USA vs. Costa Rica to be held at Dick's Sporting Goods Park outside Denver

In a widely expected move, U.S. Soccer has announced that Dick's Sporting Goods Park just outside of Denver, Colorado, will host the World Cup qualifying match between the United States and Costa Rica on March 22. The U.S. was always expected to hold the game at a cold-weather venue to create a home-field advantage against their opponents from a much milder climate, and as Grant Wahl notes, it's pretty cold in Denver in March.

DSGP has never hosted a game in the hexagonal round of World Cup qualifying. The last World Cup qualifying match in any round hosted by the venue came in 2008, when the United States faced Guatemala in the semifinal round of CONCACAF qualification.

Given that this match comes as part of a double international date, with the U.S. heading to Mexico four days after facing the Ticos, the location of the game makes sense. The altitude at Estadio Azteca is often tough for players to deal with, and the U.S. has trained at high altitudes at home in the past to get ready for Azteca. Playing a game at high altitude should only prove to be even better preparation.