SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego will be among six MLS stadiums to be used for group play through the semifinals for the 2028 men's and women's Olympic soccer tournaments, organizers announced Tuesday.
The Rose Bowl will be the site of the men's gold medal match on July 28, 2028 and the women's gold medal match July 29.
The other stadiums selected were ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio, Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, Energizer Park in St. Louis, PayPal Park in San Jose and the under-construction Etihad Park in the New York City borough of Queens, set to open in 2027.
During Olympic play, the stadiums will simply carry the names of the city they are in followed by stadium because of International Olympic Committee rule barring the use of commercial names from companies that are not Olympic sponsors.
Olympic soccer games before the gold medal games are traditionally played away from the host city. When the U.S. last played host to the Summer Olympics in 1996, stadiums in Birmingham, Alabama, Miami, Orlando, Florida and Washington D.C. were used for pre-gold medal games.
"Bringing Olympic football group stage and knockout matches to stadiums across the United States means more fans will witness this global event and experience the Olympic spirit firsthand," Shana Ferguson, the chief of sport and games delivery officer for the LA28 organizing committee, said in a statement.
LA28 worked closely with Soccer United Marketing, MLS' commercial arm, to evaluate stadiums nationwide to ensure that the chosen venues meet the highest international standards, according to LA28.
LA28 announced it is developing a game distribution that allows the competition to move progressively from east to west as teams advance toward the final stages, minimizing travel.
Additionally, to support athlete well-being and allow for increased recovery time between matches, the International Olympic Committee and LA28 are considering an extended competition window for the soccer tournaments, with preliminary matches taking place prior to the opening ceremony.
The schedule for both the women's and men's soccer tournaments, including the dates and match distribution per stadium, will be announced before the first ticket drop in April.
The specific team matchups will be revealed later, following further progress in the LA28 Olympic qualification process and the official tournament draw.
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