Soccer-specific stadium
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Soccer-specific stadium (SSS) is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada. It was coined by Lamar Hunt to refer to a sports stadium whose primary (but not only) purpose is to host soccer matches. An SSS may host other events such as other sporting events (mostly lacrosse and gridiron football), drum and bugle corps competitions, and concerts, but the design and purpose of an SSS is centered on soccer.
Still, these facilities often face criticism from fans in that they tend to be optimized for staging concerts, often resulting in one section of the stadium behind a goal having very few seats, if any. Instead, a berm or other feature is created where concert stages could be placed without destroying the main field.[citation needed]
A SSS typically has amenities, dimensions and scale suitable for soccer in the United States, including a scoreboard, video screen, luxury suites and possibly even a roof. The field dimensions are within the range found optimal by FIFA — 110-120 yards (100-110m) long by 70-80 yards (64-75m) wide,[1] wider than the regulation American football field width of 53⅓ yards. Lastly, the seating capacity is generally small enough to provide an intimate setting, between 18,000 - 30,000 for a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise, or between 5,000 - ~15,000 for a franchise in the United Soccer Leagues (whose attendance is subject to more variation), as opposed to the gigantic American football stadiums in which most MLS teams were compelled to play at the league's inception. The seating capacity for USL Premier Development League fields ranges from 1,000-5,000.
The first large SSS in Canada will be BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario. The original Toronto stadium plan was centered on grounds at York University that would have been used by the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts and an MLS team. That stadium would have been 65 yards wide, in accordance with Canadian football standards, and would have had one set of end zone seats mounted on a track so they could be moved: back, to make room for the 150 yard length of the Canadian football field (including the end zones); and forth, to provide an intimate setting for soccer. However, the York University plan was shelved. Plans for movable stands were then scrapped, meaning that BMO Field will be soccer-only when it is completed on the grounds of Exhibition Place.
The term "football-specific stadium" is sometimes used in countries where the sport is known as football, although not so much so in countries where football is the dominant sport and thus football-specific stadia are quite common. The term tends to have a slightly different meaning in these countries, usually referring to a stadium without an athletic track.
Contents |
[edit] List of soccer-specific stadiums
[edit] Major League Soccer (MLS)
[edit] Current MLS Stadiums
| Stadium | Club(s) | City | Capacity | Opened | Cost (Millions USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Crew Stadium | Columbus Crew | Columbus, OH | 22,500 | 1999 | 28.5 |
| The Home Depot Center | Los Angeles Galaxy CD Chivas USA |
Carson, CA | 27,000 | 2003 | 150 |
| Pizza Hut Park | FC Dallas | Frisco, TX | 21,193 | 2005 | 80 |
| Toyota Park | Chicago Fire | Bridgeview, IL | 20,000 | 2006 | 98 |
| Dick's Sporting Goods Park | Colorado Rapids | Commerce City, CO | ~18,500 | 2007* | 130* |
| BMO Field | Toronto FC | Toronto, ON | ~20,000 | 2007* | 62* |
| Red Bull Park | Red Bull New York | Harrison, NJ | ~25,000 | 2008* | 220*[1] |
| Sandy Stadium | Real Salt Lake | Sandy, UT | ~20,000 | 2008* | 145* |
* = projected
[edit] Past Soccer-specific Stadiums
| Stadium | Club(s) | City | Capacity | Opened | Years Used | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockhart Stadium | Miami Fusion | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 20,450 | 1959 | 1998-2001 | Open |
[edit] Proposed Soccer-specific Stadiums
| Club(s) | City | Current/Former Stadium(s) | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| D.C. United - Poplar Point Stadium | Washington, D.C. | RFK Stadium | 55,672 |
| Kansas City Wizards | Overland Park, KS | Arrowhead Stadium | 79,101 |
| Houston Dynamo | Houston, TX | Robertson Stadium | 33,000 |
| New England Revolution [2] | Boston, MA | Gillette Stadium | 68,756 |
| San Jose Earthquakes (Possible re-expansion team [3]) | San Jose, CA | Spartan Stadium | 30,000 |
| Possible Philadelphia expansion team [4] | Glassboro, NJ | None | - |
| Possible Milwaukee expansion team | Milwaukee, WI | None | - |
| Possible Cleveland expansion team [5] | Macedonia, OH | None | - |
| Possible St. Louis expansion team | Metro-East St. Louis, IL | None | - |
| Possible Atlanta expansion team | Atlanta, GA | None | - |
| Possible Phoenix expansion team [6] | Phoenix , AZ | None | - |
[edit] United Soccer Leagues (USL)
[edit] Current USL Stadiums
[edit] Proposed Soccer-specific stadiums
| Club(s) | Division | City | Current/Former Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Menace - Liberty Bank Stadium | PDL | Des Moines, IA | Waukee Stadium | 6,000 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps - Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium | First | Vancouver, BC | Swangard Stadium | 15,000 |
| Minnesota Thunder | First | St. Paul, MN | James Griffin Stadium | 6,000 |
[edit] Other Soccer-specific stadiums
| Stadium | Club(s) | Division | City | Capacity | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King George V Park | National Stadium Memorial Sea-Hawks |
CONCACAF CIS |
St. John's, NL | 10,000 | 1925 |
| WRAL Soccer Center | CASL teams | CASL | Raleigh, NC | 3,200 | 1990s |
| Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium | Hawaiʻi Rainbow Wahine Various |
NCAA Local |
Waipio, HI | 4,500 | 2000 |
| Mike Rose Soccer Complex | Memphis Tigers Various |
NCAA Local |
Memphis, TN | 2,500 | 2001 |
| Starfire Sports Complex | Seattle Sounders (alt.) Various |
USL-1 PCSL |
Tukwila, WA | 2,000 | 2002 |
| Morrison Stadium | Creighton Bluejays Various |
NCAA Local |
Omaha, NE | 6,000 | 2003 |
| Uihlein Soccer Park | Milwaukee Kickers | Local | Milwaukee, WI | 7,000 | 1994 |
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Although the official Laws of the Game allow for pitches in adult matches to be 100-130 yards (90-120m) long by 50-100 yards (45-90m) wide, FIFA specifies the more restrictive range for international matches.
