The 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Organizing Committee will move the Sunday, June 20 first-round doubleheader from Portland’s Civic Stadium to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., subject to final approval from FIFA. The change will not effect Portland’s two other first-round doubleheaders scheduled for Wednesday, June 23 and Thursday, June 24. The addition of two matches to Los Angeles gives the Rose Bowl a total of four games. Prior to the move, the Rose Bowl was scheduled to host only the third-place match and the championship match on July 10. Civic Stadium, which currently has an artificial grass surface, will be converted to natural grass for the Women’s World Cup. The Organizing Committee was concerned that the amount of time allowed for the conversion was not sufficient to guarantee a world-class pitch in Portland, so a change in venue was necessary. “We just weren’t comfortable with the potential risk involved,” said Marla Messing, Women’s World Cup president. “The rainy climate in Portland can present some serious challenges in installing a temporary grass field as we learned last May when the U.S. men’s national team played Kuwait at Civic Stadium. This solution gives us the confidence that we’ll be able to deliver the kind of pitch that Portland will be proud to show the world.” Fans who have bought Stadium Series Packages for the Portland venue – one ticket for each of the games at Civic Stadium – will be offered one more ticket to each of the June 23 and 24 matches or a refund for the June 20 doubleheader. Tickets for the first-round doubleheader in Los Angeles, which will feature one of the top-seeded teams in the tournament, will go on sale immediately. A mass mailing will be made to the fans that have already bought tickets to the World Cup Final, offering them a chance to purchase tickets to the new doubleheader on a priority basis. “We’re very satisfied with this solution because it creates a win-win situation for both cities,” added Messing. “It ensures Portland a world class pitch and we’re satisfying the demand for more Women’s World Cup matches in Los Angeles.” Interest in Women’s World Cup tickets has been strong in all venue cities. More than 150,000 tickets have been sold for the tournament, almost 40,000 more than for the 1995 Women’s World Cup in Sweden. For tickets, fans are encouraged to call 1-800-WWC-TIKS (1-800-992-8457).