MLS Stadiums: Buildings of Their Own

I have to say that one of the most frustrating things about watching soccer in the United States is seeing a team play on a pitch with NFL and college football lines painted all over it. Since MLS has only been around for a little over a decade, there are only a limited number of soccer specific stadiums in the country. It is important to have these stadiums for several reasons. Probably the two most important reasons are (i) having a properly sized pitch and (ii) having a stadium with an appropriate amount of seats (20-25,000 instead of 60-80,000 for American football stadiums). In this first post of two, I am going to highlight those soccer-specific facilities that are already in place and those that are under construction or in the planning stages in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Crew Stadium - Columbus Crew

This was the first soccer stadium that was built for an MLS team. It opened on May 15, 1999 and seats 22,555. A great looking facility. Now all they need to do is improve their team. Is it possible that a Designated Player might be coming in this season to help improve the Crew's record? A rumor floating around says that it is a possibility.

2. Toyota Park - Chicago Fire

The Fire's stadium opened on June 11, 2006 in Bridgeview, IL. This stadium has a few less seats with the capacity for soccer matches at 20,000. And there is no doubt about it, more and more fans will be flocking to Toyota Park to see Blanco and Co. take on the rest of the league in 2008. Hopefully '08 will hold a bright future for the new skipper Denis Hamlet and the Fire.

3. BMO Field - Toronto FC

A new addition to MLS in 2007, Toronto FC came into the league with a brand new facility. BMO Field holds 20,000 and is notorious for having one of, if not the best fan atmosphere in the league. The fans help to create a very hostile environment for the visiting teams and will act as a 12th player to aid TFC in their quest to improve on their league worst 25 points in 2007.

4. Red Bull Park - Red Bull New York

Construction on this stadium supposedly broke ground in 2006 although this is a picture of the construction site as of January 3, 2008. A summary of the status of the stadium development is found here in a piece from the New Jersey newspaper, The Star-Ledger. The artist rendering actually looks pretty cool. I would love to watch a match in a stadium like this. Too bad that the projected completion date is not until summer 2009. By then Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy should be long gone from RBNY.

5. DC United Stadium - DC United

After a lengthy development process with numerous private parties and the District of Columbia, it looks as though the plans for a stadium at Poplar Point have fallen through. United are still in search of a site to suit their needs for a place to call home. In the meantime, RFK Stadium is home to some of the best supporters in the league with the Barra Brava and the Screaming Eagles cheering for their team.

COMING SOON: A summary of Western Conference stadiums in the MLS