USA to open 2018 World Cup qualifiers at St. Louis's Busch Stadium

The United States men’s national team will begin its qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup with a match on November 13 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

The United States men’s national team will begin its qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup with a match on November 13 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, U.S. Soccer announced Monday.

The game will be against the winner of a qualifying match between St. Vincent & The Grenadines and Aruba. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, August 5. 

Though the city’s only pro team plays in the third-tier USL, soccer has a long history in St. Louis. The St. Louis Soccer League, founded in 1907, was America’s first fully professional soccer league and five of the players on the field for the United States’ famous upset of England in the 1950 World Cup were St. Louis natives. 

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The U.S. has not played an international match in St. Louis since a June 1997 game against Paraguay in suburban Fenton, Mo. The U.S. women played a match against New Zealand at Busch Stadium in April that drew over 35,000 fans. The stadium has also hosted a friendly between Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a match between Manchester City and Chelsea.

During their qualifying campaign, the Americans will also face Trinidad & Tobago and the winner of the Antigua and Barbuda vs. Guatemala qualifying match. 

- Dan Gartland