2012 DFB-Pokal Final at Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany
by Cznr
Posts tagged Football.
Dynamo get true housewarming party today - Houston Chronicle
On what was once a weed-infested abandoned lot on the other side of U.S. 59 from downtown Houston, the beautiful game blooms Saturday.
In all its orange glory, BBVA Compass Stadium comes to life before a sellout crowd of 22,000 for its inaugural Major League Soccer match between the Dynamo and D.C. United.
It’s the eighth game of the seventh season for the defending MLS Eastern Conference champions and two-time MLS Cup winners. But for all intents and purposes, it’s their first true home game, on their own home pitch with their trademarks and their colors, following a half-dozen years as tenants at the University of Houston’s Robertson Stadium.
Also: In Houston, D.C. United finally gets to christen a new stadium
MLS adding new stadiums, 6 in last 2 years ›
Houston Dynamo president Chris Canetti sat in the highest row of empty BBVA Compass Stadium, gazed west at the city skyline and made a bold prediction.
“Some people don’t agree with me,” Canetti said, “but I think Major League Soccer, in time, and I don’t know when that is, will become the second-most popular league in this country. I think it can pass baseball, I think it can pass the NBA.”
Bold, indeed.
The league that was barely afloat at the turn of the century is in the midst of a transformative facelift, re-branding itself with state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadiums that rival the best venues in the world.
Walking out of the tunnel at Red Bull Arena last July for the 2011 MLS All-Star Game, the Dynamo’s Geoff Cameron was awestruck. Although he was in Harrison, N.J., the sights and sounds at the stadium carried his imagination all the way to Europe.
In Major League Soccer’s 17th season, stars such as Cameron and Brian Ching no longer have to go across the pond to play in soccer-specific palaces. Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., and Red Bull Arena are among the best soccer stadiums in North America.
Once the expansion Montreal Impact open the renovated Stade Saputo this summer, 15 of the 19 MLS teams will be in stadiums that were built or renovated since Hunt opened Columbus Crew Stadium.
With BBVA Compass Stadium, Livestrong Sporting Park, Red Bull Arena and the others across the league, the special stadium experience isn’t exclusive to Europe. It’s now part of the MLS experience as well.
Photo of BBVA Compass Stadium by B. Tse
West Ham vs. Aston Villa, April 16, 2011 by Al Cattell
View from the Bobby Moore Stand at Upton Park, home ground of West Ham United
Old Trafford: Home ground of Manchester United
Picture taken at the first home game of Montreal Impact at Montreal Olympic Stadium.
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Disclaimer: We at Stadium Love do not claim to own any of the images published unless explicitly stated.
All images are property of their respective owners.
If you should see an image of yours and would like it removed from the blog, please ask us and we will remove it as soon as possible.
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