First Women's Final Four, then World Cup?

The United States Soccer Federation has made it official--they will submit a bid to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. Considering that the last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup, in 1994, it was the most successful event ever in the history of FIFA, one would have to consider them to be a heavy favorite to host again.

That brings me to an all important question--has any Nashville official been in contact with USSF about the city's interest in being involved in the process--possibly even as a host city? It may sound unrealistic, but I believe there is a chance it could happen.

On a weeknight in June 2006, 26,141 people showed up to LP Field in Nashville to watch a World Cup warm up friendly between the U.S. and Morocco (and the atmosphere was great). The attendance in Nashville compared favorably with the other two warm up games in Cleveland (29, 745) and East Hartford (24, 636).

That game was Nashville's first time to host the US National team. Then last spring, LP Field was awarded the semi-finals and finals for Olympic Qualifying. Those were two important first steps. The next is a little bit more tricky--hosting a World Cup Qualifying game. The politics of demographics enter in to the discussion when picking the proper venues for WC Qualification because it is important for the U.S. to maintain its home-field advantage (easier said than done).

The US has easily passed through the first two rounds of WC qualifying for their CONCACAF region. Next week they begin the final round of qualifying, and they open at home against their most hated rival: Mexico.

When playing Mexico, venue is extremely important. In the past, this game was played in places like L.A., in order to rake in massive gate receipts at places like the Rose Bowl. But that massive crowd was overwhelmingly in favor of Mexico. Now, with a more established fan base of its own, the U.S. places that game in the middle of the country, where they are more likely to keep their home field advantage. Next week, they will play in the Columbus Crew's soccer specific stadium, which seats about 20,000, where the U.S. probably has its biggest home field advantage and an excellent history against Mexico. Here's to hoping the U.S. holds on to its beautiful winning streak against Mexico next Wednesday.

But Nashville would doubtfully ever host a qualifier against Mexico. Because here it would probably be another home field advantage for Mexico. Not like L.A., but certainly an advantage. But games against teams like Trinidad and Tobago would be different. With the short, but positive history that Nashville has with the U.S. National team, a centrally located, excellent venue for soccer in LP Field, and fewer and fewer grass fields in large stadiums, Nashville's chances of getting more important national team games in the future looks bright.

Another question for Nashville is, is it big enough and does it have enough resources to host a large event such as a World Cup match. Well, by 2018 or 2022, Nashville will likely have a new convention center which will mean it will also have a lot more hotel rooms and event space than now. And by then, it will likely have already hosted its first premier national event in the 2014 Women's Final Four (provided the Convention Center does get built). Also, hopefully around that time, Nashville will have an impressive Riverfront Park to go with LP Field.

In 1994 the host venues were for the World Cup were: Pasadena (Rose Bowl), Pontiac Michigan (Silverdome), Stanford (Stanford Stadium), East Rutherford (Giants Stadium), Orlando (Citrus Bowl), Chicago (Soldier Field), Dallas (Cotton Bowl), Foxborough (Foxboro Stadium), RFK Stadium (Washington D.C.).

Most of those venues will host again. And Nashville's hot and humid summer air will be a possible obstacle. But if Florida isn't too humid, then Nashville certainly isn't. If the US gets another World Cup and uses the same number of venues, here are the shoe in venues: Dallas (the New Dallas Cowboys Stadium), East Rutherford (Giants Stadium or new Jets stadium), Pasadena (Rose Bowl), Chicago (Soldier Field) and RFK Stadium or Fedex Field (Washington D.C.) and probably Detroit (Ford Field).

After that there are a bunch of stadiums that would compete for the other three spots. Gillette Stadium in Foxborough would be a front runner, but they now have field turf, so they would have to lay down sod. That probably isn't a huge obstacle, as that's what Giants Stadium will have to do as well. Also, Houston's Reliant Stadium (field turf), Seattle's Safeco Field or Qwest Field (field turf), Denver's INVESCO Field, Tampa's Raymond James Stadium, Nashville's LP Field, Cleveland's Browns Stadium, and Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field (also a new Bay area stadium, if one is built). I'm sure I left out a few other possibles.

Again, in that company, Nashville probably sounds like a long shot. But, Nashville does have an advantage--it is centrally located to be a Southeast venue--there is no other large venue more ideal for soccer in the Southeast than LP Field. It is a much nicer, newer venue than the Citrus Bowl and is closer to more of the region than Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium or Tampa's Raymond James Stadium.

I could definitely see the 2018 or 2022 venues ending up as: Dallas, New York, Pasadena, Chicago, Washington D.C., Detroit, Seattle, Philadelphia and Nashville. Or at least that sounds ideal to me, being a huge U.S. National team fan and being from Nashville. And that is still years and years away. But that gets all the areas of the country covered, mostly in premier stadiums. And instead of having the final in the Rose Bowl, this time it should be in Dallas' behemoth-state of the art-billion dollar-100,00 seat stadium.

Either way, in the mean time, let's hope that Nashville competes to host one of the 2010 World Cup Qualifying matches that will take place over the next 8 months.