USA's World Cup qualifer at Trinidad to be held at tiny Ato Boldon Stadium
USA will face Trinidad on 10 October at 10,000-seat Ato Boldon Stadium
Americans could enter uncertain of qualifying for first time since 1989
The United States’ final World Cup qualifying match against Trinidad and Tobago will take place at 10,000-seat Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva rather than 27,000-capacity Hasely Crawford Stadium in the capital of Port-of-Spain.
Fifa confirmed the 10 October match at the smaller-than-usual venue will kick off at 8pm ET, at the same time as the other two matches on the final day of Concacaf’s qualifying hexagonal: Mexico at Honduras and Costa Rica at Panama.
Bruce Arena’s side faces Panama in their penultimate qualifier on 6 October in Orlando, Florida, and could enter the final matchday of Concacaf’s hexagonal uncertain of qualifying for the first time since 1989. That year, Paul Caligiuri’s winner at National Stadium – as Hasely Crawford was then known – lifted the United States into the World Cup for the first time since 1950.
Mexico has clinched one of the region’s three automatic berths and Costa Rica is on the verge of clinching, having assured themselves no worse than fourth and a play-off. Panama is third with 10 points with the United States in fourth on nine, level with Honduras but a comfortable eight goals ahead on goal difference.
The fourth-place team meets Australia or Syria in a two-leg playoff for a berth.
No reason was given for the change after the Soca Warriors had played nearly all of their previous home qualifiers in Port-of-Spain, but TTFA vice president Ewing Davis has previously mentioned the dual benefits of lesser expenses and more visceral crowd support at the smaller venue.
“At the Hasely Crawford Stadium we incur debts of over $120,000 each for the services of both the police and the fire services, which would be much less at the Ato Boldon,” Davis told the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian in July. “There are also additional expenses we have to deal with which I believe will be cheaper at the Couva venue.
“At the Ato Boldon the players are closer to the crowd and would be impacted by the support of the crowd more than in Mucurapo.”
The announcement managed to draw a hint of criticism from Ato Boldon himself, the four-time Olympic medalist who is the stadium’s namesake.
“Fans absolutely hated going to the last WCQ game played there, so this is not a good look,” Boldon tweeted on Friday afternoon.
