Haiti moves US Nations League quarter-final home leg from Kingston to Miami
Concacaf approved Haiti’s request to stage the November 14 first leg at Nu Stadium. The return match remains scheduled for Cincinnati on November 17.
Haiti will play its Concacaf Nations League quarter-final home leg against the United States at Nu Stadium in Miami on November 14, after Concacaf approved a move from Kingston, Jamaica, on October 22. Haiti remains the designated home team, but the switch puts both legs of the tie on US soil.
The return leg is still scheduled for November 17 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, according to SB Nation’s Stars and Stripes FC report and a US Soccer post reproduced in it. US Soccer had designated Cincinnati for its home leg in September; that fixture’s arrangements have not changed.
Why Haiti’s home leg moved to Miami
The first leg had been assigned to Sabina Park in Kingston. Haiti played two Nations League group-stage home matches at the cricket ground earlier this month, according to Stars and Stripes FC. The Guardian reported that scheduling conflicts involving Haiti, Jamaica and Curaçao had led to Haiti’s use of Sabina Park.
Haiti has been unable to stage nominal home matches within its borders since July 2021, The Guardian reported. It cited a United Nations estimate that violent gangs control 90% of Port-au-Prince, including the national stadium. Haiti has also used Curaçao, Aruba and Barbados for World Cup qualifiers, according to The Guardian.
Concacaf described the Miami move as an exceptional hosting arrangement, The Guardian reported. The federation did not establish that security was the specific reason for choosing Miami for this match. Stars and Stripes FC reported that Haiti’s federation hopes the city’s Haitian-American community will support the team at the opening leg.
Haiti’s previous match at Nu Stadium
Haiti has played at Nu Stadium before: a pre-World Cup friendly against Peru drew a sold-out crowd of 26,700, The Guardian reported. That earlier attendance offers context for the venue choice, although it does not establish how many supporters will attend the November tie. The two-leg quarter-final gives Haiti the nominal home fixture first, followed three days later by the US home fixture in Cincinnati.
The arrangement can continue while Haiti’s security situation persists, but Concacaf requires approval for each match Haiti seeks to play in an opponent’s territory, according to the confederation’s terms quoted by The Guardian. The Concacaf Council can amend or withdraw the measure at any time.
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Sources and context
- USMNT to face Haiti in Concacaf Nations League QuarterfinalsSB Nation (Stars and Stripes FC), republished by Yahoo Sports; original reporting credit: Donald Wine II
- Haiti move Nations League home clash with USA to Miami amid gang violence crisisThe Guardian
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.