Atlanta so impressed Gold Cup organizers, Jeffrey Webb said he could one day see the city – with its new stadium — holding the soccer tournament’s championship game, instead of the quarterfinal game it hosted on Saturday.
“It’s perfect for future games,” said Webb, the president of CONCACAF, which runs the Gold Cup.
Webb, a part-time Atlanta resident, was effusive in his praise of several things:
- A new soccer attendance record was set for the Georgia Dome with 54,229 attending Mexico's 1-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago, which came after Panama hammered Cuba 6-1. It was the second-largest crowd in this year's Gold Cup, behind Los Angeles.
- He praised the security during the week and at the Dome. Other than a flare thrown onto the field during the first half of Mexico's game, Dome officials said there were no issues during either contest.
- He was also pleased with Atlanta's infrastructure.
- He also praised city officials, including Mayor Kasim Reed and the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
The Chamber seemed just as happy.
“Based on the great atmosphere of the games, a record-setting crowd for soccer in the Georgia Dome, the strength of soccer in our community, and a new stadium coming online, I’d say Atlanta would be strongly considered to host a future CONCACAF Gold Cup,” Atlanta Sports Council executive director Dan Corso said in an email.
Perhaps the only thing that wasn’t great on Saturday was the natural-grass field that was installed specifically for this game. Seams, where the grass was laid down in rolls, could be seen in some places. The ball didn’t always maintain a true speed, sometimes getting caught under the players’ feet as they tried to dribble.
Panama coach Julio Dely Valdes described the field as fair to both teams. Mexico coach Jose Manuel de la Torre said his team preferred to build its attack down the wings where the field was in better condition.
But in referencing the new potential new stadium, Webb mentioned the possibility of natural grass, which would erase that one problem.
Of course, Saturday’s Gold Cup wasn’t the first time Atlanta has succeeded with soccer.
Atlanta has hosted five international soccer events in the past four years, with attendance ranging from 33,000 for a friendly between Mexico’s Club America and England’s Manchester City, to Saturday’s record. This was the third time that Mexico has played in the Dome during that time.
Atlanta was also one of the cities included in the United States’ failed bid to host the World Cup in 2022. Major League Soccer officials have also said Atlanta would be desirable for a franchise.
So what’s next for Atlanta and soccer?
Corso said if the timing and requirements to host an event made sense, and if the Falcons and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority wanted to pursue an opportunity, the Atlanta Sports Council would support the process and effort.
The Gold Cup is held every two years, which means the city could host the final in 2017, the year the stadium is supposed to open.
If not then, it seems Atlanta has turned itself into a destination city for international soccer.
“We are looking forward to having more Gold cup games and more events in Atlanta,” Webb said.
