Friday, October 10, 2008

Party in the new house

RSL celebrates the new stadium. This got me thinking about the merits of various MLS stadiums.

I haven't been to Rio Tinto yet, but I've made it out to all the other U.S. soccer-specific MLS stadiums.

I like the brick around the stadium in Bridgeview. I like the brats in Ohio. I like the sunken-in style of Pizza Hut Park and the little bull on every seat. I like the lawn hill at the HDC. Overall, I'd have to say I like HDC the most, but I do think that it will be surpassed one day. Part of the reason for that is I think some of the restrictions the HDC works under are silly and keep soccer from being taken seriously. One, the deal with the nearby college campus that limits attendance on certain nights means some important international games could see very poor crowds. Two, the way the two soccer teams get sent on an annual road trip every August doesn't seem to help their playoff strategies.

So I'm waiting, I guess, for the ultimate soccer stadium. And no, TFC's stadium isn't it for as long as it has artificial turf.

Does anyone else have a favorite stadium? Is it a new SSS, or a sentimental older structure? Tell us about it and explain what you like most, in the comments.

7 comments:

A.Ruiz said...

I've only been to Bridgeview and Columbus so far.

Bridgeview by far is the better of the two. I really wish they put bricks inside the stadium, along the sidelines. Like you see in Wrigley or retro-modern baseball stadiums. I guess they could still do it.

But I think the Red Bulls Arena will be tops in the league.

But I think all of the stadiums, except NYC were built with expansion in mind.
I mean...look, Wrigley Field in it's 1st year...was nothing like it looks like now. It had no 2nd deck and the bleachers were a grass terrace with a rope marking off the boundaries.

Same with Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, and etc.

Anonymous said...

Haha.. RedBull Arena? Yea right.

There is a reason for the HDC being called the cathedral of Soccer in the USA. No upcoming stadium will take our crown.

L.A. is and will remain TOPS!

Anonymous said...

If Portland gets their MLS bid, I think PGE Park could become a very special stadium. The downtown setting is amazing... the whole PGE Park neighborhood has a very cool, very funky vibe. If they can get baseball out of there and do the remodeling that has been discussed, watch out, the Piggy will rock.

*FWIW, I'm a DCU fan who has been to just about every stadium in the league but Toronto & Rio Tinto

A.Ruiz said...

Uh yeah....this is the stadium Red Bull Arena is based on.

http://usoccers.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/hypo-arena.jpg


Way better than HDC and they'll be able to have games on school nights.


PGE park, if they build covered seats to complete the U shape...yeah..it would be amazing and have way more character than any other stadium in the league.

Joseph D'Hippolito said...

Utah might have Rio Tinto but we'll always have Rio Puto...

LY said...

Okay, I'm a Red Bull fan. But Red Bull arena (http://redbullarena.us/) will have no corners cut, no multi-use mandate, nothing but soccer. The stadium would not look out of place in Europe.

Also, the PATH train station is next door, and Newark Penn Station is within walking distance.

Anonymous said...

And to piggyback on what larryang said, not only is RBArena near transport, it's also a stone's throw from the Brazilian/Portuguese Ironbound section of Newark.

Rodízio and sangria, followed by a soccer game sounds like a perfect evening.