Soccer-specific stadium
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Soccer-specific stadium (or Football-specific stadium) is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada, coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium whose primary purpose is to host association football matches. An SSS may host other events such as other sporting events (mostly lacrosse and gridiron football), and concerts, but the design and purpose of an SSS is centered on soccer. These venues tend to be located in the suburbs outside the city limits instead of in the city itself, with the current exceptions of Columbus, Ohio and Toronto. Some facilities (namely Toyota Park and Pizza Hut Park) have a permanent stage at one end of the stadium used for the express purpose of staging concerts.
A SSS typically has amenities, dimensions and scale suitable for soccer in North America, 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 much larger American football stadiums in which most MLS teams were compelled to play at the league's inception (generally 60,000 - 100,000). The seating capacity for USL Premier Development League fields ranges from 1,000-5,000. The first large SSS in Canada is BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario.
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, or in countries where baseball is dominant (Far East, Central America and the Caribbean). The term tends to have a slightly different meaning in these countries, usually referring to a stadium without an athletic track surrounding the pitch.
Contents |
[edit] List of soccer-specific stadiums
[edit] Major League Soccer (MLS)
[edit] Current MLS Stadia
| Stadium | Club(s) | City | Capacity | Opened | Cost (Millions USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buck Shaw Stadium | San Jose Earthquakes | Santa Clara, CA | 10,515 | 1962 | 4 (2008 renovation) |
| 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 | 20,522 | 2007 | 62.5 |
| Real Salt Lake Stadium | Real Salt Lake | Sandy, UT | ~20,000 | 2008* | 145* |
| Red Bull Park | Red Bull New York | Harrison, NJ | ~25,000 | 2009* | 220* |
* = 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 |
| Mark's Stadium | Fall River Marksmen Fall River F.C. |
North Tiverton, Rhode Island | 15,000 | 1922 |
[edit] Proposed Soccer-specific Stadiums
| Club(s) | Proposed stadium | City | Current Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia expansion team | Chester Stadium | Chester, PA | None | ~20,000 | 2010 |
| D.C. United | Poplar Point Stadium | Washington, D.C. | RFK Stadium | 56,692 | |
| New Earthquakes Stadium | San Jose, CA | Buck Shaw Stadium | 11,500 | ||
| Houston Dynamo | Houston, TX | Robertson Stadium | 33,000 | ||
| New England Revolution | Foxboro, MA | Gillette Stadium | 68,756 | ||
| St. Louis expansion team | Collinsville, IL | None | |||
| Kansas City Wizards | Hillcrest Road | Kansas City, MO | CommunityAmerica Ballpark | 10,000 | |
| Miami expansion team | Miami, FL | 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 |
[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 | MSOE Red Raiders Various |
NCAA Local |
Milwaukee, WI | 7,000 | 1994 |
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Laws of the Game 2006 (PDF) p. 6. FIFA (July 2006). Retrieved on 2007-06-22. 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, the more restrictive range is specified for international matches.
