CHICAGO (Dec. 17, 2007) — U.S. Soccer and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) have announced that series tickets for the 2008 CONCACAF Men’s Under-23 Championship in Los Angeles, Tampa and Nashville will go on sale Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 10 a.m. local time in each market.
The eight-team tournament, set to be played from March 11-23, 2008, will send two finalists to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Both The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., will host three doubleheaders each in group play, while LP Field in Nashville will host the semifinals on Thursday, March 20, and the championship match and third-place game on Sunday, March 23.
Venue-specific series tickets go on sale to the public beginning this Wednesday (Dec. 19) at 10 a.m. local time in each venue. A series ticket consists of all matches scheduled at a single venue.
Fans can order series tickets -- priced from $36 to $195 depending on the seating area and number of match days included in the series – online at ussoccer.com, by phone at 813-287-8844 (Tampa), 213-480-3232 (Los Angeles) or 615-255-9600 (Nashville) and at local Ticketmaster ticket centers in the venue cities. Individual match day tickets for doubleheaders at each venue will go on sale at a later date, pending availability.
In Tampa and Los Angeles, where first round doubleheaders are scheduled, teams drawn to play in those sites will have seats at every price level set aside for their fans, allowing supporters of the same country to sit together. Fans must order online to choose from this allotment. In Nashville, where the participating teams won’t be known until several days before the semifinal round, seating during the initial sale will be allocated (based on the local population) for U.S.A., Mexico, and mixed/neutral fan sections at each price level.
As hosts, the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team will be based in Tampa during the group stage of the tournament, but won’t learn its opponents until the draw is held on Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the CONCACAF headquarters in New York City. Along with the U.S., Canada, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico and Panama will be drawn into two groups as they vie for two Olympic berths.
The U.S. will be led by Peter Nowak, who was named the team’s head coach on Aug. 8, 2007. Nowak has worked with both the Men’s National Team and the Under-23’s since December of 2006, assisting U.S. National Team head coach Bob Bradley. Nowak’s squad has just returned from a two-game tour in China, where the young U.S. side tied China 0-0 on Dec. 13 and then 3-3 vs. China again on Dec. 16.
2008 CONCACAF Under-23 Tournament – Olympic Qualifying
– Tournament Details –
Event: Eight-team tournament to decide two CONCACAF positions at 2008 Olympics
Dates: March 11-23, 2008
Venues: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Fla.), The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.); LP Field (Nashville, Tenn.)
Teams: USA, Mexico, Canada; Cuba, Haiti; Guatemala, Honduras, Panama
Draw: To be announced on Dec. 18 in New York City. As hosts, the U.S. will play in Tampa.
– Tournament Schedule –
Group 1
| Date |
Matches |
Venue |
Kickoff Times |
| March 11 |
Group stage |
Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla. |
5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. ET |
| March 13 |
Group stage |
Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla. |
5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. ET |
| March 15 |
Group stage |
Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla. |
4:30 p.m. & 7 p.m. ET |
Group 2
| Date |
Matches |
Venue |
Kickoff Times |
| March 12 |
Group stage |
The Home Depot Center; Carson, Calif. |
5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. PT |
| March 14 |
Group stage |
The Home Depot Center; Carson, Calif. |
5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. PT |
| March 16 |
Group stage |
The Home Depot Center; Carson, Calif. |
3:30 p.m. & 6 p.m. PT |
Knockout Round
| Date |
Matches |
Venue |
Kickoff Times |
| March 20 |
Semifinals |
LP Field; Nashville, Tenn. |
5 p.m. & 8 p.m. CT |
| March 23 |
Third Place & Championship |
LP Field; Nashville, Tenn. |
1 p.m. & 4 p.m. CT |
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