From Deseret News archives:

Real Salt Lake: Sizing up Rio Tinto Stadium vs. rest of the league

Published: Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008 12:10 a.m. MDT
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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.

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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

Recent comments

sweet stadium, congratulations RSL! next time i am in utah during...

dfunkt | Oct. 15, 2008 at 12:01 a.m.

Somebody above called soccer "feminine." Let's do a run-down:...

Re: Feminine sports | Oct. 10, 2008 at 11:13 a.m.

I have been to many of soccer matches in Europe and a lot of them...

Tractor Boys | Oct. 7, 2008 at 11:02 p.m.

Image
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake players warm up during practice at Rio Tinto Stadium, which will host its first MLS game next week.

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