Could Heinz Field become America's National Soccer Stadium?

Max from the Association Football blog just finished his search for America's equivalent to Wembley Stadium, and his number one choice ended up being.... Pittsburgh!

The choice shouldn't come as much of a surprise, for two main reasons:

1. We have the right stadium in the right place. Heinz Field is still a new stadium and relatively large at 65,000 seats. It is located right along the Allegheny River across from downtown, soon to be connected by the city's light rail system. Most importantly, the stadium can truly rock, as anyone who has ever been to a Steelers game at Heinz Field can attest to.

2. We give the US a home-crowd advantage. Ideally, World Cup Qualifiers are played in cities away from the Hispanic population, so that American fans aren't outnumbered by opposing fans living in the States. (If you Pittsburghers haven't seen this crowd disparity in home qualifiers, think of it as how Steelers fans invade games in nearby cities such as D.C.) Only 1.3% of Pittsburgh's population are Hispanic or Latino, and less than one-percent of Allegheny County is Hispanic.

The only real concern that remains is if Pittsburghers would turn out to support the Men's National Team. US Soccer has not played a qualifier in Pittsburgh, and the city's only pro soccer team, the Riverhounds, have been marred by poor marketing, ownership changes, and multiple home venue changes since their inception in 1999.

The following cities have recently played host to CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers for the United States: Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, D.C., Columbus, Nashville, and Salt Lake City. We see no reason why Heinz Field shouldn't host a friendly match leading up to 2010 Cup to evaluate interest in the Men's National Team. Pittsburgh could provide a great advantage for 2014 World Cup Qualification

An Open Letter to the USA World Cup Bid Committee

Dear USA Bid Committee,

We, the undersigned, deeply support the official United States bid for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, we disagree with your recent decision to remove the City of Pittsburgh and Heinz Field from consideration as a potential host for the FIFA World Cup.

We believe that Pittsburgh and Heinz Field compare favorably to several markets that were retained as potential host venues for many reasons, including the following:

1. The Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area is ranked 22nd in the United States in terms of population (according to a 2008 U.S. Census Bureau population estimates). The metro population of over 2.3 million people represents more than the metro populations of Cleveland, Orlando, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Nashville, and Jacksonville, all of which are still under consideration as potential hosts.

2. Heinz Field is a state-of-the art stadium, and has been named by Sports Illustrated and ESPN.com as the second-best stadium in the National Football League. Having opened in 2001, the stadium is newer than many of the other potential venues that your committee is considering. Heinz Field is also larger than several other stadiums under consideration, with a capacity of about 65,000, and includes room for expansion in the south end of the stadium.

The North Shore Connector project, which is likely to be completed in 2011, will add new transportation infrastructure around Heinz Field, which is already served by major highways and waterways. When the project is completed, Heinz Field will be connected by light rail to Downtown Pittsburgh, Station Square, and the South Hills.

3. Pittsburgh also features a state-of-the art training center that could be used for FIFA World Cup teams, the UPMC Sports Performance Complex. The Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh practice facility is located a mere five miles from Heinz Field. The forty-acre complex features a full-size indoor practice field, four 80-yard outdoor fields, a state-of-the-art sports medicine facility, spacious locker rooms and training rooms, and much more.

4. The climate of the area is ideal for the FIFA World Cup. According to the National Weather Service, the average high in Pittsburgh for the month of July is 79 degrees Fahrenheit and the average low is 58 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. The Pittsburgh area already possesses much of the needed infrastructure needed to host the FIFA World Cup. Pittsburgh International Airport has capably handled over 19 million annual passengers, a number which is two times its current annual traffic. The Pittsburgh area features over 17,000 hotel rooms (rated 2-5 stars), and currently has thousands more under construction all around the area.

6. Pittsburgh has a proven track record of hosting large-scale sporting events over the last decade, including the AFC Championship Game (2002, 2005, 2009), the MLB All-Star Game (2006), the Stanley Cup Finals (2008, 2009), the United States Open Championship (2007), the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament (2002), the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament (2007), and several others.

7. The city has proven itself as not only one of the best sports towns in the country, but also an international city. The city features many large ethnic groups, including those of African (27% of the population), German (20%), Irish (16%), Italian (12%), Polish (8%), and English (5%) descent.

As host of the G-20 Summit in September, Pittsburgh will prove itself as a truly international city.

We ask that the committee adds Pittsburgh to its short list of cities, allowing it to further consider Pittsburgh for the wonderful host it could be on the grandest stage in the world. We wish you the best of luck in your bid for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Best Regards,

James Santelli and Daniel Kimicata
Co-Founders, Inspire Pittsburgh

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