A little something flaring up at Toyota Park

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If you need any more evidence of why continued stadium development is the most important element in professional soccer’s domestic development, go watch Saturday’s match from Chicago. Well, Bridgeview, to be exact, just outside the city, where Toyota Park was rocking like a Jay-Z after-party.

I’m telling you, that is what Major League Soccer architects envisioned 15 years ago as they sprinkled Pro Soccer Seeds around the land.

You can find more thorough reviews of the first round by clicking on my pieces for ESPN Soccernet and MLSnet.com.

But I don't go into much detail on the breathtaking scene at Bridgeview: A sold out soccer stadium, where the fans – impassioned supporters, that is, not just suburban families looking for something the kids can do on a Saturday night – were alive, alight and in fabulous voice. Chicago is a great city, where things are always happening. But this scene even made the Windy City take some notice.

The chant reverberated through the packed ground: "Fire … Fire … Fire, Fire, Fire!"  It really was quite a sight.

For now, I know everyone will focus on the storylines of the moment as we approach conference semfinals taking place Friday and Saturday. We’ll talk about Real Salt Lake’s resurgence. About Brian McBride’s injury and whether he’ll play Saturday for Chicago, who may be seeing the end of the Cuauhtemoc Blanco era. About Landon Donovan, who just keeps adding to his domestic soccer legend.  About Houston’s rock-solid play all over the field and Brian Ching’s ability to will his way to success.

Those are the headlines and leading subplots.

But in three or four weeks, or in two or three months, what will we remember about the first round of these playoffs? I’ll remember the flares and flags and an atmosphere that had it all inside Toyota Park. I’ll recall two sides with real playoff history battling fiercely inside an intense atmosphere at a facility built expressly for MLS soccer.

I know there have been great playoff games in the past. But let’s face it, these just aren’t the same when 50,000 empty seats as a backdrop, and I’ve seen too many of those through the years of covering MLS matches. Nor is it the same inside any football stadium (even a smaller one) with hash marks and sidelines that provide constant reminder that these two sides are just renters, not owners.

Chicago’s win helped ensure that for the second consecutive season, both conference finals will take place inside stadiums built expressly for soccer. Last year was the first time that happened. Now it’s starting to happen regularly, which is a sweet, sweet thing.