Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee unveils logo (Arlington: 2015, vs)

[Dopo]

Kansas City? Is that a joke?

I'm sure Mexico plays in Houston all the time just because they like going to Galveston after the game.
It's all about money, if Mexico plays all the time in Houston is because they make a lot of money here.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by Mr. Clutch

That's not the primary reason they'll get a bid. Those people will show up for a game with random World Cup teams quicker than people from plenty of other markets that are locks will (Houston, Dallas, Boston, etc.). It will be a much bigger deal there than it will here.

At the end of the day, I guess we'll see what happens though. I'd be shocked if both Houston and Dallas got a bid, just like I'd be shocked if both Miami and Orlando get one. It makes zero sense.



For Copa America Centenario we had Mexico and Peru (~67K), and Colombia and Costa Rica (~45K). Seattle had Argentina and Bolivia (~45K) and Haiti and Peru (~20K). Only sell out was the game with Mexico involved. The World Cup isn't like the Copa where the teams are Latin American and generally have more ties to Houston.

I don't disagree that Houston would do well. I disagree with the idea that these other markets won't do well, and I think FIFA has more to gain exposing more Midwesterners to the game in an area where there's still a lot of room to grow, as opposed to putting two sites in Texas.

My main point was that the MLS has zero to do with international competition becauss you and Jfred were using it as one of your main points on why KC is a lock. But I guess you see by now it’s not the case.. For Houston, you missed USA vs Argentina in Houston which was a sell out and Mexico vs Venezuela which was also a sell out. By non Mexico or US games, the Colombia vs Costa Rica beyond exceeded Houston performed well in every match. Chicago on the other underperformed and were once again rejected. Also, your “more ties to Houston” point is invalid as well. Whether Latino or not, Houston has relatively high international populations (in relation to other US cities) for all continents.

Now that that’s out the way, I never said anything against Seattle. I mean Seattle isn’t exactly a lock but it’s not improbably like KC is. Seattle is almost a large market, definitely not a small one like KC. And they have plenty to offer international wise unlike KC. KC is improbable in all aspects and I guess you acknowledge by now that MLS has nothing to do with it, so there’s nothing to factor in there. KC remains unprovable (and doesn’t need this much explanation).

[SanJac]

This thread was supposed to be about what Houston is doing to win a spot (how many other cities have logos?), and instead of people building up our chances (which I think are excellent), seems like the naysayers just want to rain on Houston's parade for some reason...

I'm thankful this city was built by VISIONARIES and continues to be led by WINNERS...

We live in a great city and it's a shame more Houstonians don't realize that...

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by SanJac

This thread was supposed to be about what Houston is doing to win a spot (how many other cities have logos?)

KC sees your logo and raises you a full-on website with its own domain with a logo and tagline and petition form. They appear to have gone further trying to promote their bid at this stage than any of the other cities in the running. Present company included.

(A)nd instead of people building up our chances (which I think are excellent), seems like the naysayers just want to rain on Houston's parade for some reason...

Parades don't happen until something's been won. Nothing's been won.

Houston has a good, but not outstanding bid here, and the likelihood of their putting four out of 10 venues in the South aren't that good. Three in the south, three on the West Coast, and one in the middle of the country.

On that last bid - one more time, for the kids in the back - Kansas City is a lock. They take what would have been Chicago's bid.

I'm thankful this city was built by VISIONARIES and continues to be led by WINNERS...

One of those visionaries built a domed stadium that was functionally obsolete within a generation of its completion. It now sits inconveniently between the light rail station that's supposed to be Houston's selling point over Arlington, and the newer stadium where the actual event will be.

It's a story that could only be told here.

We live in a great city and it's a shame more Houstonians don't realize that...

This isn't a referendum on Houston's greatness. It's a crowded field. Nothing I'm saying is to be construed as Houston not being able to host World Cup or other major international soccer competitions, in and of itself.

Texas is a lock to get WC games. It's just an 80-20 chance or better of being Dallas and not Houston. The potential to get 10K+ more fans into the venue is the primary reason. Both cities will sell out a game that involved the USMNT or Mexico, easily, with scalpers for days. That said - Jerryworld has the potential to earn more money. Neither city is clearly going to perform better with two non-CONCACAF teams playing.

Dallas being located more toward the center of the continent as opposed to the coast, like the undisputable lock bids tend to be, balances things out a bit more geographically, but that and anything else is a secondary consideration. Promoting the game matters to FIFA but above all, money matters to FIFA.

[Mr. Krinkle]

Originally Posted by jfre81

One of those visionaries built a domed stadium that was functionally obsolete within a generation of its completion. It now sits inconveniently between the light rail station that's supposed to be Houston's selling point over Arlington, and the newer stadium where the actual event will be.

Arlington is in the middle of nowhere and is difficult to get to. This is one of Houston's selling points. It's easy to get to NRG from downtown or close by.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Mr. Krinkle

Arlington is in the middle of nowhere and is difficult to get to. This is one of Houston's selling points. It's easy to get to NRG from downtown or close by.

I actually got lost leaving Arlington (specifically, Jerryworld) for nearly an hour in the dark trying to get to Denton where I had a free place to lay my head. But getting to the stadium from DFW airport is easy, with charter buses shuttling people between. As far as between the airport and stadium, there's less ground to cover than there is in Houston.

[Mr. Krinkle]

Yeah, but where are people going to stay for the weekend? Certainly not in Arlington or close to the airport.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Mr. Krinkle

Yeah, but where are people going to stay for the weekend? Certainly not in Arlington or close to the airport.

Same places they would stay for the Super Bowl or anything else there.

[Mr. Krinkle]

Originally Posted by jfre81

Same places they would stay for the Super Bowl or anything else there.

Advantage Houston

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by jfre81

Houston has proven it can show up for the USMNT, and Mexicans and Central Americans will show up for their teams when they play here. But odds these theoretical WC games in Houston wouldn't involve any of them or CONCACAF at all, and quite possibly countries with minimal if any immigrant presence here. Let's say it's
Uruguay vs. Croatia. Does the general public in Houston care? The "I watch soccer during the World Cup but I prefer football" kind of people. They'll probably just watch it on TV.

Kansas City, like the PNW, supports soccer on the level of a major league sport, like the Chiefs or Royals. They're really a bigger deal than the Royals when the Royals aren't winning, which is a lot of the time.

If supporting soccer on the level of a major league sport means supporting the local MLS franchise, as opposed to - oh, I don't know, not selling out your modestly sized soccer-specific stadium for the team it was built for - then so be it. The Dynamo have never been held on the same level with the Astros/Texans/Rockets here, such that the Chronicle laid off their Dynamo beat writer and relegated them somewhere near the Sugar Land Skeeters minor league baseball team in priority. Does this somehow impress FIFA more than selling out MLS games, P-Swag?

I'll tell you what you can do if you really want to see World Cup games here. Tickets go on sale on the 6th for the USMNT friendly with Chile in March at BBVA. Do your part to make sure it sells out immediately.

Show FIFA, KC and Dallas how much you want it.

I hate to bring up old threads and arguments up again (especially this one that already got settled). But this one is relevant to us because this is about getting the World Cup.

Yesterday, this comment was debunked again with the attendance of Haiti vs Canada teaching 70K. As I said before, the MLS attendance has zero affect when it comes to hosting international soccer tournaments. While Houston lacks MLS Adams, it has the more important international competition support.