As a warmup, perhaps, for the Republican National Convention, Cleveland announced its bid last month to host the 2016 Copa America, a prestigious men's soccer tournament that, until now, has always been held abroad.
The event will be held next June at eight to 13 stadiums across the country, and local officials are hoping Cleveland's First Energy is one of them.
"We haven't received any feedback yet, but we feel good about our chances," Jeff Pacini, vice president of business development for the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, told
Cleveland.com recently. If selected, Cleveland would be a likely candidate for some of the Copa's preliminary-round matches.
The official bid was submitted in March, and venue decisions could be reached as early as next month, officials say.
Cleveland is one of 24 U.S. cities in contention for the hosting slots. The other cities in the running can be found
here.
