Mimglow Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 Can anybody logically explain to me why all the matches played in Mexico City during the Gold Cup are at Noon???!?!? Doesn't that just favor Mexico even more? Wouldn't it be logical to play those matches in the evening? http://www.concacaf.com/graphics/photos/goldcup2003.html Well, at least we don't have to play there until the Semi-Final. [^] Mimglow, Ottawa _________________________ Where are the weapons of mass destruction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachesl Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 Well, we won't have to play the semi-final there if we finish first in the group, win the quarter, and the US somehow loses it's quarter final (wouldn't that be just!?). Don't use all your air-miles up yet, you may just want to go to Miami for the semi, and then go to MC for the final. Why at high noon? It may not just be for home advantage. The WC games in 70 and 86 had similiar timing, done expressly to get maximum tv revenue from the Euro market. In July, they are starved for good football around the world, and GC matches WILL sell overseas. In January, 2000, I was in the Middle-east, and I had a lot of Football lovers coming up to me congratualting me on Canada's victory, which was avidly watched live by countless football-mad Arabs in the late night coffee places. Money makes the world, and the GC, go round. This is the reason for the extra South American teams in Mexico and the US where the Latino market is king, and whty the play-offs are structured the way they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachesl Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 Sorry, in the very hypothetical scenario I set out above, we would have to finish second in Grp D and THEN beat the US to go to Miami. And, actually, the semi-final (as opposed to the q-f and the final, are scheduled at 9:00, according to the web address you provided. At least Mexico City will be relatively dry. I would rather play there than to swim in the summer humidity of MIAMI (Miami in July?!?) at any time of the day. Wherever Canada trains, I hope that it is hot and humid. There's no way you can train for the elevation of MC for the semis and the final in the circumstances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimglow Posted June 5, 2003 Author Share Posted June 5, 2003 I just remember our WC qualifying match in MC for 2002, and how after the 20th minutes our guys couldn't move anymore. It's not that they were lazy, they just couldn't move their legs anymore because of the humidity and lack of air getting to their lungs. I just wouldn't want to lose the GC because Mexico are playing in their stadium. Mimglow, Ottawa _________________________ Where are the weapons of mass destruction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 Well, noon is an unfortunate time for the more northernly nations in CONCACAF but, the Mexico City Teams in the MLF also play at noon. The reason is that, Mexico has a six day work week and a lingering catholic notion of Sunday as a day of rest. The Mexican work day typically starts somewhere between 6 and 7 in the AM for most Mexicans, breaks for Comida (lunch/siesta) in the afternoon hours and resumes somewhere between 3 and 4 O'clock in the afternoon. Therefore a noon start time is the most efficient in terms of maximizing the number of bums in the seats. It would not be logical at all to play the games in the evening, aside from optimizing playing conditions and leveling out some of the home field advantage. The noon Azteca WCQ is, IMO, the best argument for a technical playing style for Canadian teams. Slow build up conserves the energy. (of course, I am more of an advocate of a hybrid of the long ball and the technical style since the long ball, in Canada, is difficult for Latin American teams to contend with). In a World full of caterpillars it takes balls to be a butterfly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimglow Posted June 5, 2003 Author Share Posted June 5, 2003 Thanks for the explanation. I'm a little less irritated now. Mimglow, Ottawa _________________________ Where are the weapons of mass destruction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted June 6, 2003 Share Posted June 6, 2003 Further to this excellent explanation above. Noon is not necessarily the hottest time of day in DF. As the heat builds and radiates throughout the day it would be much worse to start at 2 or even 3 PM. In Canada we think peak heat is noon as our key factor is simply sun intensity, while in southern climes it is more the accumulative factor of heat and radiation off the ground. Plus city activity in DF, pollution etc. So noon is not necessarily too bad. In any case Brazil and Honduras can handle it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattbin Posted June 6, 2003 Share Posted June 6, 2003 quote:Originally posted by beachesl Well, we won't have to play the semi-final there if we finish first in the group, win the quarter, and the US somehow loses it's quarter final (wouldn't that be just!?). I'd just like to point out that the US has lost in the Gold Cup quarter-finals before. Anyone else out there remember GC2000? Anyone? Allez les Rouges, M@ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettermirror Posted June 6, 2003 Share Posted June 6, 2003 these are great explanations, thank you. i can confirm that playing at noon is in fact, not the hottest time. 2 o'clock is. i played a final in los angeles at 2 o'clock once (changed from 8 a.m. about 10 minutes after we won our semi-final - screw you too) and it was the most intense heat i have ever experiences. warm up was about 5 minutes, at noon! stretching in the shade the rest of the time. needless to say, we lost. when earlier we played the same team at 8 a.m. and won 2-1, with ease. there ain't gonna be any middle any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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