Opening day for Real Salt Lake in the new Rio Tinto Stadium is just over a week away. By all accounts, it figures to be the elite stadium in Major League Soccer — at least until the New York Red Bulls open their stadium in Harrison, N.J. in 2010.
Three months ago, when MLS president Mark Abbott was in town to announce the MLS All-Star Game, he declared the yet-to-be-named stadium the best in MLS.
Rio Tinto Stadium, with a construction cost of $115 million, is the seventh soccer-specific stadium in MLS. Other teams who have their own home are: Colorado, FC Dallas, Columbus, Chicago and Toronto, with the L.A. Galaxy and Chivas USA sharing the Home Depot Center.
New York is scheduled to move into its new stadium in 2010, while expansion club Philadelphia will begin in 2010 in a new stadium as well.
RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman has been with the team throughout the construction process, and he's thrilled to open the stadium on Oct. 9 in a nationally televised game against the New York Red Bulls.
"It's the best in the league, and they seemed to maybe learn from the other stadiums," said Beckerman. "It's perfect. It's everything you could want in a soccer stadium. It's all the way around and there's no bleacher seats."
In advance of next Thursday's first-ever match at 20,000-seat Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, here's a look at the other six stadiums in Major League Soccer:
Crew Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
Home of the Columbus Crew
Opened May 15, 1999
Cost — $28.5 million
Capacity — 20,145
Media Guide Note — The first stadium built in MLS, it took just nine months and one day to complete. Built on land leased from the Ohio Expositions Commission.
RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman's take — "It's the first soccer stadium, you give them that. They kind of built it like a high school football stadium, a nice one. That's what I take from it. It's an American football stadium more than a soccer stadium."
Home Depot Center
Carson, Calif.
Home of the L.A. Galaxy and Chivas USA
Opened June 1, 2003
Cost — $150 million
Capacity — 27,000
Media Guide Note — Part of a larger complex that includes an 8,000-seat tennis stadium, a 10,000-seat track & field stadium, a 2,450-seat indoor velodrome, 18 tennis courts and 10 soccer fields. Designated as an "Official U.S. Olympic Training Site," the HDC is the nation's most complete training facility for Olympic, amateur and professional athletes.
RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman's take — "For a while that was the best one in the country. It's nice. The grass isn't very good right now. The grass is definitely on the lower side of the league. The way you come out in the stadium isn't the best. Everything in the stands was done really well."
Pizza Hut Park
Frisco, Texas
Home of FC Dallas
Opened Aug. 6, 2005
Cost — $105 million
Capacity — 20,500
Media Guide Note — Part of a complex that includes 17 full-size soccer fields surrounding the stadium. The $105 million public-private complex is owned by the City of Frisco in partnership with the Hunt Sports Group (HSG), the Frisco Independent School District and Colin County.
RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman's take — "It's nice. The way you come out to the field isn't very good, and they have trouble filling it up. You'd hope to think when you build a soccer stadium people are going to get close to packing it out. But the grass is immaculate."
Toyota Park
Bridgeview, Ill.
Home of the Chicago Fire
Opened June, 2006
Cost — $96 million
Capacity — 20,000
Media Guide Note — Financed by the residents of the Village of Bridgeview in the form of public bonds. The canopy roof, brick facade, stone arched entryway and midfield player tunnel are all aspects that make Toyota Park a unique soccer-specific stadium in the United States.
RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman's take — "Chicago is the first stadium where you come out the right way, in the middle of the stadium. The only downfall is one side is just bleachers, but the grass is OK, and it's pretty loud too. It's probably second-best to us."
Dicks Sporting Goods Park
Commerce City, Colo.
Home of the Colorado Rapids
Opened April 7, 2007
Cost — $131 million
Capacity — 18,086
Media Guide Note— Surrounded by 24 fully lit professional soccer fields. Anchors the 917-acre Prairie Gateway site that is a public-private partnership between Kroenke Sports Enterprises and Commerce City.
RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman's take — "It's a nice stadium. Again, the way you come out isn't right. When you see the European stadiums and you'd rather come out in the middle of the field. the grass is really nice, it's similar to this. It's pretty far out there and they have a tough time getting fans. You can't see it off the highway."
BMO Field
Toronto, Ontario
Home of Toronto FC
Opened April 28, 2007
Cost — $62.9 million
Capacity — 20,148
Media Guide Note— Located at Exhibition Place in Toronto, it is Canada's first soccer-specific stadium and is home to Canada's first MLS franchise and the Canadian National Team.
RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman's take — "It's a nice stadium, but it's the fans that make the stadium. It really has a European feel how it's packed every game the way they're singing and chanting. The only thing is they don't have grass, it's that turf. It's great atmosphere up there."