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England are facing the prospect of starting their World Cup preparation in front of more than 50,000 empty seats – with their Florida friendly matches apparently failing to capture the imagination of the American public.
Daily Mail Sport understands that just 13,000 tickets have been sold for the Three Lions’ first tune up, against New Zealand at the vast, 69,218-capacity Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
And Thomas Tuchel and his charges could then face a half-empty ground for their second friendly, against Costa Rica in Orlando, where 12,000 tickets have been shifted for the fixture at the 25,500-capacity Inter&Co Stadium.
Officials will be hoping for a spike in sales for the ‘Florida Series’ before the June 6 and June 10 matches. But time is running out and it now appears highly likely that both games will be sparsely populated.
Locals have blamed ticket pricing, delays to the announcement of venues and the fact that storm season is on its way in the Sunshine State. Both matches will kick-off at 4pm, when temperatures can be sweltering.
Today, for example, temperatures at 4pm were forecast to be 33C in both cities. Indeed, Raymond James Stadium, the cavernous home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, offers little in the way of protection from the sun.
England are facing the prospect of playing a World Cup warm-up game in front of 50,000 empty seats
Just 13,000 tickets have been sold for the Three Lions’ warm-up against New Zealand in Tampa, Florida
Around 1,500 members of the official England Supporters Travel Club are expected at both games. The cost of adding Florida to an already expensive trip for the tournament itself is thought to have had an impact on numbers travelling across the Atlantic.
It had been hoped that the fixtures would attract large volume from the estimated 400,000 ex-pats living in Florida, along with providing an opportunity for locals to watch some star names.
Tickets are available from £54, which is relatively good value when compared with prices typically charged by professional US sports.
Ticket selling websites show seats available across multiple sections at both venues. However, lower tier halfway line seats in Tampa are currently priced at £217 and in Orlando, at the home of Orlando City, at £256. They may fall in the coming days.
England will acclimatise in Florida before heading to their base in Kansas City following the Costa Rica match. They do not play their first World Cup match until June 17 in Dallas – six days after the tournament opener. While England’s pre-camp in Florida had been known for some time, venues were only announced in April.
