I'd imagine Lerner's roll in being a premier league owner and Dave Gilbert heading the Cleveland Sports comission have a lot to do with Cleveland sticking around this far.  Gilbert is amazing.  When you look at the events that guy has managed to bring to town it's mind blowing.

A large number of those venues use field turf - something that is highly frowned upon by the World Cup.  I wouldn't expect those places to last much longer in the selection process with that being the case.

I would think the stadiums with fieldturf would bring in real grass for the World Cup matches, same as Seattle did with their friendlies with chelsea and barcelona.

^Yeah they said on the coverage of that game (ac milan vs ?) i forget that the new Cowboys stadium had sod put down for around $300k which isnt bad considering the income this event will pose.

Would that work all that well in domes?

Would that work all that well in domes?

 

If they have retractable roofs.

I understand that...in my head a stadium with a retractable roof is different from a dome (i.e. Georgia Dome vs. Reliant Stadium).

The FIFA World Cup is the largest sporting event in the world and Cleveland is one of 27 cities running to host it in 2018 or 2022! If selected, Cleveland would gain national and international exposure and according to estimates of the U.S. Bid Committee, Cleveland would experience a local economic impact of over $300 million!

 

Show your support and sign the petition to bring the FIFA World Cup to Cleveland!  Visit www.gousabid.com/cleveland

 

Welcome

 

FYI....The world cup site selection for all Ohio cities is being discussed in this thread

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,19292.0.html

Cincy, Columbus, MPLS, Pittsburgh a seem like the most notable "major" markets not to make the cut.

 

Anyone think Cleveland's chances are even greater now with major int'l sporting events in 2013 and 2014? 

 

I really hope most of the cities that hosted in 1994 don't host in 2018/22

Cincy, Columbus, MPLS, Pittsburgh a seem like the most notable "major" markets not to make the cut.

 

Anyone think Cleveland's chances are even greater now with major int'l sporting events in 2013 and 2014? 

 

I really hope most of the cities that hosted in 1994 don't host in 2018/22

 

I do.

sign the petition to bring the world cup to cleveland  www.gousabid.com/cleveland

 

spread the word!

Anyone think Cleveland's chances are even greater now with major int'l sporting events in 2013 and 2014?

 

I would certainly think so.  Lets make it happen.

Forgive me, I am not very well versed in the world cup.  Does only one city get the bid, or does it work like the NCAA basketball tournament where multiple cities are included in the first few rounds? Also, what other countries are in the running for 2018 and 2022?

Multiple cities will be given matches.

England, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, Belgium/Netherlands and Spain/Portugal (joint bids) and the USA are bidding for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cup. Qatar and South Korea are bidding for only the 2022 World Cup. The same continent cannot host both the 2018 and 2022 Cup, and South Africa and South American cannot host either event as well.

Although there is a seperate thread...

 

Vote for Cleveland.  Spread the word

http://www.gousabid.com/city/local/cleveland-oh/

I didn't know that Drew Carey was on the board of directors for the USA Bid Committee, hopefully that helps Cleveland's chances.

 

Also how much of an effect do these petitions have for the host cities? Do you think it will make that much of a difference on what cities they really choose?

there are like a million people on the board though

There are 15 people on the board.

remember to vote kids

http://www.gousabid.com/city/local/CLEVELAND-OH

 

 

and there is a facebook page.

Just came across this petition website to bring the World Cup to the US in 2018 (or 2022?)--and to specific cities. 27 cities are listed. You can sign the Cleveland petition here:

 

http://www.gousabid.com/city/local/cleveland-oh/

 

(Moderators: I checked before posting this and discovered that it has been already posted on the Sports thread, but I thought it would be worth it to post a thread here as well as not everyone reads the sports thread [i never have, though follow many others regularly] and because the impact of the World Cup in Cleveland would be far greater than being only a sports event.)

I'm hearing a rumor that the field of potential host cities for the US bid is going to be narrowed down and announced on ESPN News today at 3:30 p.m.

Cleveland is left out.

Of the eighteen announced, only two Midwestern cities were selected:  Indianapolis and Kansas City.

 

http://www.gousabid.com/blog/entry/18-cities-included-in-the-us-bid-for-the-fifa-world-cup-in-2018-2022/

That's horsesh*t. How is KC included but both Cleveland and Cinci are left out?

Looks like I'll be driving to Indianapolis if the USA gets the World Cup.

Nashville isn't too awfully far away either.

Looks like there might have some criteria that Cleveland didn't meet, according to the Crain's article:

 

"David Gilbert, CEO of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, which put together Cleveland's bid to be included, said on Tuesday before the announcement was made he had a feeling the city would not be included, due to certain FIFA liability requirements that Cleveland could not meet. Mr. Gilbert declined to provide specifics."

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20100112/FREE/100119957

 

Is it wrong of me to be thinking "At least Charlotte didn't make it."?

"USA Bid Committee executive director David Downs said the potential cities were evaluated in such areas as hotels, transportation, sustainability and soccer passion."

 

Does Boston have good transportation to Gillette Stadium? I always thought that stadium was surrounded by parking and in the middle of nowhere.

 

I still feel that England will get the bid for the 2018 World Cup, and that the USA will be fighting hard for the 2022 World Cup.

Cleveland is out of the running for the Bid - I guess the votes didn't really have an impact.

 

They chose 18 out of the 37 to proceed.

 

http://www.gousabid.com/blog/entry/18-cities-included-in-the-us-bid-for-the-fifa-world-cup-in-2018-2022?utm_source=nonsigners&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20100112

well, looks like we've lost already. The official list was announced yesterday.

 

The 18 selected cities are: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Mo., Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Tenn., New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa, Fla. and Washington, D.C.

 

Eliminated were: Cleveland, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Jacksonville, Orlando, Oakland, San Francisco and St. Louis.

 

This is very unfortunate. It would have been a great venue for the city with the whole world watching.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20100112/FREE/100119957

 

 

 

^Tough year for Chicago in the World of international sport... first the Olympics and now this.

it certainly makes Cleveland's elimination easier to swallow, though the inclusion of Indianapolis and Kansas City over CLE makes it harder.

well we can lock this thread of or consolidate it with the one in the sports forum!

again, lack of hotelsis our Achilles heel!

U.S. focuses on hosting rights for 2022

Updated: October 15, 2010, 6:35 PM ET

 

GENEVA -- The World Cup bidding contests became a lot clearer Friday after the United States withdrew from the 2018 race to focus on earning hosting rights for 2022.

 

The move guaranteed that Europe would host the 2018 finals, with England, Russia and the joint bids of Netherlands-Belgium and Spain-Portugal still in the running.  The U.S. will compete with four Asian confederation candidates -- Australia, Japan, Qatar and South Korea -- to stage soccer's showpiece tournament four years later.

 

The U.S. knew that the 2018 World Cup was likely bound for European soil.  Now, the Americans can turn their attention to 2022, ESPN.com's Jeff Carlisle writes.

 

MORE: http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/5687942/united-states-pulls-bid-2018-world-cup-puts-energy-2022

Im still mad that we are out

I honestly think Doha will beat us.  The prince has ordered 200 more skyscrapers by 2020, plus of course, soccer stadiums and hotels.  There were 10-15 story billboards around downtown saying "Doha 2022" when I was there during the winter.

^ I never heard of the big tree before. I had to look it up. It's a metro of 1.7 million. It has a skyline that put's Ohio's to shame.

ohio has a skyline?

Pretty much.

2022 goes to Qatar.  Really?

^2010 was the first time in Africa and 2022 will be the first time in the Middle East.  I'm not surprised by the decision.

2022 goes to Qatar. Really?

 

I lived in that country for 5 months.  Doha is a city completely under construction and booming.  Besides, the price has ordered 200 more skyscrapers be built by the year 2022.

FIFA first crushed England by giving the 2018 bid to Russia.  Then they crush the U.S. by giving the 2022 bid to Qatar.  Both these choices are FIFA favoring expansion markets over established markets.

 

Plus, apparently Qatar will build air-conditioned outdoor stadiums.  This was seriously in their presentation.  And they'll need it too.  Qatar's summer highs are in the 120 range!

They'd better work, too.  Qatar has significant oil wealth and has invested that wealth heavily in real estate development, but there have been some poorly-publicized but disturbing stories about the corners cut in the construction of some of those gleaming new skyscrapers in nearby UAE.  I don't know if Qatar has been beset by the same concerns, but I'd be worried.  If these "air conditioned outdoor stadiums" fill, and then the air conditioning breaks down, there are going to be a lot of angry people from around the world with basically no fallback options.

 

It's possible that Qatar really will be a thriving developed country in another twelve years.  Their economy can at least claim to be more diversified than some of the real petrocracies.  However, there's also a possibility that Qatar will be every bit as much an "emerging" economy then as now.

 

Also, from a purely financial perspective: The USA is an enormous market, but also one that is unlikely to take anywhere near as much interest in the games in Russia and Qatar as it would if the games were in England and the USA.  Maybe FIFA really thinks that they can make up the lost American revenue from other markets where the Cup will attract more interest by being in Qatar than it would in America, but I'd really like to know what markets they think those are.

Here are a few pics of my pictures of the Doha Skyline.

 

Correct, everything will be air-conditioned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Air conditioned outdoor stadium"

 

I'll believe it when I see it... or feel it I guess.  I have a hard time believing they'll be able to keep 60,000 people plus players cool in the middle of the afternoon in the desert.  What an enormous waste of energy too.

Also, from a purely financial perspective: The USA is an enormous market, but also one that is unlikely to take anywhere near as much interest in the games in Russia and Qatar as it would if the games were in England and the USA. Maybe FIFA really thinks that they can make up the lost American revenue from other markets where the Cup will attract more interest by being in Qatar than it would in America, but I'd really like to know what markets they think those are.

 

The '94 WC still ranks as the best selling and most lucrative; even 16 years later.  FIFA knows this.  2026 WC is going to be an interesting vote.  China is disallowed as Qatar is included in the Asian Continent.  So it is likely to come down to England and the USA.  Maybe a South American country too, but I think those two will be the likely favorites.  And at that point I think it will go to England.  They haven't had a WC since '66.

from an "expanding soccer fans" standpoint I would have gone

 

2018 Russia

2022 United States

2026 China

2030 Algiers/Tunis

I heard that some or most of the stadiums built for the Qatar World Cup will be disassembled after the games and rebuilt in developing countries.