Soccer-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 (but not only) purpose is to host football (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. 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 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 11,500 - 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 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 |
List of soccer-specific stadiums
Major League Soccer (MLS)
Current MLS Stadiums
| Stadium | Club(s) | City | Capacity | Opened | Cost (Millions USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buck Shaw Stadium | San Jose Earthquakes | Santa Clara, CA | 11,500 | 1962 | 3 (2007 rennovation) |
| 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
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 |
Proposed Soccer-specific Stadiums
| Club(s) | City | Current Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| D.C. United - Poplar Point Stadium | Washington, D.C. | RFK Stadium | 55,672 |
| New Earthquakes Stadium | San Jose, CA | Buck Shaw Stadium | 11,500 |
| Houston Dynamo | Houston, TX | Robertson Stadium | 33,000 |
| New England Revolution | Somerville, MA | Gillette Stadium | 68,756 |
| St. Louis expansion team | Collinsville, IL | None | |
| Philadelphia expansion team - Chester Stadium | Chester, PA | None | |
| Kansas City Wizards | Kansas City, MO | CommunityAmerica Ballpark | 10,000 |
United Soccer Leagues (USL)
Current USL Stadiums
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 |
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 |
See also
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.
