ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – When St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol watched his team take an unusual Saturday off during the season and midway through a series, he had one question in mind. “Will I be able to make it in time for the soccer game?”
Not just a soccer match, world cup Match.
The international soccer tournament, which is held once every four years, is currently underway. 16 locations in the US, Canada, and Mexico. These include 11 markets that are also home to a total of 13 Major League Baseball teams.
Kansas City, where the Cardinals open their third straight game on Thursday, will host six World Cup games at an NFL stadium in the same complex as the Royals’ stadium. The Cardinals and Royals will have the day off as Ecuador plays Curaçao on Saturday.
Asked if he would go to that game, Marmol said, “That’s the goal, yeah.”
Royals first baseman Vinny Pasquantino, who played football at Old Dominion, and his wife will also be in attendance.
“It’s strange, but this is a special situation,” Pascantino said. “It’s great that Kansas City now has access to World Cup games, so we’ll be fine with a day off like that for years until the U.S. hosts it again.”
World Cup matches are being played in the United States. First time since 1994.
Get energized in Texas
AT&T Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, is adjacent to Globe Life Field and hosts nine games, the most in the tournament. The neighboring Texas Rangers will host two split series, but will also have the Monday off between their July 6 home series for Round of 16 games.
Texas is currently playing a three-game series against Minnesota, which concludes on Thursday after a break as powerhouse England play their cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson said. He played soccer in California as a child.
The Rangers wrapped up their road trip in Boston on Sunday, with several thousand people in attendance. Scottish fans chant and sing at Fenway Park It was the night after Scotland won the opening game of their first World Cup appearance in 28 years. That victory over Haiti took place about 30 miles away at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
Rangers manager Skip Shoemaker said the Tartan Army’s presence was like a European soccer game. He and his staff are now hoping to participate in the World Cup.
“It was so much fun that most of the staff on their days off are trying to figure out a way to get tickets to go to a game they know nothing about because the atmosphere was so great,” Shoemaker said. “The passion was insane.”
In Philadelphia, the Phillies will be off during their home series against the New York Mets on Friday, as Brazil plays Haiti at nearby Lincoln Financial Field.
Like the Rangers, Royals and Seattle Mariners, the Phillies’ home base is next to an NFL stadium that will host some of 104 games during the nearly six-week tournament, which includes teams from 48 countries. All of these stadiums have shared parking.
Texas and Kansas City will be off for the Round of 32 cup game on Friday, July 3rd. The Rangers have already opened their series against Detroit, while the Royals await the start of an unusual Saturday-to-Monday series against the Phillies.
Not all matches are next door
Either the Mets or Yankees will host a home game on each of the eight World Cup dates held at MetLife Stadium across the river in New Jersey, including the championship final on July 19, when the Yankees will also host Shohei Ohtani and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Yankee Stadium is approximately 22 miles from the Meadowlands and Citi Field is approximately 39 miles.
World Cup games at SoFi Stadium are approximately 21 miles from Dodger Stadium and 55 miles from Angel Stadium. Six of the eight games played in Inglewood will be played at home by either the Dodgers or Angels. The other two dates, one for each team, fall on normal off days during a homestand.
Separation between stadiums means Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Miami, and Toronto will all host multiple home games in their respective markets alongside World Cup games.
The Mariners and Red Sox played almost two games.
There will also be a split series when the Angels travel to Seattle, and a Round of 16 cup game will be held during the midweek break on July 1st.
The Mariners were originally scheduled to play the United States and Australia in Seattle on Saturday, followed by a home doubleheader against Boston. However, when game time at Lumen Field was set for Friday at noon, the Mariners and Red Sox skipped the scheduled doubleheader for the first time in MLB in two years, instead switching to a traditional three-game series with the opening game that night.
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APMLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB And AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
