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RFK officially selected as World Cup Qualifying venue

14 May, 2008

The U.S. Soccer Federation has announced the three venues that would host home matches for the semifinal round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.  Before taking the field in these games, however, the U.S. must first advance past the second round, where they face a home-and-away series against Barbados.

Should the U.S. advance, they will play their first home qualifier of the four-team semifinal round group on Sept. 10 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., against the winner of the Trinidad & Tobago-Bermuda series.  On Oct. 11, the U.S. would face either Cuba or Antigua & Barbuda at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.  Dick’s Sporting Goods Park would host the USA’s final match of the semifinal phase, with the team taking on either Guatemala or St. Lucia on Nov. 19.

RFK Stadium is no stranger to the U.S. national team, having hosted 17 matches since 1977. The U.S. has collected a 10-3-4 record in the nation’s capital, including a 3-1-1 record in World Cup qualifying. With an average attendance of over 30,000, Washington D.C., has witnessed several memorable matches, including a 4-0 victory against Mexico in 1995 and a 1-0 win against Argentina in 1999.  RFK last hosted the national team on Oct. 13, 2004, when an Eddie Johnson hat trick paced the United States to a 6-0 victory against Panama  to close out the semifinal phase of qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Semifinal Round qualifying in the CONCACAF region will take place from August to November in 2008, with the teams divided into three groups of four teams each. Playing a six-game round robin format, the top two finishers from each group will advance to the final six-team group that will be played in 2009.  

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