HARRIS COUNTY-HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY INSIDER

Soccer matters: Houston hopes to be one of the U.S. cities hosting the 2026 World Cup

Patti Smith
Aug 31, 2018, 6:51 am
Could NRG host the World Cup? NRG Park/Facebook

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Now that the U.S., Mexico and Canada have won the combined bid to host the 2026 World Cup, we move to the next question:

Will Houston be one of the host cities?

The simple answer is we hope so. Houston is one of 17 U.S. cities vying for 10 host spots and – bottom line -- we’ve got 24 months to show FIFA and U.S. Soccer that we deserve to be a host city.

We all know soccer is growing exponentially on all levels in the nation’s fourth-largest -- and one of the most diverse -- cities in America. Whether we’re talking the Houston Dynamo or Dash, international events or high school and league play, the game is huge.

Just ask some of the 70,728 fans who packed NRG Stadium for the 2016 Copa America U.S. vs. Argentina semifinal and set a Houston soccer attendance record with 70,728. Or the 1.5 million fans who have turned out to see the 2010 MLS All-Star Game, 4 CONCACAF Gold Cups and 33 total major soccer matches at NRG.

Or the fans who have turned out for 250 soccer events – including three CONCACF Gold Cups and the 2012 Men’s World Cup qualifier – at BBVA Compass Stadium.

“Every soccer match we host from here on out will be viewed by FIFA and US Soccer and their success will show Houston’s passion for the game of soccer,’’ said Doug Hall, Harris County - Houston Sports Authority VP for Special Projects. “So we’re on a two-year dating period if you will.’’

And it’s not just about organizing committee, sponsors and stadiums. The fans can make a huge impact as well by supporting the Dynamo, Dash and all the major events in Houston.

It all starts in September when NRG and BBVA each host big matches. NRG hosts Mexico and Uruguay in a big international match Sept. 7 and the Dynamo meet Philadelphia in the U.S. Open Cup Sept. 26. The NRG match marks the 17th time Mexico has played in Houston.

Canada and Mexico have already chosen three cities each – Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey -- to host matches and Houston is on the shorter end of that American list that includes New York, Washington DC, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas.

At Tuesday’s “State of Soccer” luncheon, officials including Hall, HCHSA CEO Janis Burke, Houston Texans and Lone Star Sports & Entertainment president Jamey Rootes and Dynamo and Dash president Chris Canettti, said the estimated economic impact is $350-$450 million per city.

“It’s a transformational event,’’ said Rootes. “Not just a national event. A global, global audience. The eyes of the world on the city of Houston.”

The last time the U.S. hosted a World Cup was 1994 and Houston wasn’t chosen to host. Dallas did host in 1994 at the Cotton Bowl. Canetti pointed to the impact that World Cup had on the growth of soccer both in Houston and the U.S.

“We all saw what having the World Cup being here in 1994 meant to the growth of the game and really led to the start of MLS,’’ he said. “Having the World Cup here in 2026 is not going to be just an economic boon, but an opportunity to grow the game of soccer here in the United States.’’

Host cities will have six matches – one every five days – and corresponding events over a 32-day period from mid-June to mid-July 2026.

Houston has a proven track record with huge events, having hosted two Super Bowls, two Final Fours and three NCAA Men’s Basketball Regionals.  We’ll also host the 2023 Men’s Final Four, a 2020 NCAA Men’s Regional and U.S. Women’s Open and the 2024 College Football Playoff.

Burke said people always ask her if the World Cup is bigger than a Super Bowl.

“It really is,’’ she said. “It’s hard for Americans sometimes to understand that. But it’s way bigger even than the Super Bowl.’’

Houston threw a week-long party when we hosted historic Super Bowl LI in 2017. The events during the week were sensational and the game was one of the best ever with New England coming from a record 25 points down in the third quarter to beat Atlanta 32-24 in the first overtime win in Super Bowl history.

That said, turn out and help us show FIFA and US soccer how passionate Houston is about the sport.

The clock is ticking.



 

 

 

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Houston loses to end the road trip

Dodgers get best of Odorizzi to split series with Astros

Jake Odorizzi allowed four home runs over three innings against the Dodgers on Wednesday. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.

After spoiling the night of many Dodgers fans in the opener of this two-game series in Los Angeles the night prior, the Astros returned to the stadium to a fresh set of hostile fans, looking to get the mini-sweep. This one went much more in favor of the home team, though, as the Dodgers would ride three big innings to start the game to the win for the series split.

Final Score: Dodgers 7, Astros 5

Astros' Record: 65-43, first in the AL West

Winning Pitcher: Max Scherzer (9-4)

Losing Pitcher: Jake Odorizzi (4-6)

Odorizzi gets shelled

After a Michael Brantley solo home in the top of the first run against Max Scherzer, making his Dodger debut, it looked like the Astros may continue their momentum from the night before to grab hold of this game as well. However, that all changed in the bottom of the inning, as the Dodgers would tee off against Jake Odorizzi.

In that inning, he allowed four runs, a leadoff solo shot by Mookie Betts, then later a three-run blast by Will Smith. Betts made it 2-for-2 with solo homers in the bottom of the second, extending the lead to 5-1. Things went from bad to worse in the third, with Los Angeles getting their fourth home run, this one for two runs to make it a 7-1 game. Odorizzi would finish the third but go no further.

Scherzer K's 10 over seven innings in his Dodger debut

Houston tried to start clawing back into it in the top of the fourth, getting a second run against Scherzer with a two-out RBI-single by Kyle Tucker, trimming the lead to five runs at 5-2. First out of Houston's bullpen was Yimi Garcia in the bottom of the fourth, and he tossed the first 1-2-3 inning for Houston. Rafael Montero was next in the bottom of the fifth, working around a leadoff double followed by a walk for a scoreless inning.

Montero remained in the game in the bottom of the sixth, still 7-2, and would get another scoreless inning, this time sitting down the Dodgers in order. Scherzer finished his quality debut for his new team in the top of the seventh, erasing a leadoff walk to complete seven innings while allowing two runs.

Astros lose to split the series with Dodgers

Brooks Raley was Houston's next reliever, and he, too, would get through a scoreless inning by erasing a two-out single. In the game-within-the-game, the Dodgers brought in Joe Kelly for the top of the eighth, who notched two strikeouts to bring none other than Carlos Correa to the plate, setting up a rematch of the well-known incident that led to the "pouty face" clip from 2020. Carlos Correa won this round, launching a 405-foot homer off of Kelly to make it a four-run game at 7-3.

Phil Maton kept the score there, stranding two runners in the bottom of the eighth to send the 7-3 game to the top of the ninth, where the Dodgers would bring in Kenley Jansen. After a leadoff single, Kyle Tucker would get the Astros within two runs on a two-run homer, making it 7-5. That's as close as they would get, as Jansen would regroup to get the next three batters out to wrap up the loss for Houston.

Up Next: With this road trip completed, the Astros will have a quick turnaround as they catch a late flight back to Houston then turn around with a game Thursday at 7:10 PM Central to open a four-game series with the Twins. Framber Valdez (7-2, 3.01 ERA) will take the mound for Houston in the opener, while Minnesota will counter with Griffin Jax (1-1, 6.41 ERA).

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