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2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup? Venues Announced

30.11.06 - CONCACAF today unveiled the six stadiums that will host matches in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup?, the 12-nation tournament taking place from 6-24 June in the USA. The ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the tournament that crowns the region?s top national team, will feature five venues that have hosted Gold Cup games before and one that is new to the event.

The 2007 edition of the CONCACAF event kicks off with the first round consisting of three groups of four teams competing on a round-robin basis. The three opening venues of the 2007 tournament will be; Orange Bowl in Miami (Florida) (three match dates); Home Depot Center near Los Angeles in Carson (California) (two match dates), and; Giants Stadium close to New York City in East Rutherford (New Jersey) (two match dates).

The two groups beginning tournament play at the Home Depot Center and Giants Stadium will then finish their first round games in Gillette Stadium close to Boston in Foxboro (Massachusetts), and; Reliant Stadium in Houston (Texas) respectively, while the third group will play all of its first round games at the Orange Bowl.

Gillette Stadium and Reliant Stadium will also play host to the quarterfinals of the tournament, which will consist of the top two teams from each group plus the two best third-place teams.

Both the semifinals and the Gold Cup Final will take place at the recently renovated Soldier Field in the heart of Chicago (Illinois). Chicago is hosting Gold Cup games for the first time in the history of the event.

In announcing the six venues CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said. ?Once again the Gold Cup will be in six cities across the USA and will draw upon the host country?s unique position as home to soccer fans from every corner of the world. In 2005 over one-third of a million people attended Gold Cup games and this time around we are confident that the tournament will prove just as popular with 12 CONCACAF teams competing for the famous Gold Cup trophy and a place in the next FIFA Confederations? Cup. All the venues selected have a rich pedigree as hosts of major soccer events and everyone is really excited about the tournament.?

With the exception of the final on 24 June, all match dates will be double-headers with specific dates of games to be announced early in 2007 and the full tournament match schedule to be announced at the start of March 2007, after Central American and Caribbean qualifying has concluded.

For the first time in the history of the event, the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup? will consist exclusively of 12 CONCACAF teams comprising of previous champions (Canada, Mexico, USA), four teams to qualify from the Caribbean (12-23 January in Trinidad & Tobago) plus five teams to qualify from Central America (8-18 February in El Salvador).

The 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup? champion will represent CONCACAF at the FIFA Confederations Cup, South Africa 2009.

About the venues

Soldier Field

Chicago, Illinois

1410 S. Museum

Campus Dr Gate 14

Chicago, IL 60605

(312) 235-7000

www.soldierfield.net

Inauguration: 1924

Total Seating Capacity: 57,000

2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup?:

One Semifinal date, (two games played as a double header)

One Final date, (one game only)

Soldier Field, inaugurated back in 1924, has been the official home of the NFL?s Chicago Bears since the early 1970s. The stadium served as host of the FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremonies and group match play in 1994. By 2003, Soldier Field was renovated and introduced a new look. The stadium was home to Major League Soccer?s Chicago Fire from its inaugural year 1998 until 2005.

Gillette Stadium

Foxboro, Masschusetts

One Patriot Place

Foxborough, MA 02035-1388

(508) 543-8200

www.gillettestadium.com

Inauguration: 2002

Total Seating Capacity: 68,756

2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup?:

One First Round date, (two games played as a double header)

One Quarterfinal date, (two games played as a double header)

Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. opened in 2002 on the site of famed Foxboro Stadium, one of the most popular venues in U.S. Soccer history (hosting five women's matches and 10 men's games from 1991 to 2001). The CONCACAF Gold Cup? was played at Gillette Stadium in its 2003 and 2005 editions and MLS team New England Revolution play home games in the venue. The original Foxboro Stadium hosted five games at the 1999 Women's World Cup, and it was also one of nine venues for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The venerable old stadium also hosted the MLS Cup in 1996, 1999 and 2002 and the inaugural WUSA Founder's Cup in 2001.

Reliant Stadium

Houston, Texas

Two Reliant Park

Houston, TX 77054

(832) 667-2000

www.reliantpark.com

Inauguration: 2002

Total Seating Capacity: 69,500

2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup?:

One First Round date, (two games played as a double header)

One Quarterfinal date, (two games played as a double header)

The city of Houston has always been on the cutting edge of stadium development. Since its inauguration, Reliant Stadium quickly secured some of the most important dates in the U.S. sports arena: U.S. National Team vs. Mexico in May 2003, InterLiga 2004 through 2006, including the 2005 finals, and the Super Bowl XXXVIII in February 2004. In 2005 Reliant Stadium hosted first round games and two quarterfinals in the CONCACAF Gold Cup?, attracting over 105,000 fans across the two dates.

Orange Bowl

Miami, Florida

1501 N.W. 3rd Street

Miami, Florida 33125

(305) 643-7100

www.orangebowlstadium.com

Inauguration: 1937

Total Seating Capacity: 74,177

2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup?:

Three First Round dates (six games played as double headers)

The Orange Bowl, which will be hosting the Gold Cup for a record sixth consecutive edition since its 1998 debut, has been the site of several of the country?s greatest soccer matches including the 1996 Summer Olympics. Among the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers held at the Orange Bowl were Jamaica vs. Guatemala (2001) and Mexico vs. St. Kitts & Nevis (Nov. 13, 2004). Along with several international tournaments over the years, the Orange Bowl has staged international matches including USA vs. Haiti and Colombia vs. Argentina in 2004.

Giants Stadium

E. Rutherford, NJ

New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority

50 State Route 120

East Rutherford, NJ 07073

(201) 935-8500

www.meadowlands.com

Inauguration: 1976

Total Seating Capacity: 80,242

2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup?:

Two First Round dates (four games played as double headers)

Giants Stadium is the home of MLS? New York Red Bulls. In 1994, Giants Stadium was a site for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, hosting seven games including a semifinal. Additional events in Giants Stadium's rich soccer history include being home of the New York Cosmos with legendary Pele in the years of the NASL, the 1999 Women's World Cup and Opening Ceremonies, the U.S. Soccer Cup and MLS All-Star Game. In recent years, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, AC Milan, Mexico, Real Madrid and Peru have all played international matches at the stadium. In 2005 Giants Stadium hosted the semifinals and final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup attracting in excess of 70,000 fans across for the two match dates.

The Home Depot Center

Carson, California

18400 Avalon Blvd.

Carson, CA 90746

(310) 630-2200

www.homedepotcenter.com

Inauguration: 2003

Total Seating Capacity: 27,000

2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup?:

Two First Round dates (four games played as double headers)

The state-of-the-art soccer stadium is home to Major Leagues Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy and Club Deportivo Chivas USA. The venue has hosted major national and international soccer games, including the 2003 and 2004 MLS Cup, the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup championship game and, most recently, the semi finals and final of the 2006 CONCACAF Women?s Gold Cup?. The Home Depot Center is also the soccer training headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation National Teams and offers nine practice fields for training. The Home Depot Center was a venue for the Gold Cup in 2005.