Jeffrey Webb knows soccer, and he knows Atlanta.
Webb is a vice president of FIFA, soccer’s governing body, and the president of CONCACAF, which is composed of the nations in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. CONCACAF’s Gold Cup tournament will make a stop in Atlanta with two quarterfinal games at the Georgia Dome on Saturday. Panama will take on Cuba at 3:30 p.m. in the first game. Mexico, expected to bring thousands of fans in a sea of green, will take on Trinidad and Tobago at 6:30 p.m. in the nightcap.
The U.S. will play El Salvador in another quarterfinal in Baltimore on Sunday, followed by Honduras taking on Costa Rica. The winners will advance to next week’s semifinals in Dallas. The final will be in Chicago on July 28.
“Atlanta is very dear to me,” he said. Webb resides part-time in Atlanta because his fiancée lives here.
Webb participated in a telephone interview ahead of Saturday’s games. His answers have paraphrased.
Q: Atlanta is the only host site for the Gold Cup that doesn’t have, hasn’t had, or is in close proximity to a Major League Soccer team. Why was the city selected to host a quarterfinal?
A: I’ve been to previous friendly games here in Atlanta and saw the potential that Atlanta has. It is a multicultural destination. There are people living in Atlanta from all walks of life.
From an emerging market, I don’t think we necessarily have to have games in cities that have MLS. Those are a few of the reasons.
Q: Any chance that the Dome will host the U.S. in a CONCACAF event in the next two years?
A: It’s very much possible. We have a Gold Cup coming in a few years. Atlanta, of course, may possibly bid for the final. Why not have a final? I attended the NCAA (basketball) championships a few months ago and thought it was amazing.
The city is well-equipped to handle such a game.
Q: The tournament is currently played every two years, which means that some years it is competing for attention and talent with qualifying games for the World Cup. Will the Gold Cup switch to a four-year cycle to improve the quality of the teams?
A: Right now, we’ve named a Gold Cup committee and that’s one of the things that they will be examining, the international calendar, and looking at our tournament from that standpoint.
It’s not a problem for a majority of the confederations.
The reason it started playing every two years is we are a developing confederation. We needed more games. The emergence of the U.S. national team and the way Mexico is playing, playing two years has done well for our confederation.
Q: Is it reasonable to expect that a team from the region can win the World Cup in Brazil in 2014?
A: Of course we don’t know yet who will represent CONCACAF.
The U.S. looks great. I really believe the confederation possesses the football ability to win the World Cup. Whether it’s in Brazil depends upon so much. But we have the potential and talent to win the World cup.
Q: What is the next step for the U.S.?
A: They are playing great. So far in the tournament, you can definitely see the vision and footprint that Jurgen (Klinsmann) is putting on the team.
Some of the young players, they have a great future.
They are playing in space, playing with speed. They look great.
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