I'd go to Santa Fe and/or Taos, both in New Mexico. More culture there than in Arizona.
But wherever you go, it's what you make of it. So Phoenix could very well be a great time. It's just not on my list : )
There is no passion in the England side, and there hasn't been for some time now. I remember 1997 in Rome...it was incredible, even as a neutral. They were great fun to watch because they played hard and wore their hearts on their sleeves. Nowadays it looks a lot like apathy.
Stepping into Hellfire will always remain one of my top moments playing the game. Truly scary and wonderfully exciting. Fun instances there too. And fighting for the 3 flags was great ganking fun.
MON could actually be better suited to international football. No transfer windows to get horribly wrong...no disputes with club owners...just him, the players available to him and tactics.