The home for the United States national team’s biggest World Cup qualifying match might be moving from Columbus, Ohio.
Multiples sources tell FanSided’s ‘MLS Multiplex’ that the November 12 meeting between the United States and Mexico might be held at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, MN. It would represent a historic break from recent tradition for a match that has tremendous significance for the United States in terms of getting back into the World Cup.
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No decision has been finalized on the location for this World Cup qualifier, a U.S. Soccer Federation spokesperson said. But the idea of the United States most significant qualifier being held in Minnesota is surely worthy of some buzz.
Since 2001, Columbus has been the home and some might say the spiritual home of the region’s most heated match, with the United States winning four of the five qualifier meetings at Columbus Crew Stadium. All four of those wins came by a 2-0 score line, leading to the dos a cero mystique that surrounded both this home qualifier but the location itself.
Now after a 2-1 loss to El Tri in the qualification process for the 2018 World Cup, the stranglehold that Columbus seemingly had on this specific feature seems to be loosened.
The selection of Allianz Field, home of MLS club Minnesota United, seems to make sense on a variety of levels. The stadium has all the bells and whistles of modern sports arenas, having been opened in 2019 (the old Crew stadium was opened two decades earlier and was more spartan in style).
The United States national team would not only sell-out Allianz Field for the match and likely be able to limit the impact of Mexico’s boisterous support. In addition to trying to have a pro-backing for the United States national team, Minnesota United’s stadium also can give the home side a potential climate edge.
Last year on November 12, the average mean temperature in Saint Paul was 29.8 degrees. In 2019, it was 11.1 degrees.
If the United States is looking to make Mexico uncomfortable, then the Minneapolis region certainly offers some intriguing advantages. The 19,400-seat capacity Allianz Field has already hosted the men’s and women’s national team in events since its opening. Both matches were in 2019.
That loss to Mexico was the last international that the United States men’s national team has played in Columbus. The Americans have had a good month of June, lifting the Nations League trophy in a 3-2 extratime win over Mexico last week.
The Crew are opening a new stadium to replace their historic venue. The new stadium is set to open in July of this year.
Follow Kristian Dyer of ‘MLS Multiplex’ on Twitter @KristianRDyer