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Will any former SMU players be involved?

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Will any former SMU players be involved?

Postby PonyGirl » Wed May 14, 2003 12:35 pm

From CNNSI.com.

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'Serious contender'
Blatter says U.S. is favorite to host Women's World Cup

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- The United States is the front-runner to host this year's Women's World Cup, the president of soccer's world governing body said Wednesday.

The 16-nation tournament originally was scheduled to be played in China from Sept. 23 to Oct. 11, but FIFA decided earlier this month to move the quadrennial championship because of SARS.

The United States, which staged the tournament in 1999, has applied to take over the event. Sweden, Italy and Australia have also expressed interest.

U.S. Soccer Federation officials made a presentation to FIFA officials last week in Zurich, Switzerland.

"I think the front-runner is the U.S., as always," FIFA president Sepp Blatter told The Associated Press during a sports industry conference in Madrid. "It's a very serious contender.

"They have shown us how good they can organize a Women's World Cup because of the importance of women's football and the perception by the public of women's football in the country."

Blatter said the timing of the 32-match, three-week tournament next fall also gives the United States an advantage.

"At that time, especially in Europe, there will be a lot of other football competitions," he said, referring to domestic league and European cup games. "To relocate this competition is not easy."

Blatter said a decision would be made by FIFA's executive committee or emergency committee "as soon as possible," probably by the end of the month.

China was host of the first Women's World Cup in 1991 and Sweden was the site four years later. The United States staged the highly successful 1999 tournament, beating China on penalty kicks in the final before 90,125 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

The USSF submitted several stadium options to FIFA, along with the estimated expenses for each venue. Most of the venues are likely to be in cities that have teams in Major League Soccer or the Women's United Soccer Association.

Columbus, Ohio, and Carson, Calif., have new soccer-specific stadiums, and the new stadium in Foxboro, Mass., is home of the MLS's New England Revolution. Washington's RFK Stadium also is interested.

The Americans consider themselves the front-runners, but want to make sure they don't lose money.

"They wanted more details on things like budgets," U.S. Soccer Federation president Bob Contiguglia said. "The list of requirements is probably 60 or 70 items long. Basically, we're responding to each of those items. There are a lot of details ranging from local transportation, visas, hotel arrangements."

In 1999, eight stadiums were used for the tournament, four on the West Coast. If this year's Women's World Cup is played in the United States, it may be more compact.

"Transportation in the United States is a huge issue because of trying to minimize the number of flights across the country," Contiguglia said. "Four years ago, a number of teams complained because they had to go back and forth across the country a few times. FIFA wants a structure that would not affect anyone's performance because of travel."
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Re: Will any former SMU players be involved?

Postby Pony4Life » Wed May 14, 2003 3:32 pm

The only one I can think of who might be playing would be Danielle Fotopolous, who played at SMU (under her maiden name, Danielle Garrett) before she transferred to Florida to be near her now-husband.

She's the all-time career goal-scoring leader. Or at least she was. Not sure if she's still on the National Team.
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Re: Will any former SMU players be involved?

Postby PonyGirl » Thu May 15, 2003 5:07 pm

CNNSI.com says Canada and Sweden are now in the running, and that the deadline for the decision has been extended.

<A HREF="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/2003/05/15/fifa_wwc_ap/" TARGET=_blank>http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/2003/05/15/fifa_wwc_ap/</A>







[This message has been edited by PonyGirl (edited 05-15-2003).]
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Re: Will any former SMU players be involved?

Postby Pony4Life » Mon May 26, 2003 3:24 pm

CNNSI.com is reporting that the U.S. will host the women's World Cup!
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