the last World Cup we did some have East Coast venues, some Midwest venues. That makes group play a little bit easier. You don’t have teams traveling across the country twice.”
Gulati said he rooted for the New England Patriots now but grew up as a Packers fan during the Vince Lombardi-Bart Starr era.
“We did some things in 1994 that surprised people around the world,” Gulati said. “We found a way to grow grass indoors in Detroit, and we played in some markets that might not have been at the top of the list in our original thinking.”
Other countries bidding for the World Cup in 2018 and 2022 are Australia, England, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and Russia, with joint bids coming from Netherlands-Belgium and Portugal-Spain. Qatar and South Korea have submitted bids for 2022 only.
The 2010 World Cup will be played in South Africa, and the 2014 World Cup will be staged in Brazil.
Murphy, who is a member of the Chicago 2016 committee that is bidding for the Olympic Games, said he thought Green Bay could benefit from being part of a World Cup.
“In terms of the community, the economic impact would be pretty significant,” he said. “I see it as a real positive.”
Packers show interest as World Cup hosts
By Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Apr. 9, 2009
View All Blog Posts
Futbol at Lambeau Field could be more than just a fantasy, if the United States is able to land the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
The home of the Green Bay Packers is listed prominently among the initial list of 70 U.S. stadiums being considered as sites for World Cup soccer matches.
And Green Bay Packers President Mark Murphy said Thursday that the franchise would be interested in being a host for the matches.
"We're honored and flattered they're considering us," Murphy said. "We're looking at other events we can hold in Lambeau.
"We're obviously very proud of Lambeau. To me, it's the best football stadium in the country. To expose it to a whole new set of fans would be a real positive for us."
The U.S. list will be trimmed to 25 or 35 stadiums by the time of a May 2010 meeting, when final paperwork is due from nations bidding to be selected as tournament host.
FIFA's 24-member executive committee will study the bids and name the host countries for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in December 2010.
A total of eight to 12 stadiums will be selected to play host to World Cup matches, said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati, if the U.S. earns the right to be the tournament host for the first time since 1994.
Lambeau Field would appear to be a long shot because of several factors, although the stadium capacity of more than 70,000 is well above the FIFA minimum of 40,000 for opening-round matches.
Larger markets were the sites of games during the 1994 World Cup, including Detroit and Chicago in the Midwest, with games being played then at the Silverdome and Soldier Field.
But USA Bid Committee executive director David Downs compared Green Bay's situation to that of Kaiserslautern, a smaller city in Germany that successfully played host to first-round games in 2006, including a match between the U.S. and eventual champion Italy.
"While Germany clearly had Berlin and Munich and Frankfurt, they also had Kaiserslautern as a site," Downs said. "We're evaluating this as what kind of legacy this event leaves behind both to the sport in the U.S. and to the impressions of the world.
"I think all forms should be considered, not just major markets."
One of the questions about Lambeau Field is whether it would accommodate a wider pitch needed for soccer. The field would need to be from 75 to 80 yards wide, considerably wider than the configuration in the National Football League.
"That's something we'd have to look at," Murphy said. "The issue is at the ends of the field and in the corners."
The World Cup is played in June and early July, so there would be no conflict with the Packers' season or exhibition season.
U.S. Soccer has often used NFL stadiums for national team matches, including Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., and Soldier Field in Chicago.
"There are going to be any number of venues that are going to be in the mix but only if they can make certain modifications," Gulati said. "Not in terms of seats, but in terms of playing field. We've looked at Lambeau in the past for a national team game. In some cases it doesn't make sense to make adjustments when you're talking about one game and it's an exhibition or even a World Cup qualifying game.
"But for an event like the World Cup, with sufficient time to plan, with the economic impact it brings, with the international visitors it brings, venues and municipalities will look to make those modifications."
Lambeau Field's capacity was increased from 60,890 in 2001 to 72,928 with a stadium renovation completed in 2003.
In 1994, nine stadiums were used when the U.S. was host of the World Cup, which then featured a 24-team, 52-match format. Today 32 nations qualify for the World Cup and play a total of 64 matches.
The World Cup final was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., and the tournament opener was played at Soldier Field. Gulati said stadiums with a minimum capacity of 80,000 now were required to play host to the tournament opening and final match.
Gulati pointed out that it’s advantageous to have several venues in each region of the country. If Soldier Field were chosen as a venue, it would not necessarily prevent Lambeau Field from being considered, for example.
“We definitely want to have a national footprint for the World Cup,” Gulati said. “In the last World Cup we did some have East Coast venues, some Midwest venues. That makes group play a little bit easier. You don’t have teams traveling across the country twice.”
Gulati said he rooted for the New England Patriots now but grew up as a Packers fan during the Vince Lombardi-Bart Starr era.
“We did some things in 1994 that surprised people around the world,” Gulati said. “We found a way to grow grass indoors in Detroit, and we played in some markets that might not have been at the top of the list in our original thinking.”
Other countries bidding for the World Cup in 2018 and 2022 are Australia, England, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and Russia, with joint bids coming from Netherlands-Belgium and Portugal-Spain. Qatar and South Korea have submitted bids for 2022 only.
The 2010 World Cup will be played in South Africa, and the 2014 World Cup will be staged in Brazil.
Murphy, who is a member of the Chicago 2016 committee that is bidding for the Olympic Games, said he thought Green Bay could benefit from being part of a World Cup.
“In terms of the community, the economic impact would be pretty significant,” he said. “I see it as a real positive.”
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