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Blazer85 Wrote:Bruce Arena, US National Team Head Coach

On playing in Birmingham next Wednesday vs. Guatemala:

The reason we chose Birmingham as a venue is because we really believe every time we have been in Birmingham, it has been a pro-American crowd. That's not always the case in the United States. We're very comfortable with whatever the crowd is in Birmingham, hopefully it is 30 or 40,000 people, that it's going to be 30 to 40,000 people supporting the U.S. team. That's what we love about Birmingham, it's just been a great venue for us. It's one of the more pro-American venues that we have been in in this country.

...as opposed to crowds that pull for the team that the US is playing against?

LJBlazerFan Wrote:If it is blacked out, that's a call ESPN makes, not individual cable companies.

I checked out the Charter Cable TV schedule for this evening and for the Birmingham area, and the game is listed as being televised... not blacked out.

<a href='http://tvlistings2.zap2it.com/grid.asp?partner_id=national' target='_blank'>http://tvlistings2.zap2it.com/grid.asp?par...ner_id=national</a>

LJBlazerFan Wrote:It hasn't been close to 30,000 in the previous two matches at Legion FIeld.

Maybe Wednesday night will get closer.

Wednesday night?

You mean church and American Idol night?

BlazerSax Wrote:I hate losing soccer games by 1 point. The win was there for USA to take, but they just couldn't produce.

Oh well.

it is by ONE GOAL.. saxmo.. :-)

No way, Legion Field nuff said.
I asked several fans of soccer around here at work if they were going, and their first response was "nope, Legion Field at night".

If it ends up not being blacked out, that will only hurt attendance.

LJBlazerFan Wrote:If it ends up not being blacked out, that will only hurt attendance.

20,000 tickets have already been sold and likely will have attendance up to around 25,000-30,000... that's plenty large enough. It's not what you have in many other countries, but in America, soccer crowds arent that big yet (though theyre growing). There was a game in Columbus, OH not too long ago and it had just 15,000 there. Even if only 20,000 show up, that's in keeping with the past attendances here and it's about what is to be expected. I personally believe, however, that this will be our largest soccer crowd since the Olympics of '96.

I'm sure Gene Hallman and the promoters will probably agree with that (the idea that 20,000 or so is enough).

I still believe a blackout would have helped ticket sales.