All the concerns about this World Cup, “spanning extreme heat to transportation headaches and record ticket prices, failed to tarnish the opening days of the tournament” with “few reports of major problems,” according to Williams, Gittelsohn, Cobo & Feldman of BLOOMBERG NEWS. However, it “wasn’t all positive.” There were “numerous empty seats for Qatar’s draw with Switzerland, backing worries that high ticket prices had hurt demand.” As the match continued, more spaces opened up in the stands. The threat of “aggressive immigration enforcement” by U.S. officials has “hung over the World Cup.” For this World Cup, tournament organizer FIFA expanded to 48 teams from 32, which added 40 matches. Critics said that the move “watered down the field and served as another example of FIFA’s push to boost revenue at all costs.” But it “meant a lot for fans of national teams that have missed several World Cups in a row.” How transportation to matches would go was a major storyline coming into the World Cup. In the end, fans “faced the same troubles at any major sporting event.” The “exorbitant ticket prices for this World Cup raised doubts about how packed the stadiums would be in the group stages.” Many fans joined in the criticism, but in the end “were willing to pay up because it means a lot to them” (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 6/14).
IF THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY: CBSSPORTS.com’s Chuck Booth wrote if the tournament has shown anything in its opening days, it is that “soccer and the fans of the game will find a way.” Before the games have started the “atmosphere has been amazing as well.” Booth: “Fans have traveled from far and wide, and I had the opportunity to get swept up in the Brazilian fan group Movimento Verde Amarelo’s fest in Times Square on Friday as fans were singing, bouncing around inflatable jerseys, and even had a giant bust of Vinicius Junior to set the tone for their World Cup run” (CBSSPORTS.com, 6/14). The GLOBE & MAIL’s Andrea Woo wrote the natural grass pitch installed at Vancouver’s BC Place stadium for the World Cup “has passed its first test, with some of the globe’s top soccer players giving it a stamp of approval” after Australia defeated Turkey at the stadium on Saturday (GLOBE & MAIL, 6/14).
GLOBAL UNITY: In Seattle, David Gutman wrote the World Cup arrives in Seattle on Monday as the “greatest mass celebration, the greatest upswelling of global communion that humanity has yet created” (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/14). Also in Seattle, Joseph O’Sullivan wrote the World Cup is “bringing much to Seattle: visitors from near and far, a spotlight on the world stage, six games at Lumen Field -- and federal immigration agents.” That last item “spurred 50 people to Judkins Park Sunday for a rally of singing and speeches against the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the region” (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/14).
IS THERE A BETTER FIT? THE ATHLETIC’s Jordan Campbell notes MetLife Stadium, renamed the New York New Jersey Stadium for this tournament, will host the final on July 19. But given the “varying climatic and logistical challenges,” the Dallas Stadium “made a strong case that it may have been better suited for the task.” The 2-2 draw between the Netherlands and Japan, capped by Japan MF Daichi Kamada’s late equalizer, “made it a candidate for game of the tournament so far.” The roof and state-of-the-art climate control technology helped cool the conditions, which “perhaps contributed to the contest.” The pitch also “looked like a carpet compared to the surface” in East Rutherford, N.J. (THE ATHLETIC, 6/15).
CAN’T BE LEFT EMPTY: THE ATHLETIC’s Patrick Iversen wrote a close look at the hospitality boxes behind each goal at Dallas Stadium “drew the eye.” During pregame ceremonies for this World Cup game between Netherlands and Japan, the touchdown suites were “pretty much empty.” They were not listed on general sale to the public for this tournament, but prices were available on request. And they “remained vacant in the opening stages of the match, too.” Roughly 10 minutes into the game, the seats were “suddenly full -- not with paying supporters, but with volunteers in their neon-green hi-vis clothing.” FIFA volunteers inside the stadium said that those helping with the pregame ceremony “had been allowed to occupy the unsold hospitality seats ‘as a treat.’” Sources confirmed that the sections had “failed to attract buyers, with only three of the 14 available suites sold.” Volunteers were “relocated to occupy the remaining seats” (THE ATHLETIC, 6/14).
CONCESSION PRICES: In Boston, Michael Silverman writes concessions prices at Boston Stadium for this tournament “reflect pricing patterns” from Patriots’ NFL games. The Kraft Group, which owns the stadium and concessions operations, “suggested the price list and FIFA approved the list along with a presumed marginal markup with the understanding that the prices reflect local market conditions.” The Kraft Group’s deal with FIFA “allows it to receive more than half of the concession revenues from its seven World Cup games” (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/15).
