The United States will host Mexico in Cincinnati, their new venue for World Cup qualifiers

The US Soccer Federation announced Wednesday that the United States will face Mexico in a World Cup qualifying match at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on November 12.

The choice of venue represents a break with modern traditions. While the match will be the sixth consecutive time that the United States will host Mexico in a World Cup qualifier in Ohio, the previous five encounters have taken place at Crewe Stadium in Columbus.

The last time the United States hosted a World Cup qualifier against Mexico was outside Columbus in April 1997, when the two teams tied 2-2 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

The US Federation has also announced that due to the expected high demand, it will once again use a random drawing to deliver tickets.

“When it comes to the big competitions in our sport, the United States and Mexico are one of the best,” said US coach Greg Berhalter. “We are fortunate to have so many great places in this country, and for this game, Cincinnati ticks all the boxes. This is a special game that requires a special atmosphere, and we know it will be a game that Cincinnati will provide.”

The match will be the first of two matches in the November window. The United States will travel to Jamaica to face the Reggae Boyz four days later. It is the only time during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers that a double day will be used.

Under the new qualifying formula, a total of eight teams, compared to six in previous tournaments, will compete in the final round, with the top three teams advancing to Qatar 2022. Fourth place will participate in an intercontinental playoff for last place.

Mexico has a historical advantage in this series, winning 36 of the previous 71 meetings along with 15 draws. But the United States moved on from 2000 by taking the record 15-9-6 against its longtime rival. His record in World Cup qualifiers at the time is 4-4-2. Their last match came last June when the United States won 3-2 in overtime in the opening match of the CONCACAF Nations League Final.