LA Live: World Cup soccer in downtown LA? It could happen.

Barely a month after the backers of the proposed city of Industry NFL stadium opened a soccer front with their publicly stated desire to attract World Cup games Anschutz Entertainment Group has released more details of their proposed downtown stadium (given a skeptical review for obvious reasons by our sister paper the San Gabriel Valley Tribune it should be noted).

This is all good for soccer fans since the downtown “72,000-seat facility would have the flexibility to expand to 76,250 for mega-events” such as the World Cup, observed SBJ.

Always fun to see dueling billionaires, of course, but from a soccer fans point of view the sport (and our viewing pleasure) can only win with either of these proposals if we no longer have to endure the obsolescent Rose Bowl or Coliseum for big games.

AEG, you would think has the soccer edge, given its ownership of the Galaxy and Home Depot Center.

And having visited Seattle again recently I love the idea of an urban soccer experience locally.

I have reservations about AEG’s ability to pull off an organic, authentic soccer experience given the unfettered artificiality of LA Live with its corporate, over-priced and generally soulless bars and restaurants.

Having wandered to Qwest Field and strolled past vendors allowed to set up shop outside to sell peanuts, popcorn and the like that spectators could actually take into the stadium I have this vision of AEG goons tracking down bacon-wrapped hot dog vendors on LA streets to ensure no lost concession sales inside.

Still, shiny new local stadiums built for pointy-ball football could benefit us fans of the real thing come the 2022 World Cup.