64 | SPORTS VENUES 2023/24 www.stadiaworld.com CONSTRUCTION A closer look at the structure of the MLS reveals fundamental differences to the top European leagues. As is typical in the United States, soccer is also played in two regionally divided conferences. 15 teams in the East (from Soldier Field in Chicago to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough) and 14 teams in the West (from CITYPARK in St. Louis to PayPal Park in San Jose) play for a champion in the playoffs that follow the regular season. The new home of the world footballer – Messi – is the league’s southernmost stadium, the DRV PNK Stadium. Due to its modular construction, the stadium opened in July 2020 after only 14 months of construction and has been named in support of AutoNation’s Drive Pink initiative – which raises funds for cancer research and treatment – since 2021. Whether the arrival of “La Pulga” (literally translating to “the flea”) will have a positive effect on spectator numbers can at least be cautiously assumed. Regardless of this, the league is already enjoying growing interest. As recently as July 2023, a new MLS attendance record was set with 82,110 spectators at “El Tráfico”, the city derby in Los Angeles. That this was set at Rose Bowl Stadium (not a regular stadium on the fixture list) highlights a potential future problem for the league: The discrepancy in available capacity between soccer-specific stadiums and stadiums shared with other major league teams. While Bank of America Stadium (home of Charlotte FC and the NFL franchise Carolina Panthers) or Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (Atlanta United FC and Atlanta Falcons, NFL) can seat up to 75,000 MLS: The stadiums in 2023 The introduction of Lionel Messi as a newcomer has given both Inter Miami and the entire Major League Soccer an extreme boost in international perception. Reason enough to take a look at the stadiums of the US league. Major League Soccer: Stadiums 2023 Stadium Team City Capacity Opening Design Costs (in million euros) Allianz Field Minnesota United FC Saint Paul, Minnesota 19,600 2019 Populous 178 America First Field Real Salt Lake Sandy, Utah 20,213 2008 Rossetti Architects 98 Audi Field D.C. United Washington, D.C. 20,000 2018 Populous 400 Bank of America Stadium Charlotte FC Charlotte, North Carolina 38,000 1) 1996 2) Wagner Murray Architects, Populous 221 BC Place Vancouver Whitecaps FC Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 22,120 1) 1983 3) Studio Phillips Barratt 85 BMO Field Toronto FC Toronto, Ontario, Canada 28,351 2007 4) BBB Architects 56 BMO Stadium Los Angeles FC Los Angeles, California 22,000 2018 Gensler 312 Children's Mercy Park Sporting Kansas City Kansas City, Kansas 18,467 2011 Populous 178 CITYPARK St. Louis City SC St. Louis, Missouri 22,500 2022 HOK 407 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Colorado Rapids Commerce City, Colorado 18,061 2007 Populous 58 Dignity Health Sports Park LA Galaxy Carson, California 27,000 2003 Rossetti Architects 134 DRV PNK Stadium Inter Miami CF Fort Lauderdale, Florida 19,100 2020 MANICA 53 Exploria Stadium Orlando City SC Orlando, Florida 25,500 2017 Populous 138 GEODIS Park Nashville SC Nashville, Tennessee 30,000 2022 Populous 298 Gillette Stadium New England Revolution Foxborough, Massachusetts 20,000 1) 2002 5) Populous 290 Lower.com Field Columbus Crew Columbus, Ohio 20,000 2021 HNTB 280 Lumen Field Seattle Sounders FC Seattle, Washington 37,722 1) 2002 Ellerbe Becket, LMN 383 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta United FC Atlanta, Georgia 42,500 1) 2017 HOK 1,425 PayPal Park San José Earthquakes San José, California 18,000 2015 HOK 89 Providence Park Portland Timbers Portland, Oregon 25,218 1926 6) A. E. Doyle, Morris H. Whitehouse & Associates 0.44 Q2 Stadium Austin FC Austin, Texas 20,738 2021 Gensler 232 Red Bull Arena New York Red Bulls Harrison, New Jersey 25,000 2010 Rossetti Architects 178 Saputo Stadium CF Montréal Montreal, Québec, Canada 19,619 2008 Zinno Zappitelli Architectes 35 Shell Energy Stadium Houston Dynamo FC Houston, Texas 22,039 2012 Populous 85 Soldier Field Chicago Fire FC Chicago, Illinois 24,955 1) 1924 7) Holabird & Roche, Wood + Zapata 11 Subaru Park Philadelphia Union Chester, Pennsylvania 18,500 2010 Rossetti Architects 107 Toyota Stadium FC Dallas Frisco, Texas 19,096 2005 HKS 71 TQL Stadium FC Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio 26,000 2021 Populous 222 Yankee Stadium New York City FC Bronx, New York 30,321 1) 2009 Populous 2,050 1) Standard reduced capacity for soccer; can be increased. 2) Comprehensive renovations in 2014-17, 2020-21. 3) Comprehensive renovations in 2009-11. 4) Comprehensive renovations in 2014-16. Status: 7/2023 5) Comprehensive renovations started in 2022, ongoing. 6) Comprehensive renovations in 2010, 2018-19 7) Comprehensive renovations in 2002-03. Venue for FIFA World Cup 2026 Source: STADIAWORLD
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