Open For Business

Tonight's official opening of Toyota Park, the pristine new home of the Chicago Fire, brings yet more legitimacy to the MLS. The Fire join the Columbus Crew, CD Chivas USA, Los Angeles Galaxy and FC Dallas as a team that plays in a soccer-specific stadium. The New England Revolution ownership has begun a search for possible sites for a soccer-only stadium as well.

Every MLS team ought to play in its own park. These stadiums provide an intimate setting for watching an MLS match. Because they are built for soccer rather than football, they are considerably smaller (Toyota Park holds 20,000). They put the fans on top of the players and each other. While an average MLS crowd leaves football stadiums feeling empty and without life, these new parks force the crowd into a condensed, yet comfortable space. With all the patrons in a smaller area, the crowd surely appears to be more vibrant, loud and involved (similar to what happens in packed college basketball arenas compared to larger NBA arenas where a similar amount of people fail to create such an animated setting). This undoubtedly enhances the game for the players and the fans.

These new stadiums are a hit at the box office as well. Consider the numbers: Teams with a soccer-specific facility averaged 16,347 in attendance per game in 2005, while teams without a soccer-specific stadium averaged 14,685 per game.