The organizing committee for the 1999 Women’s World Cup has narrowed the field of potential host stadiums down to twelve finalists in nine communities throughout the U.S. The final candidates are: Legion Field (Birmingham, Ala.), Foxboro Stadium (Foxboro, Mass.), Ericsson Stadium (Charlotte, N.C.), Soldier Field (Chicago), Coliseum (Los Angeles), Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.), Giants Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.), Civic Stadium (Portland, Ore.), Spartan Stadium (San Jose, Calif.), Stanford Stadium (Palo Alto, Calif.), RFK Stadium (Washington, D.C.), and Jack Kent Cooke Stadium (Washington, D.C.). The two stadia in Northern California are part of a joint bid, while the stadia in Southern California and Washington, D.C. all submitted separate bids. The organizing committee will spend the next several months meeting with bid committees and stadium representatives before selecting five to eight stadia to host games. Each of the candidates will be evaluated on criteria that includes the overall strength of the market for women’s soccer and women’s sports in general, potential media coverage, potential civic and government support, and the enthusiasm of the community. Venues will also be evaluated based on stadium facilities and amenities as well as the total financial package in the bid proposal.