Ranking the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Venues on Atmosphere
When the United States plays host to the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer, it will do so in a wide variety of stadiums.
Some of the matches will be played in soccer-specific facilities built for Major League Soccer clubs, while others will take place in large NFL stadiums.
With atmosphere, attendance numbers and the games certain stadiums will host taken into account, we ranked the 13 sites based on overall atmosphere.
13. Bank of America Stadium
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Charlotte isn't known as a soccer hotbed in the United States, but it did host a marquee match between Liverpool and AC Milan in the International Champions Cup in 2014.
The home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers did produce a strong attendance number of 69,364, but one has to think that number will drop off for a Gold Cup match.
Producing a quality environment in an NFL stadium for a group-stage match will be difficult, especially without the presence of the United States men's national team.
12. M&T Bank Stadium
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Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium is guaranteed to see a high number of fans enter through its gates for knockout-round action, but the atmosphere will be lacking punch.
Just like a few other stadiums on this list, M&T Bank doesn't create a threatening atmosphere for a soccer match.
Although plenty of noise can be made in the more-than-70,000-seat facility, few seats are close to the field, and a ton of noise can be let out of the stadium due to the open spaces at the top.
Baltimore will see a good amount of fans come its way since it will host a match in the knockout stage, but don't expect a life-changing soccer atmosphere if you go.
11. Lincoln Financial Field
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Philadelphia is extremely passionate when it comes to its sports, but soccer is still a second-rate sport in the City of Brotherly Love.
Luckily for Philadelphia, it will receive a knockout-round match during the Gold Cup, so attendance shouldn't be as abysmal as this summer's Roma-Inter match, which put 12,169 fans in the seats.
While the fans will certainly be passionate, especially if the United States is in town, Lincoln Financial Field is not the ideal soccer stadium because we don't know how many of those fans will actually show up.
10. Georgia Dome
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The Georgia Dome is a popular destination for college football games, but one rarely associates the stadium with soccer.
Despite the questions you may have about a game being played indoors and on turf, the fans in Atlanta do come out in style. The perfect example of this came in March, as Mexico and Nigeria played in front of 68,212 fans.
We are under the assumption that Mexico would be set for a trip to Atlanta if form holds in the knockout round, which would make the environment at the Georgia Dome better than we expect it to be.
9. University of Phoenix Stadium
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Since opening in 2006, the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona has become a go-to site for many American sports.
The host of Super Bowl XLIX not only produces a solid atmosphere for football, it is also a nice soccer destination.
Both the United States and Mexico have hosted games at the stadium in the past. And with a large Hispanic presence in the area, there is no doubt it will produce a solid atmosphere for one of Mexico's group games.
8. BMO Field
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We would really like to place BMO Field higher on this list, but we're not quite sure what type of atmosphere the fans in Toronto will produce this summer.
Toronto will play host to Costa Rica's final group game, but there is no guarantee the Canadian city will host Canada in that game.
With the potential of two sides unfamiliar to the crowd showing up in Toronto, the atmosphere could very well be as dull as a meaningless late-season Toronto FC match.
7. MetLife Stadium
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As someone who has seen MetLife Stadium as a soccer facility firsthand, it is not a bad soccer environment if you get the right teams to play there.
The home of the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets produced a promising atmosphere for two International Champions Cup matches in 2013, which featured Chelsea and AC Milan.
Another thing going in the favor of MetLife Stadium is its proximity to New York City, which is why we think this will be the site of the Gold Cup final.
Regardless of who plays in the title match, the atmosphere inside the stadium should be a raucous one with so much on the line.
6. Toyota Stadium
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Toyota Stadium has the honor of opening up the Gold Cup on July 7, when the United States takes on a Group A opponent.
FC Dallas' home stadium has never hosted a Gold Cup match before, so it will be interesting to see how loud the crowd gets that day.
The soccer-specific stadium in Texas did average 16,816 fans during the MLS regular season, but it is a guarantee that the facility will be packed to capacity when the Yanks come to town.
Any small stadium that plays host to the United States presents a home-field advantage for Jurgen Klinsmann's side. And expect Toyota Stadium to fit the billing and potentially earn a consistent role as a host for international matches.
5. StubHub Center
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The StubHub Center has been turned into one of the most popular soccer destinations in the United States by the L.A. Galaxy.
The stadium, which usually hosts a United States match each year in January or February, will play host to Costa Rica in the first game of Group B.
Regardless of who is playing on the field, fans usually turn up at the StubHub Center. Given its consistent fanbase, the stadium should produce a strong environment for the Ticos and their opponent.
4. Soldier Field
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One of the NFL stadiums on the list of Gold Cup sites that is capable of producing a tremendous soccer environment is Chicago's Soldier Field.
The site of the 2013 Gold Cup Final has hosted matches in each of the last four tournaments, and it will receive a special treat in the form of Mexico this time around.
The Windy City has one of the highest Hispanic populations in the United States, which will turn an already solid venue into an impressive home crowd for Mexico.
Expect the crowd in Chicago to push Mexico to a big victory to open up Group C play on July 9.
3. Gillette Stadium
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Despite not having a soccer-specific stadium in the region, the Boston area is one of the biggest soccer hotbeds in America.
The fans came out in full force throughout the playoff run of the New England Revolution in 2014, as more than 30,000 packed the stadium during the November push to the MLS Cup Final.
With the United States men's national team coming to town on July 10, the already terrific atmosphere at Gillette Stadium has the potential to increase further.
If everything is done right that day, the environment has the potential to rival one of a New England Patriots postseason game.
2. BBVA Compass Stadium
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No matter who plays at BBVA Compass Stadium during an international match, the crowds usually find a way to show up and make plenty of noise.
That is expected to be the case during Costa Rica's second group game on July 11. With a huge Hispanic population in the Houston area, teams from Latin America tend to draw well in Houston.
While the stadium may not have an exorbitant amount of seats, it does produce a perfect environment for a soccer match due to the very passionate fans in the area.
1. Sporting Park
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No venue on this list will come close to matching the terrific soccer atmosphere at Kansas City's Sporting Park on July 13.
One of the best soccer-specific stadiums in America will play host to the third and final United States game in Group A.
As we have seen throughout the last few Major League Soccer seasons, Sporting Park is a treacherous place to play for any opponent. That should be the environment presented to the opponent of the United States on July 13 as well.
When that match comes to its conclusion, there is no doubt we will be making a stronger case for Sporting Park to be one of the stadiums on the shortlist to host crucial United States matches every year.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
