Best soccer stadiums in MLS, 2010 version

by Steve Davis on Oct 1, 2009 12:38 PM EDT Comment 20 comments

BMO Field in Toronto just keep getting better ... just like the stadium situation in Major League Soccer

Not too long ago, you could count on one hand the number of MLS venues that actually made sense.

It was like a fellow who had a closet full of pants – except that only a couple of them actually fit. I mean, so what if you have a bunch or trousers if most of em’ make you look like a big ol’ ding dong dork?

Another way to put this, the list of sucky stadiums, once so long, is now pleasantly brief in MLS. And the list of MLS grounds that don’t suck, once so notoriously short, has grown with a joyous flourish. It gets really plump next year with the addition of two grand grounds, the stately Red Bull Arena and a magnificent little 18,500-seater on the waterfront outside Philadelphia.

I bring this up today after the recent news that Toronto will dump the fake stuff and grow real grass in 2010, creating what will now be a complete, 100 percent crackerjack of an MLS venue. BMO Field has always had so much going the right way: a properly sized, packed stadium just beyond downtown Toronto that was the very envy of most clubs. The only thing that kept it from being spot-on perfect was the artificial turf.

Now, the wash of red at Exhibition Place on game day can be the all that – and a bag of chips!

So it got me to thinking, we can now start having real, debate about the best places to pass and trap in MLS, a conversation with depth not accessible just five years ago. Click forward for my rankings … and share your own thoughts, pretty please.

1. Red Bull Arena

Home of: Red Bull New York

Plusses: Have you seen the place (which opens next spring)? I look at the web cam shot and the stadium renderings and the iPod in my brain starts playing Thomas Dolby: "Good Heavens, Mr. Sakamoto, You’re Beautiful!" Plus, there’s FINALLY a soccer stadium in the nation’s largest market. It’s. About. Time.

Minuses: Not sure what’s around the place, but if it’s like the rest of New Jersey, there’s a great chance that weeds and concrete are involved.

2. Rio Tinto Stadium

Home of: Real Salt Lake

Plusses: The best looking stadium created yet, not too far outside town, with a light rail stop attached.

Minuses: It could only be more perfect if the grounds weren’t 10-12 minutes outside downtown.

3. Union Field at Chester

Home of: the expansion Philadelphia Union

Plusses: This bad boy hasn’t even opened, and I already love it! It’s a waterfront ground at the base of the Commodore Barry Bridge, and I think it will be a just-add-water, instant success the day it opens.

Minuses: It’s in suburban Chester, although that shouldn’t be too much of a detriment in this case.

4. Home Depot Center

Home of: L.A. Galaxy, Chivas USA

Plusses: Biggest capacity among the "smaller" grounds

Minuses: The field is frequently crappy due to numerous non-soccer thingys

5. BMO Field

Home of: Toronto FC

Plusses: Engaged supporters who show up ready to rock

Minuses: No roof. Yes, it’s a nitpik. But it is a place prone to nasty weather a few times a year

6. Qwest Field

Home of: Seattle Sounders FC

Plusses: A grand and beautiful stadium; the lower bowl is always packed, about 31,000 strong

Minuses: Artificial turf. ‘Nuff said.

7. Toyota Park

8. Pizza Hut Park

9. Crew Stadium

10. DSG Park

(The last four are more or less interchangeable … each with a lot of good mixed with a little bit of not-so-good.)

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Comments

TFC so needs a roof

And probably 10,000 more seats. I honestly worry about the quality of their pitch in the early season, and during the playoffs if they make it. Grass doesn’t do terribly well, and if there is one thing I’ve learned about MLS is that the groundskeepers aren’t the best at maintaining quality grass.

Since I find it hard to judge a stadium not yet opened I would probably go;

Rio Tinto
BMO
Qwest
HDC

I’m odd, likely because I grew up with the Kingdome, in that i don’t mind modern artificial surfaces. In fact I prefer them to the disasters I have seen in Dallas and LA during this season with large brown patches and seems that trip the players. I would rather a pass on the ground’s success determined by the quality of players, not the quality of the groundskeepers. Great Turf is better than average or worse grass.

by Sounder At Heart on Oct 1, 2009 12:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

grass up north

yeah, i worry a bit, too. on the other hand, the technology is worlds better than it used to be in developing hardy strains that can stand tall in nasty weather. hell, if they can grow grass in Sunderland and such in the north of England, they can certainly do it in Toronto. it may not be perfect, but all things considered, i’ll take it

by Steve Davis on Oct 1, 2009 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Grass up north

Fun fact: if you’re looking for a North American city with winter temperatures that are, on average, as cold as Sunderland, you are not going to find them in Toronto. Sunderland winters on average are no colder than the winters in Phoenix, Arizona or San Antonio, Texas.

Toronto is colder in the winter than Copenhagen, Oslo, or Stockholm. To get temperatures as cold as they are in Toronto, you have to go to the Ukraine or Latvia or Finland.

For more on this, see this blog post: http://bit.ly/UfZFJ , which I wrote in response to people who keep asking why MLS doesn’t play in the winter—because they think London and New York have the same winters. Turns out that in the parts of Europe that are as cold as the northern cities in MLS, they don’t play in the winter either.

by Chapka on Oct 1, 2009 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Columbus had another "SSS" with American footballines

Not only that but there were large patches of brown dirt rather than grass in the center of the field and at the top of the 18 and 6 boxes.

Why is that better than top quality turf?

by Sounder At Heart on Oct 4, 2009 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If your looking

for a quality pitch, look no further than DSG. That pitch (with the exception of recently due to a bikini football game…sigh) is always beautiful. The grounds crew really does a great job with that whole complex, its always pristine. Unfortunately its in the craphole of Denver, commerce city, taking away from pretty much all the positives of the park.

"It's like an owl without a graduation cap; Heartbreaking!!" -Tracy Jordan

by 303buff on Oct 1, 2009 1:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

bikini football game?!!!

you say that like it’s a bad thing. i’m just saying, if you’re gonna wreck your pitch, i’ll take that over a limp bizkit show or something like that. (nobody get too upset; i’m just goofing around. … mostly)

by Steve Davis on Oct 1, 2009 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

meh,

mostly i’m just bitter I was busy that day

"It's like an owl without a graduation cap; Heartbreaking!!" -Tracy Jordan

by 303buff on Oct 1, 2009 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

FC Dallas Stadium

FCD’s stadium would be top 3 in the league if it weren’t in Oklahoma. Listen up new clubs or stadium building clubs: Build your new stadiums close to downtown if you want them and the club to be successful. If you want to see a club that is not successful with a great stadium, see us.

What about USL stadiums? Montreal has a great stadium, Charleston has a good small one, Vancouver is nice at Swangard. Atlanta even had a decent stadium until it folded like a cheap tent.

Chad the Ref

by Chad the Ref on Oct 1, 2009 1:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Frisco Too Far

You’re absolutely right about this. Not only is Frisco miles and miles away from the heart of the city, it’s in the middle of freaking no where. Not to mention, it’s painfully difficult to navigate your car there for some reason. The traffic congestion is just plain awful.

by deepsouthsoccer on Oct 1, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Glass Half Full...

I may be a bit of an optimist, but let’s just be glad they didn’t build it in Southlake…

by DissidentAggressor on Oct 2, 2009 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You forgot the biggest minus for the Red Bull Arena, but that joke’s too easy.

Honestly, I don’t mind the lack of a roof at BMO, and I was just up there in mid-August heat and smog. Getting grass down can only make a quality SSS better.

"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."

by Bald Pollack on Oct 1, 2009 3:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Roof Design amplifies atmosphere

At least it can. I know it does at Qwest

by Sounder At Heart on Oct 1, 2009 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

For BMO you’ve got the lake behind the home goal, and the downtown view in the background. Maybe if it were somewhere else I could see that case getting made, but T.O. is too nice a background, IMHO.

"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."

by Bald Pollack on Oct 2, 2009 7:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

C'mon, Steve

Of your top six…

- Two have yet to open
- One is a football stadium, no matter what Sounders fans say

I call shenanigans.

by Dustin C on Oct 2, 2009 9:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

well ...

… the headline does clearly say “2010” version. … really, it’s just a fun list, but one that continues to underscore the importance of the stadium initiative. i have said for 10 years now that NOTHING is more important in MLS than developing a healthy roster of stadiums, for economic reasons and for the greater perception.

by Steve Davis on Oct 2, 2009 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why isn't it a soccer stadium?

When from the moment it was planned soccer was in mind

by Sounder At Heart on Oct 2, 2009 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yup. It was designed for soccer as well.

The first event the stadium ever hosted was a Sounders match (USL), and it was designed to meet FIFA regulations for shape, sightlines, camera wells, etc.

by Teej on Oct 2, 2009 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Few Notes

I like no roof at BMO. I hate those weird shadows on the field for late afternoon games. I am a homer, but when we have a full house, the atmosphere at Robertson Stadium is the best in the league (Seattle now has argument). The stadium looks a lot like a SSS.

by GeoJock on Oct 2, 2009 10:35 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'd move the HDC up

I don’t think you can underestimate the size of the stadium. Being able to hold 27,000, while others sit at 18,000 is a major plus for me. The ability to house two teams comfortably is tremendous as well.

I’ve been to Rio Tinto and while a nice stadium, the majority of that comes from the view of the mountains IMO. The stage still looks weird, even with the bleachers on top. It lack continuity and the atmosphere there is mediocre at best. A nice stadium for sure, but I wouldn’t have it above the HDC, Chester or BMO.

I’ve also been to Qwest and I know that they like to say it was built with soccer in mind so it really is a soccer stadium and while that may be true, it’s not a MLS stadium. The size of the stadium is too apparent and while the covers and overhang do a better job of making the stadium feel intimate than other 60,000+ seat stadiums, it still feels big. That said, the location cannot be beat and the fans are outstanding so it is a good place to watch a game. If it had grass I’d be more willing to move it up, but I think the facility itself is below par for MLS, only to be brought up by the fans and location.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Oct 2, 2009 4:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I passed Red Bull Arena...

while taking the train back to DC from NYC on Labor Day evening and was immediately impressed with what I saw out the window in terms of the stadium. You are correct in terms of what’s near the ground though, all I saw were abandoned factory/warehouse-type buildings.

Visit bloggingthebracket.com, SBNation's bracketology/hoops rambling site!

by Chris Dobbertean on Oct 2, 2009 10:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs