Commerzbank-Arena

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Commerzbank-Arena
Waldstadion

Full Name	Commerzbank-Arena
Location	Frankfurt, Germany
Built	1925
Opened	1925
Owner
Surface	grass
Former names
Waldstadion (1925-2005) FIFA World Cup Stadium, Frankfurt (2006 FIFA World Cup)
Tenants
Eintracht Frankfurt (Bundesliga) 1925-present Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europa) 1995-present
Capacity
52,300
Dimensions
105 m x 68 m

The Commerzbank-Arena (also historically known as Waldstadion) is a 52,300 seat stadium in Frankfurt, Germany, that is primarily used for football and American football. It is the home of the Eintracht Frankfurt and Frankfurt Galaxy. The Waldstadion was first opened in 1925 and during World War II it was also used for political events.

It has been named "Commerzbank-Arena" since July 2005. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the stadium was called "FIFA WM Stadion Frankfurt" (in English, "FIFA World Cup Stadium Frankfurt"). Large modifications were made for the tournament with the stadium being nearly completely rebuilt and modernized. Now it is one of Germany's biggest stadiums and there have already been some important events in last year, such as the finale of the Confederations Cup.

One modification involved suspending a large four-sided structure over the stadium with large screens on each side for the crowds to see. On sunny days this creates a large shadow on the pitch, making it more difficult to watch matches via television because the cameras have to adjust between the light dark areas of the pitch. During the Korea Republic vs Togo match the roof was closed over the stadium, despite the weather being dry and sunny, presumably to shade the whole pitch and avoid the effects of the shadow. This decision was criticised by some because it meant the stadium became very hot and humid on an already hot and humid day.

[edit] 2006 FIFA World Cup

The stadium was one of the venues for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. However, due to sponsorship contracts, the stadium was called FIFA World Cup Stadium Frankfurt during the World Cup.

The following games were played at the stadium during the World Cup of 2006:

Date	Time(CET)	Team #1	Res.	Team #2	Round	Spectators
2006-06-10	15.00	England	1-0	Paraguay	Group B	48,000
2006-06-13	15.00	South Korea	2-1	Togo	Group G	48,000
2006-06-17	15.00	Portugal	2-0	Iran	Group D	48,000
2006-06-21	21.00	Netherlands	0-0	Argentina	Group C	48,000
2006-07-01	21.00	Brazil	0-1	France	Quarterfinals	48,000