One of soccer’s greatest rivalries is the getting the big-screen treatment this weekend. The United States will face Mexico in the 2015 CONCACAF Cup at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on Saturday, and fans that can’t make it to the SoCal game will have the option of viewing the game in their local movie theater instead. It will certainly be a lighter alternative on the wallet, as prices for CONCACAF Cup tickets on the secondary market continue to increase ahead of the anticipated playoff match.
Fathom Events and FS1 have partnered to bring the game to more than 200 theaters across the U.S. this Saturday. That includes several major market cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. While plane fare, hotel costs and the price of tickets can quickly add up before even passing the turnstile, the in-theater experience will be the best monetary option for family and friends determined in catching all the action on the field.
According to TiqIQ, the average price for 2015 CONCACAF tickets is $254.80 on the secondary market, which marks a 6.8 percent increase from last Monday’s average of $238.55. For those just looking to get in, the cheapest available ticket is currently listed for $147. That’s a far cry from the $15 ticket price most theaters will charge via FathomEvents.com to view the game from their larger-than-life screens.
“We’re really excited to be working with Fathom Events to bring the huge match between the U.S. and Mexico to big screens throughout the country,” FOX Sports Head of Business David Nathanson said in a statement released last month. “Live sports are the ultimate shared community experience, and the electric scene at what will be a jam-packed Rose Bowl will no doubt have fans in theaters feeling as if they’re in Pasadena, too.”
Saturday’s match marks the 66th time the two clubs will have met all-time. The storied rivalry’s next installment has added importance as well, seeing as how both teams are fighting for the opportunity to represent CONCACAF in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, which is also hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It’s the first time the global event will be held on European soil since the 2006 extravaganza in Germany.
Saturday’s matchup was spawned out of both teams’ recent victories in the biennial CONCACAF Gold Cup. In 2013, the United States captured the title and earned its fifth Gold Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1991. Mexico dominated the 2015 competition earlier this summer, beating Jamaica in the Final to earn the country’s seventh Gold Cup championship.
In 65 meetings dating back to 1934, Mexico holds the series edge over the United States at 33-19-14. However, the rivalry has grown stronger since the turn of the century as the sport’s culture has blossomed in the U.S. Since 2000, 23 matchups have seen Mexico claim a 13-5-5 record over the U.S.
The 2015 CONCACAF Cup officially kicks off at 9:30 p.m. ET. Each participating theater will offer FS1’s pregame coverage a half-hour prior to the start of the match.
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