Cleveland is a football town — soccer, that is. On June 22, international footie returns to FirstEnergy Stadium for a CONCACAF Gold Cup doubleheader featuring the United States Men’s National Soccer Team. That makes four straight years of U.S. Soccer in Cleveland, quickly turning the city into a world-class soccer destination.
Small wonder. Youth participation continues to flourish, Cleveland Soccer Club is gearing up for another successful season, and there are even whispers of a professional United Soccer League franchise in the works, with naming rights for the Cleveland Force acquired. These are exciting times for fans of the beautiful game.
“Soccer fans in Northeast Ohio are really starting to change the narrative,” says Jason Lansdale, principal of sports marketing agency Offside Marketing. “CONCACAF and the Gold Cup were so ecstatic about the enthusiasm of Cleveland fans back in ’17 that they’re bringing the competition back this year.”
After Panama and Guyana face off in the evening match, the Americans take on Trinidad & Tobago in a pivotal Group D match en route to (hopefully) another Continental championship. But there’s a little more to this story. The last time these sides met, the U.S. lost 2-1 and were eliminated from 2018 World Cup qualification. There won’t be anything friendly about this rematch.
Read more about USMNT's June 22 matchup and soccer fandom in Cleveland:
Columbus Crew's Wil Trapp On Ohio Soccer, USMNT's Gold Cup Appearance
Football Fanatic: American Outlaws President On What It's Like To Be A Super Fan
Game Time Pint: Three Soccer Pubs We Love
Soccer Has Arrived In Cleveland
As the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team dribbles into town this month, soccer fandom takes root in Northeast Ohio.
