Travel for January 30 Canada match

[narduch]

We should probably rename this thread 

[David Pinto]

1 minute ago, narduch said:

We should probably rename this thread 

Travel to the GTA for Jan 30th Match? Or "The official regional passing match thread"

[theaub]

THF is the only one that in theory shouldn't cost a ton of money to host which is why its preferred.

Rogers Centre - need to pay to install grass (if its even possible?)

BMO Field - need to pay $$ keep the grass alive 

Olympic Stadium - a non-starter for a number of reasons but also have to pay to install grass

[pod818]

Someone mentioned Ottawa, TD Place Stadium. Atletico Ottawa play there, is it any worse than THF?

 

[boris4c]

Hamilton is a bit warmer than Ottawa in January.

Average High

Hamilton: -0.9 °C
Ottawa: -5.8 °C

Daily Mean

Hamilton: -4.7 °C
Ottawa: -10.3 °C

Average Low: 

Hamilton: −8.5 °C
Ottawa: -14.8 °C

[Footscray]

Little bigger stadium and partially covered stands in Ottawa.  Also further from the border.  But yeah usually damned cold then

I don't think the Bills game will make much difference, we're not talking about casuals coming up in January, there are 8 MLS teams within a half day's drive of Hamilton and it would be the fan club/ultras people who would be willing to make the pilgrimage plus hardcores without a club from places like Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh etc

So if the air temp is below -20 or there is a big storm at a time of year when it is completely reasonable to expect it and ref declares unplayable conditions, will we forfeit or will game be rescheduled?  I know in past instances of rain like Poland-England the games usually get rescheduled but I think it's fair to say that was unforeseeable by the scheduling FA and I don't know if Canada can make same claim.

I think playing in terrible conditions at an outdoor facility in January makes sense to me in only one scenario.  Canada uses a split squad and the main team stays in CA.  You don't expose your players to +20, -20, +20 and you are playing a B side in Hamilton so you want to stifle the USA and reduce the ability to use skill.  But only able to name finite number of players so 5 or 6 guys would need to fly still

Edited November 17, 2021 by Footscray

[Team Canada]

20 minutes ago, Heepster said:

If their NFL team makes it to the AFC Championship game again, it happens to be scheduled for Sunday January 30th, so most people in the Buffalo area wouldn't know or care about anything else.

This may sound silly but if the US networks such as ESPN/FS1 (or whomever broadcasts the US games - the last Canada  v US match in September was on FS1 and the recent US v Mexico match was on ESPN 2) have any say in any of this (I'm not sure how much power TV has over these things) they will not want to go head-to-head with either of the NFL Championship games scheduled to be on TV at 3PM (EST) and 6:40PM (EST) on January 30th --- my hunch is that Sportsnet would not want this either, as there are a lot of sports fans (NFL and Canada/USA Soccer) that might choose the NFL over Canada v USA, in that situation (not anyone in these forums of course! - ha ha ha).....my hunch is that an early afternoon start (1:00PM EST) may also be more palatable weather wise too. 

[RS]

1 hour ago, TheDoon said:

I’m not sure I have a preference here. Vancouver deserves a chance to see this team much like we got here in Edmonton, but if it’s in Toronto, tickets will be that much easier to come by. 

If by "that much easier to come by" you mean 3x more expensive and half as many available, sure.

[Yoginess]

2 minutes ago, Footscray said:

Seattle and Portland are tiny compared to the population base in the NE.  I don't care how passionate they are there are more people in the US within a half day's drive of Hamilton than there are in all of Canada a few times over.  

Canada is going to be chartering in this window anyway and the club meeting first in central america, flight up to canada, then back to central america and home so vancouver vs ontario is probably an hour and a half extra flight time max.

If they are playing in Hamilton it is 100% Bob Young, even if they stupidly insist on playing outdoors in January, with probably a 50% chance of the game being cancelled due to weather, you play in Ottawa further from the border

Seattle/Portland travel really well to Vancouver. It's very common to have thousands up for a random weekday Cascadia match. # of hardcore soccer fans in Seattle 

[pod818]

18 minutes ago, boris4c said:

Hamilton is a bit warmer than Ottawa in January.

Average High

Hamilton: -0.9 °C
Ottawa: -5.8 °C

Daily Mean

Hamilton: -4.7 °C
Ottawa: -10.3 °C

Average Low: 

Hamilton: −8.5 °C
Ottawa: -14.8 °C

so you are saying its perfect weather in Ottawa then, just like Edmonton..😉

[RS]

10 minutes ago, Team Canada said:

This may sound silly but if the US networks such as ESPN/FS1 (or whomever broadcasts the US games - the last Canada  v US match in September was on FS1 and the recent US v Mexico match was on ESPN 2) have any say in any of this (I'm not sure how much power TV has over these things) they will not want to go head-to-head with either of the NFL Championship games scheduled to be on TV at 3PM (EST) and 6:40PM (EST) on January 30th --- my hunch is that Sportsnet would not want this either, as there are a lot of sports fans (NFL and Canada/USA Soccer) that might choose the NFL over Canada v USA, in that situation (not anyone in these forums of course! - ha ha ha).....my hunch is that an early afternoon start (1:00PM EST) may also be more palatable weather wise too. 

U.S. TV will have zero influence on the kickoff time. If the game starts early in the afternoon, it will be a happy coincidence for the American network that has the rights (I believe it's CBS Sports/Paramount+ for USMNT away games during WCQ).

[Markoaleks]

All for restricting US away support too- regardless of venue- can’t we simply geoblock US addresses from buying tickets till a certain date after our Canada tickets are available for sale? Or give an allocation of X to their supporters group only ? 

[Canadamnt]

Back in 2015, Hamilton was supposed to host a friendly game between Benfica and Rangers which was set to be played on grass. Unfourtantely, the game was canceled due to various factors. Now if the agency was willing to pay for grass with a stadium that can hold 24 thousand, they must of known that they would be generating a large amount of revneue with a sold out crowd. That shows that it could be economically feasible to put grass in the rogers centre with a 45k crowd and avoid using turf with players like Roy Keane and the LA Galaxy expressing their displeasure with it in 2012. However, I hope that it is still physically feasible to do so with the Rogers Centre renovating in 2015 to a dirt infield. Does anyone know somebody that works out the Rogers Centre or the Blue Jays organization? 

 

[king1010]

1 hour ago, SkuseisLoose said:

What a joke if they play the game in Toronto/Hamilton. Yeah it's not about touring the country but than why not play in Montreal at least if it's going to be in the east so a different set of fans get a chance to support the team. Also they'll have to fly back and forth from Vancouver once so I don't see the problem with the extra 1.5hrs of flight time.

I've said this multiple times. the Big O cannot be relied on in the winter. If there is over a certain accumulation of ice or snow on the roof, the government will not allow the facility to be used. It's a greater risk to have the game cancelled at the big O than THF or BMO. 

That's even before we talk about the playing surface problem. 

Edited November 17, 2021 by king1010

[Heepster]

30 minutes ago, Canadamnt said:

Back in 2015, Hamilton was supposed to host a friendly game between Benfica and Rangers which was set to be played on grass. Unfourtantely, the game was canceled due to various factors. Now if the agency was willing to pay for grass with a stadium that can hold 24 thousand, they must of known that they would be generating a large amount of revneue with a sold out crowd. That shows that it could be economically feasible to put grass in the rogers centre with a 45k crowd and avoid using turf with players like Roy Keane and the LA Galaxy expressing their displeasure with it in 2012. However, I hope that it is still physically feasible to do so with the Rogers Centre renovating in 2015 to a dirt infield. Does anyone know somebody that works out the Rogers Centre or the Blue Jays organization? 

I don't know anyone who works for them, but as pointed out in another thread: 

- The stands are now almost certainly required to remain in baseball set-up because the most recent new artificial turf installation is "affixed to the ground rather than be easily removable like past iteration", and they also presumably no longer have a separate artificial turf configuration that could be used for football or soccer.

- Temporary grass surface dislodged in "large pizza box" sized chunks the only time it was tried outside of summer in November 2013.

Edited November 17, 2021 by Heepster

[theaub]

1 hour ago, RS said:

U.S. TV will have zero influence on the kickoff time. If the game starts early in the afternoon, it will be a happy coincidence for the American network that has the rights (I believe it's CBS Sports/Paramount+ for USMNT away games during WCQ).

Not to mention Sportsnet has zero say on times since they're just a sublicensor.

[RS]

2 minutes ago, theaub said:

Not to mention Sportsnet has zero say on times since they're just a sublicensor.

I'd imagine they have some say, since getting these Canada games to the widest possible audience is in OneSoccer's and the CSA's best interest.

[theaub]

2 minutes ago, RS said:

I'd imagine they have some say, since getting these Canada games to the widest possible audience is in OneSoccer's and the CSA's best interest.

I mean even OneSoccer has zero say.  They'll play when Herdman wants to play.

[RS]

11 minutes ago, theaub said:

I mean even OneSoccer has zero say.  They'll play when Herdman wants to play.

As the one writing the cheques, the host broadcaster always has some say.

You're right that the CSA will let Herdman and the team have the biggest voice, though.

[Joe MacCarthy]

2 hours ago, SpursFlu said:

I get that feeling also. If that's what it's going to be then get to work and who cares about the cost.. get the skydome or the Big O up to snuff. Get the best possible turf you can in there. You've got 2 months I'm sure it could get done

I doubt you could arrange that in two months, and both are basically unavailable anyway.  Lookin' like THF or BMO.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Just now, RS said:

You're right that the CSA will let Herdman and the team have the biggest voice, though.

After what happened with the hiring process and the powers that were likely bestowed (referring to WC 2022 FIFA money), I'd say Herdman IS the CSA.

[SpursFlu]

15 minutes ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

I doubt you could arrange that in two months, and both are basically unavailable anyway.  Lookin' like THF or BMO.

What's going on? Boat show or trucks?

[TGAA_Star]

For me it is definitely between Hamilton, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver as my ideal cities for the USA game on the 30th because I wouldn't mind it in any of these places. But I really hope Hamilton gets it because of the fact that I live in the GTA for one thing and it will be easier to navigate as far as getting to the game. But also Hamilton hosting the Grey Cup, this would be even better because it is a FIFA World Cup qualifier, in the GTA no less.

[Califax]

Two separate thoughts:

1/

I wont speak for everyone from Halifax, but having the games in the middle (sort of) of the country is way easier on me. It's infinitely cheaper and logistically favourable to go to a game in the GTA rather than across the country. It's maybe the closest we get to equal access until it's time for some nations league minnows to visit the grounds.

2/

I've seen in mentioned that our guys would fly direct to Honduras to train. That can't be true can it? surely we wouldn't spend more time there than needed and there would be a base camp somewhere else - regardless if the middle game is in Ontario or BC. 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Califax

[maplebanana]

3 hours ago, boris4c said:

Hamilton is a bit warmer than Ottawa in January.

Average High

Hamilton: -0.9 °C
Ottawa: -5.8 °C

Daily Mean

Hamilton: -4.7 °C
Ottawa: -10.3 °C

Average Low: 

Hamilton: −8.5 °C
Ottawa: -14.8 °C

As someone who grew up in the Ottawa Valley, then moved to Hamilton for university, I can confirm that Ottawa is much colder. My first winter in Hamilton I never even brought out my winter jacket.