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Events and Attractions

USSF Officials, Soccer United Marketing Consider Event For Non-World Cup Teams

U.S. Soccer and Soccer United Marketing are looking into the "'possibility' of bringing non-World Cup sides" such as Italy, Netherlands, Ghana and Chile to the U.S. next summer for a tournament or series of matches, according to the Washington Post's Steven Goff. The effort is "probably a longshot but worth a try" (TWITTER.com, 11/14). ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle noted the USSF "indicated that talks are in the exploratory stage, so it is unclear if an actual tournament will be held ... or just a series of friendlies." North America also "figures to be an appealing destination for friendlies for some of the countries that qualified for Russia" (ESPNFC.us, 11/14). SI.com's Avi Creditor wrote plenty would have to "fall into place" for the event to "become a true reality." For starters, not every nation would "necessarily send a top lineup to a largely meaningless forum, while those nations would also have to want to play the USA instead of opting for other World Cup warm-up matches against competition headed to Russia" (SI.com, 11/14). YAHOO SPORTS' Henry Bushnell noted the games would "presumably be played in the period before the World Cup." Between mid-May and mid-June, many national teams "play multiple friendlies." Even in the absence of an "organized competition, the U.S. would likely be among them." It likely "wouldn’t be an official, FIFA-governed competition, but it wouldn’t have to be." Some people are "furious that U.S. Soccer would even consider it." But it is a "relatively harmless possibility." A structured competition might "make the friendlies more valuable," and it also would "make more money" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/14). 

BACK TO SQUARE 1: Italy missed qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years, and USA TODAY's Eric Lyman notes Italians yesterday "reacted with shock, grief, illness and tears" after the "unthinkable occurred." Only Brazil and Germany "had participated in more consecutive World Cups than Italy, which has won the competition four times." Author Paddy Agnew said, "This is one of the cases where you can’t really be guilty of hyperbole. ... We should all stand by now for a long period of weeping and the gnashing of teeth" (USA TODAY, 11/15).

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