As part of the effort to energize the fans from Columbus and 49 states that will converge on the city in advance of the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup Qualifying match against Mexico, presented by AT&T, U.S. Soccer will set up Fan Headquarters (#FanHQ) from Sept. 6-8 at the Easton Town Center (160 Easton Town Center).
Opening its doors Friday, Sept. 6, U.S. Soccer HQ will host daily activities including the taping of “Inside the Crew” (Friday) and the Frankie Hejduk podcast (Saturday). There will be trivia contests and giveaways every day, and U.S. Soccer merchandise will be available on site.
That evening, Official U.S. Soccer Bar Fado Irish Pub will host a viewing party for the USA-Costa Rica match that kicks off at 10 p.m. ET from San Jose, Costa Rica. Join fellow fans and local celebrities to watch as the United States seeks its first away victory against Costa Rica in World Cup Qualifying.
In recognition of the Snowclasico from March 22 when the USA defeated Costa Rica in blizzard-like conditions in Denver, fans are encouraged to wear their best “snow gear” to Fado. Prizes will be awarded to the best dressed, and Fado will be serving snow cones and popsicles throughout the buildup to the Sept. 6 game. Additionally, U.S. Soccer will bring back its popular “bar squares” game that debuted in Seattle.
The centerpiece of the Headquarters will be the futsal court, a five-a-side field located in the Town Square. The court will be open to the public for pick-up games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, U.S. Soccer will hold the Frankie Hejduk Challenge Cup, a futsal tournament in which eight teams have been invited to compete for the right to play against a team led by Hejduk.
The HQ will also be the site of several educational opportunities throughout the weekend, including a futsal coaching symposium.
A full schedule of all the activities is posted on ussoccer.com.
The U.S. resumes 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying against Costa Rica on Sept. 6 in San Jose (beIN SPORT and ESPN Deportes Radio, 10 p.m. ET). Four days later, a sold-out crowd will watch USA-Mexico, presented by AT&T. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN, WatchESPN, UniMas and ESPN Deportes Radio.
The United States currently sits in first place in the Final Round of qualifying, collecting 13 points from six matches. Along with Jamaica, the U.S. is joined by Honduras, Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama competing in the 10-game round-robin Final Round. The top three teams in the Hexagonal automatically advance to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, while the fourth-place finisher will contest a two-game playoff against Oceania region winner New Zealand.
The U.S. is riding a record-setting 12-match winning streak that began June 2 with a 4-3 victory against then second-ranked Germany in the Centennial Celebration Match and includes three wins in World Cup Qualifying and six straight victories en route to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup championship.
