Michigan sites, including EL, may bid for World Cup

By Scott Pohl, WKAR Radio News

East Lansing, MI – East Lansing, MI (WKAR) - The organization governing soccer in the United States has invited three Michigan venues to express their level of interest in hosting potential World Cup matches.

U.S. soccer is bidding to host the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022.

U.S. Soccer included Ford Field in Detroit, Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, and Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor among 70 venues they would like to consider.

U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati says that list will be extensively shortened in the final list of possible sites submitted to the sport's global governing body, FIFA.

The Pontiac Silverdome hosted World Cup Soccer in 1994.

The USA Bid Committee wants to hear back from interested venues by April 17th.

Countries must submit final bids to FIFA by May 2010, with the selection of host countries for 2018 and 2022 expected in December of next year.

Nine other countries are bidding to host those World Cups.