PPL Park, will host the semifinals, third-place match and final of CONCACAF Women’s World Cup qualifying in October. (Credit: Joe Camporeale-US PRESSWIRE)
Venues for CONCACAF 2015 Women’s World Cup qualification in October are set, with Kansas City, greater Chicago and Washington, D.C., hosting first-round games and PPL Park outside of Philadelphia hosting the semifinals, third-place match and final.
The tournament will take place from Oct. 15-26, with the top three finishers advancing to next year’s World Cup in Canada and the fourth-place team entering a playoff with the third-place finisher from South America (CONMEBOL).
The Equalizer reported on Wednesday that Sporting Park in Kansas City would serve as one of the venues for the qualification tournament. U.S. Soccer confirmed on Thursday — as first reported by Sports Business Journal’s Christopher Botta — that RFK Stadium in D.C. and Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., are also part of the first round matches.confirmed Kansas City as a host, along with RFK Stadium in D.C. and Bridgeview, Ill., where the Chicago Fire play.
Each team — including the U.S. women — will play once in each city.
PPL Park in Chester, Penn., the home of MLS’ Philadelphia Union, will host the critical semifinals, third-place match and final. The final will take place on Sunday, Oct. 26.
“We are honored to serve as the local organizing committee for this tournament as we continue to support and grow women’s soccer in this region on a large scale,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “The second season of the NWSL has been exciting to follow, and this tournament provides fans with another opportunity to see some of the best women’s soccer players in the world compete on the international level. With the tremendous success and popularity of the men’s World Cup here in the United States this summer, we are looking forward to carrying that momentum right through to the Women’s World Cup in Canada and beyond.”
Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala will join the United States and four Caribbean teams in the qualifying event. Caribbean sub-qualifying will take place from August 19-26 in Trinidad & Tobago. The draw for groups will take place in Miami on Sept. 5.
All qualifying matches will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2 or Fox Soccer Plus, as well as streamed on foxsports2go.com.
Ticket information is not currently available.
Here’s the full schedule:
Wednesday, October 15: Group A doubleheader at Sporting Park
Thursday, October 16: Group B doubleheader at Sporting Park
Friday, October 17: Group A doubleheader at Toyota Park
Saturday, October 18: Group B doubleheader at Toyota Park
Monday, October 20: Group A doubleheader at RFK Stadium
Tuesday, October 21: Group B doubleheader at RFK Stadium
Friday, October 24: Semifinal doubleheader at PPL Park
Sunday, October 26: Championship game and third place game at PPL Park
