USA plan bid to host 2018

The U.S. Soccer Federation is preparing a bid to host the 2018 World Cup and they will offer themselves as backup venue for 2014 if a South American country is unable to stage the event.

U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) president Sunil Gulati was quoted in the Washington Post saying that the federation will form an organising committee at this weekend's annual meeting in Los Angeles and prepare to formally advise FIFA of its intention to bid for the 2018 tournament.

If they go ahead with the bid they will more than likely be up against England who have shown interest as have Australia.

"We showed in 1994 that the U.S. is capable of hosting a terrific event," Gulati reportedly said in a telephone interview with the Post.

"Now, with the way the soccer landscape in this country has evolved, we would be in position to put on a spectacular event.
"We are much more a part of the sport internationally than we were in 1994."

FIFA's rotation policy should see the World cup being played in a South American country but FIFA has expressed some concerns over whether any South America nation has the infrastructure and resources needed to host the event.

If South America were unable to stage the tournament, Gulati said the U.S. would be open to the idea of stepping into the breach.

"Obviously FIFA knows what we're capable of and, if something else changed, we would be open to any other possibilities," Gulati told the Post. "We've got some history and a track record."