Hiatus

DCU STADIUM REPORT is on hiatus.

In the meantime: Roberto Moreno is not an international-caliber referee. To have this man in charge of major international matches is a terrible embarassment for CONCACAF. Read more here: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2008/10/united-cruz_azul_the_aftermath.html

Ives Galarcep on DC's Predicament

From one of the most knowledgeable writers in the realm of American soccer, Ives Galarcep, comes this comment:

"IVES- The D.C. stadium situation is arguably one of the ugliest running stories in the league. I'm not sure what MLS can do. The whole threatening to move the team thing to Maryland or Virginia and a good distance away from D.C. itself doesn't really seem like a good option but may wind up being the only option. I do think it's a shame that D.C.'s fans can't have their own stadium. I would love to see that group in a soccer-specific stadium. Then we could really compare them to Toronto FC's fans a little better."

Read his answers to readers' questions here.

Red Bull Arena Online

The Red Bull's SSS-to-be at Harrison, NJ finally has a decent website:

www.redbullarena.us

Check out the webcam here. I happened upon the webcam at 7:15AM eastern, and it seemed like the site was humming.

Some facts and figures:

Location: Harrison, New Jersey
Red Bull Arena is to be constructed on 12.34 acres, bounded by 6th Street to the west, Cape May Street to the south & east.

Land Owner: Town of Harrison, New Jersey

Projected Opening: 2009

Naming Rights Sponsor: Red Bull Energy Drink

Architect: Rossetti Architects (Los Angeles, CA)

Construction Manager/General Contractor: Hunter Roberts Construction Group, LLC.

Resident Team: New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)

Capacity Seating: 25,189

Luxury Suites: 30 (20 lower level and 10 upper level) plus two party decks. Each suite holds 12 seats.

Premium Seats: 1,116

Stadium Clubs: Three (3) Stadium Clubs

Stadium Shops: Two (2) Retail Shops

Video Boards: Two - Video Boards, one in each end of the stadiumOne - 360-degree wraparound message board

In-Stadium Displays: Over 300 video flat-screen panels throughout the stadium for event viewing

Field Level Signage: Field level L.E.D. signage in both end zones and opposite player benches

Concessions: There will be 65 Point of Sale concession stands between the stadiums two levels
(Main and Upper): There will also be 20 portable vendor carts on each level to service the fans.

ATMs: There will be four ATM machines located within the stadium, one in each corner. There will also be one ATM machine located outside the stadium, adjacent to the box office window.

DCU Owner Selling His Condo for $70 Million

D.C. United Co-Managing Partner Victor MacFarlane has put his San Francisco condo - all 20,000 square feet and two floors of it - up for sale. The price tag is $70 MILLION.

Interested?

To put this into perspective:

• the construction costs of a stadium at Poplar Point would total about $150 million.
• the 11 acres of Poplar Point land that would be used for a stadium is worth about $40 million.
• the MacFarlane plan for Poplar Point had asked the government of D.C. for $350 million in public subsidies for infrastructure.

Red Bull Arena Update

Apparently the construction of Red Bull Arena will be a transparent process, as Our Sports Central reports that NYRB will be providing fans with regular updates about progress at Harrison, NJ.

Here is an excerpt:

In the first week of above ground construction of Red Bull Arena, 872 pieces of steel (a total of 206 tons) have been set in place. The progress to date includes completion of the erection of structural steel and steel decking through Level 4 of the north half of the West building. This coming week, the steel columns and framing for Levels 5 and 6 are being set.

Crucial Month Ahead for the KC SSS

The Kansas City Business Journal published a report today indicating that the construction of a SSS in south Kansas City may hinge on the developers' ability to procure $30 million in state tax credits. Read much more here.

An Early Look at Philly's SSS

Click on the picture for more:

Red Bull ARENA Updates

The first piece of steel was laid at the Harrison, NJ site on which Red Bull New York will begin playing soccer at some point in the future (Fall 2009 at the earliest).

It won't be called Red Bull Park - instead, in order to correspond with other Red Bull properties worldwide, it will be called Red Bull Arena

Off Topic: Belgium Beats Italy!

The Rode Duivels beat mighty Italy and its New Jersey-born striker today in China.

For American fans still steaming about World Cup 2006, this is a nice little story.

For Flemish-American fans, its better still:

(Photo by Alfred Cheng Jin/Reuters)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4luUm4ckB0Y

RSL Stadium Slideshow

From RSLFM.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc70z8p4LUE&eurl=http://rslboz.blogspot.com/

Kinda groovy, too...

Goff Watch, #1

Every few weeks or so, D.C.'s own Soccer Insider, Steven Goff, answers questions about all things soccer.

This space will compile his thoughts on prospects for a new D.C. United stadium. To say that Mr. Goff spends some time around United would be an understatement, so its just obvious that he provides a unique perspective on the stadium issue.

His SSS thoughts on August 6, 2008 are posted below. The full transcript can be found here.

1. Washington Diplomats country: I know that there is a lot of pessimistic thought about DC United not getting a new stadium. But, I mean, come on, DC United is one of the flagship teams of the MLS. It's got to happen within the next two years, right? Also, if it doesn't happen, do you think Maryland or (gasp) another city could land the Black and Red?

Steven Goff: In my mind, DCU's investors have to determine a course of action by the end of this year: If there are positive signals coming from the city gov't, they should continue to pursue a deal at Poplar Point. The club wants to be in the District. However, if no progress is made by Dec. 31, make a deal with PG County and get the darn thing built already!

Breaking News: RSL Stadium to Open Oct. 9th

The first match played at the new SSS in Sandy, Utah will be against the Red Bulls.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports,

"According to RSL, field irrigation and drainage systems are complete, and the natural grass playing surface is 30 days away from establishing its root structure before becoming playable. Construction work also continues in concession areas, administrative offices and parking areas. Seats are also currently being installed while glass installation and suite and locker room finish work is ongoing. The structural steel support for the main video screen and scoreboard is complete, with the raising and testing of the video board is slated for coming weeks. "

8/6/08 Update:

Dan Rasmussen in the Deseret News provides some info on the supporters' group areas:

"Though some things like the front offices and some other minor details won't be 100-percent complete by October, Manning said he hopes the Supporters' Section at the south end of the stadium will be ready to go.
The south end of the stadium features a stage but will have retractable seating that will hold all of RSL's supporters' groups, and Manning said he's hopeful it will be complete in time for October.
"That's the goal," he said.

Unlike other areas of the stadium, in which RSL officials have made it a requirement to have all restrooms completed, Manning said Real may consider using the south end even if the restrooms behind it aren't completely finished"

Philly SSS To Be Designed by Rossetti Architects

Delco Times has the scoop.

"The 18,500-seat stadium will be constructed at the foot of the Commodore Barry Bridge in Chester, just 13 miles from downtown Philadelphia and accessible by public transit and Interstate 95. The multi-purpose stadium will feature an 11,000 square foot club, 38 suites ranging in size from 8 to 21 seats (plus an owner's suite with 29 seats), a special 2,000 seat zone for the Sons of Ben supporters club, and a party deck overlooking the field and river. Additionally, the new structure will have a waterfront park and plaza used not only for stadium entry, but also for city sponsored events such as festivals. The new stadium is the centerpiece of a $500 million entertainment, retail, residential and commercial development covering more than 60 acres along the historic Delaware River waterfront."

Rossetti is a SSS veteran. The firm designed Toyota Park (Fire) and the Home Depot Center (LAG+CHV), as well as ongoing projects RSL Stadium and Red Bull Park.

Ewan Macdonald: Build SSS, Create Attachment

Ewan Macdonald recently penned a review of the progress of MLS.

He argues that franchises that built soccer-specific facilities in the last decade have become permanent tenants in more than a geographic sense:

"To my mind, these stadia and the atmosphere -- not to mention a sense of belonging and not merely being a tenant in a facility -- have been essential to those clubs that have gone the distance since the early days. (This is why a stadium plan is a condition for new teams hoping to join the league.)"

Red Bull Park - Another Delay?

Last Thursday, the Kearny Journal reported that downtown Harrison, NJ is experiencing a revival despite economic doldrums at the national level. The paper notes, however, that construction on Red Bull Stadium has stalled because of a pending eminent domain case.

"The case centers on several former owners of the property who claim that the Harrison Redevelopment Agency failed to properly notify them of its plans to pursue eminent domain before seizing their properties last year."

I think its safe to say that the grand opening will be pushed back yet again. The Park was supposed to open in September 2008, but it is conceivable that the Philly franchise will be playing soccer in their SSS facility before Red Bull Park is ready. RBNY will continue to play in one of the most fan-unfriendly venues in America, Giants Stadium.

Red Bulls fans are feeling slighted.

UPDATE:

NYRB brass attempted to reassure season-ticket holders on Saturday, saying that the franchise is committed to opening Red Bull Park in 2009. No mention of their ED problem ... I mean eminent domain issue.