FOXBOROUGH - Dealing with the difference between Mandarin and Cantonese dialects, being diplomatic when the interests of FIFA and Foxboro Stadium advertisers clash, transporting the 36 metal trunks brought by team Norway ... all in a day's work for World Cup organizers at Foxboro Stadium.
For the second time in five years, the stadium situated halfway between Boston and Providence hosted the World Cup. In 1994, the successful men's tournament helped launch the MLS. In the summer of 1999, the women's tournament earned the title of biggest women's-only sporting event in history and may provide a launching point for a female professional league.
The excitement generated by the United States team and World Cup matches exceeded all expectations, and Foxboro Stadium played a significant part in the festivities, which conclude at the Rose Bowl Saturday. The local venue staged five World Cup games, ranking it second among the eight stadiums used. Only Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in Washington saw more action than Foxboro with four first-round games and two quarterfinals. And only the Rose Bowl staff will see a longer period of action than the Foxboro personnel, who shifted into tournament mode for 15 days.
''I think it was a tremendous event,'' said Revolution co-owner and Patriots executive Jonathan Kraft, who watched the US-Korea match and the Independence Day semifinal. ''It's a great benefit of having a stadium in the community that can hold events that aren't NFL football games or big concerts. Clearly, there was a passion there [at the games], and we were pleased with it. It wasn't just a one-time spectacle. The people there were knowledgeable and followed the teams. It was wild.''
Added Revolution general manager and former Foxboro Stadium GM Brian O'Donovan: ''It has been a terrifically successful event. Again, a great indication of what Foxboro is all about and what New England is all about in terms of its support of soccer ... I think the biggest surprise for us was the US team as it was in other venues. They are like a juggernaut of popularity.''
Foxboro's two first-round doubleheaders and semifinal attracted a total of 94,343 fans, with the largest crowd (50,484) attending the US-North Korea game. The loud, patriotic mix of ethnicities, genders, and ages created an international feel that suited the competition. A similar display of face-painted fervor in 1994 led to the Krafts' interest in an MLS franchise. Now, there is the possibility of bringing a women's professional soccer team to the Boston area.
''`We have a great staff, and I think we'd be able to do that,'' said Kraft, who spoke about the possibility of Foxborough being home to the Revolution, Patriots, and a third pro team. ''The concept of a women's league is very interesting and exciting. If the momentum is there, we'd be very interested in having a team there and owning a team and helping the sport grow.''
For Foxboro to serve as a temporary home for the Women's World Cup required a collective effort among FIFA, Foxboro event staff, and volunteers and resulted in a lot of ''yielding'' by stadium personnel. According to O'Donovan, the staff based at the stadium had to make way for FIFA, which has very strict standards and protocol that must be followed.
Sponsors and season ticket-holders made most of the compromises. Signs promoting non-World Cup sponsors had to be covered for the duration of Foxboro's dual role as tournament site and Revolution home. While advertisers were initially reluctant, they ultimately agreed, realizing the event would put Boston in the national spotlight. Season ticket-holders were displaced because of the China-Norway game, which followed the New England Revolution-New York/New Jersey MetroStars.
With the international scope of the tournament, other logistical obstacles arose prior to and after the games. Venue director Tim Larkin and his staff dealt with the day-to-day requests of the nine different teams that played at Foxboro.
Luggage pickups at Logan, language barriers, dehydrating weather, and a level of media and fan interest much higher than originally anticipated were among the challenges.
''Going into the event, there was so much hard work put in and so much frustration and a lot of hours,'' said Larkin. ''You think to yourself, `Can I do this again?' Then you sit there at midfield as the fireworks go off and you want to do it again.''
