US Soccer has opened a $228 million national training centre outside Atlanta, with the Football Association helping to shape the project. Chief executive JT Batson described the 200-acre Arthur M Blank complex, which opens this week, as "St George's Park, but slightly bigger and newer." FA officials served as "incredible partners" during the fact-finding mission.

The Staffordshire base opened in 2012 and has been credited with aiding England's men's and women's revival. Former FA head of teams Matt Crocker, based at St George's Park, was responsible for appointing Mauricio Pochettino and Emma Hayes as US national team coaches before leaving for the Saudi Arabia football federation last month. US Soccer hopes the new hub will provide similar consistency.

The timing matters: the US co-hosts this summer's expanded World Cup with Mexico and Canada. Batson called it "an incredible opportunity to transform what soccer looks like in America." However, concerns over costs have dominated buildup, with the Football Supporters' Association saying fans are being "fleeced" by Fifa's ticketing strategy. The US faces Paraguay, Australia and Turkey in the group stage, aiming for their first quarter-final since 2002.