USMNT vs El Salvador: how did the national team fare playing at Lower.com Stadium?

Lower.com Field will host the game against El Salvador on January 27. With six games remaining, the United States sits in second place in the CONCACAF Octagonal standings with 15 points and a 4-1-3 record. The top three teams in the group earn automatic qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Lower.com Field Stadium

Lower.com Field is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It serves primarily as the home stadium for the Columbus Crew club of Major League Soccer, replacing the club's previous stadium, the historic Crew Stadium, the oldest soccer-specific stadium in the country. 

The new stadium cost $314 million and is located in the center of the mixed-use Azor Park development adjacent to the Arena District and in downtown Columbus. It seats a total of 20,371 spectators and includes 30 suites and 1,900 luxury club seats. 

Address: 96 Columbus Crew Way, Columbus, OH 43215

Capacity: 20,371

Opened: July 3, 2021

City: Columbus

State: Ohio

The only game played in the new Columbus stadium was a win

The United States closed out October's World Cup qualifying window on a high note with a 2-1 victory over Costa Rica. Playing in front of a noisy crowd of 20,165 fans in their return to Columbus at the new Lower.com Field, a goal from defender Sergiño Dest and a deflected shot from striker Tim Weah earned the U.S. three crucial points at home.

With an average age of 22 years and 61 days, the United States stepped onto the field that day with not only its youngest lineup in World Cup qualifying but also in any official competition.

Historic Crew Stadium record at the World Cup qualifiers

The former stadium hosted 10 World Cup qualifiers since 2000, with the U.S. registering a 7-1-2 record during that span.

Oct. 11, 2000: USA 0-0 Costa Rica

Feb. 28, 2001: USA 2-0 Mexico

June 13, 2004: USA 3-0 Grenada

Nov. 17, 2004: USA 1-1 Jamaica

Sept. 3, 2005: USA 2-0 Mexico

Feb. 11, 2009: USA 2-0 Mexico

Sept. 11, 2012: USA 1-0 Jamaica

Sept. 10, 2013: USA 2-0 Mexico

March 29, 2016: USA 4-0 Guatemala

Nov. 11, 2016: USA 1-2 Mexico

Greg Berhalter likes playing in Columbus

“As we have seen throughout the qualifying process so far, great stadiums and great atmospheres provide a huge advantage to our team,” USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter said. “We’ve had fantastic experiences in Columbus".

Berhalter spent five seasons as Columbus Crew SC's sporting director and head coach, where he led the team to postseason appearances in four of his five years in charge.