Ticket sale plans announced for World Cup qualifer against Honduras

Tickets for the U.S. Men’s National Team’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Honduras on June 6 in Chicago will go on sale beginning March 14 to the general public. Kickoff at Soldier Field is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic and Galavision. Fans can also follow along live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.

Advance tickets ranging in price levels from $25 to $150 go on sale to the public Saturday, March 14, at 10 a.m. CT through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout Chicagoland (including Carson Pirie Scott, Hot Tix, FYE and Ritmo Latino stores). [Note: Tickets are not sold at Soldier Field except on the day of the event.] Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290. Ultimate Fan Tickets (special VIP packages which include a premium ticket, a custom made official U.S. national team jersey with name and number, VIP access to the field before and after the game, and other unique benefits), are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com.

As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa also offers all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for this match before the sale to the general public. This advance sale starts Thursday, March 12, at 10 a.m. CT and runs until Saturday, March 14, at 8 a.m. CT at ussoccer.com. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply.

Despite years of soccer history, Chicago’s Soldier Field will be hosting a World Cup qualifier for the first time. The U.S. has a lifetime record of 3-3-2 in the stadium by Lake Michigan, including a 2-1 victory against Mexico in the final of the 2007 Gold Cup before a sold-out crowd of 60,000 fans. Overall, five of the eight matches at Soldier Field have drawn more than 40,000 supporters.

The U.S. and Honduras have one of the more unusual histories between CONCACAF teams in World Cup qualifying. While they have played only four times, three of those matches took place in Honduras. The teams met in the final round of qualifying for Korea/Japan, the U.S. pulling off a 2-1 a win in San Pedro Sula on the strength of goals by Clint Mathis and Earnie Stewart. Then on Sept. 1, 2001, in Washington, D.C., a quick goal by Stewart looked promising for the U.S., but Honduras stormed back to a 3-2 win to hand the U.S. their last home loss in World Cup qualifying to date. Coincidentally, it was the Honduras home loss to T&T coupled with the U.S. win against Jamaica on Oct. 7, 2001, that guaranteed the USA’s ticket to Korea.

The U.S. will next take the field for a pair of FIFA World Cup qualifiers beginning at the end of March. The U.S. first travels to El Salvador on March 28 for the second match of the final round. Three days later, the U.S. hosts Trinidad & Tobago at LP Field in Nashville. Kickoff for that match is set for 6:45 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Galavision.