A very different kind of football is coming to Baltimore this summer, bringing soccer fans to a matchup of the national teams in North and Central America.
Last week, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced the host cities for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup scheduled for July 7 to 28. Among the host venues new to the tournament is M&T Bank Stadium.
In a press release, CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb expressed his gratitude to all of the venues that submitted bids and congratulated those that will host matches, located throughout the US.
While more details have yet to emerge, including the exact date of the competitions and who will be playing on the Ravens’ gridiron turf, expect the crowds to pack the stadium as previous competitions brought the Gold Cup venues to capacity.
Seven other stadiums make their debut in hosting CONCACAF Gold Cup match, including the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and the Sun Life Stadium in Miami Fields. Five venues return to the lineup from previous years, with the closest veteran being Red Bull Stadium in Harrison, NJ.
The tournament features 12 of the teams in the confederation, with the winner of every other Gold Cup moving on to represent CONCACAF in the Confederations Cup.
As the winner of the last Gold Cup in 2011, Mexico will proceed to this year’s Confederations Cup in Brazil, although it will be the 2015 Gold Cup that determines who will represent CONCACAF four years from now in Russia.
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