TICKETS FOR U.S.-MEXICO QUALIFIER ON SALE STARTING JAN 28TH

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Courtesy of U.S. Soccer:

TICKETS FOR U.S.-MEXICO QUALIFIER GO ON SALE WEDNESDAY, JAN. 28

Sell-Out Crowd Expected at Columbus Crew Stadium Where the U.S. Remains Undefeated in Seven Matches

CHICAGO (Jan. 13, 2009) — Tickets for the United States’ FIFA World Cup qualifier against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, go on sale on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 12 p.m. ET. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Feb. 11, and will be televised live on ESPN2 HD and Univision.

The game marks the third-consecutive time that Columbus Crew Stadium hosts the final round home leg between the U.S. and Mexico. The match in Columbus is the first of five home qualifiers for the United States this year.

Tickets ranging in price levels from $48 to $125 go on sale to the public Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 12 p.m. ET through ussoccer.com, by phone at 800-745-3000 and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout central Ohio (including Kroger), as well as the Crew Stadium ticket office (open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Due to anticipated demand, tickets will be limited to four per purchase. Ultimate Fan Tickets (special VIP packages which include a premium ticket, a custom made official U.S. national team jersey with name and number, VIP access to the field before and after the game, and other unique benefits) are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com.

As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa® is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for this match before the sale to the general public. This advance sale will take place from Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 12 p.m. ET until Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 8 a.m. ET at ussoccer.com. Tickets will be limited to four per purchase. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply.

“We are very excited about returning to Columbus,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley, who guided the U.S. to a 7-1-0 record through the first two rounds of FIFA World Cup qualifying. “Our national team has enjoyed a great history there, and the team has always appreciated the fantastic support from the fans. We are looking forward to an incredible atmosphere as we continue the difficult task of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.”

The Columbus Crew Stadium match will be the sixth World Cup qualifier hosted by the nine-year-old venue. The U.S. has a 3-0-2 record in qualifying and an unbeaten 4-0-3 all-time record in the stadium. In the first meeting on Feb. 28, 2001 – dubbed the “Guerra Fria (‘Cold War’)” because the game-time temperature topped out at 29 degrees - goals by Josh Wolff and Earnie Stewart paced the U.S. to a 2-0 victory. Four years later on Sept. 3, 2005, goals by Steve Ralston and DaMarcus Beasley earned the United States another 2-0 win and officially booked their place in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

The match on Feb. 11 will mark the 55th meeting between the USA and Mexico. The U.S. has dominated the series of late, collecting an 8-0-2 home record against Mexico since 2000. During that span, the USA has netted 17 goals, while Mexico has scored only three on American soil in this decade.

The U.S., along with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and Trinidad & Tobago, is competing in the 10-game round-robin format through Oct. 14, 2009, with the top three teams automatically advancing to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The fourth-place team will compete in a two-game playoff to be held Nov. 14/18 against the fifth-place finisher in South American qualifying.

The U.S. Men’s National Team will kick off a busy 2009 schedule when they face Sweden on Saturday, Jan. 24, at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Kickoff for the USA’s only tune-up match prior to the start of final round qualifying is set for at 5:30 p.m. PT, and the match will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision. Fans can also follow the game live via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.