Utahns get a kick out of pro soccer

Whether Salt Lake City is soon named to be host to an expansion Major League Soccer franchise, professional soccer is already alive and kicking, courtesy of the Utah Blitzz.

A step into the Blitzz's home venue — Rice-Eccles Stadium — reveals the crossover appeal of soccer along the Wasatch Front. Pregame pop and Latin music blares through the speakers, while advertisements in the game programs and on promotional banners lining the field can be in either English or Spanish.

While soccer is considered both the world's most popular sport and an ever-increasing preference of many U.S. youngsters, watching the Blitzz play at Rice-Eccles also underscores how much ground soccer still must make up with the general American public against the likes of football.

First, the average Blitzz home attendance — between 2,000 and 3,000 per game — still seems to drown in the open space of the stadium's 45,000-seat capacity, which caters to tens of thousands attending University of Utah home football games.

And it's a bit jarring to watch pro soccer players compete on a football field, with the soccer lines and boundaries playing a visual second fiddle to the stadium's permanent markings of yard lines, yard distances and end zones.

But maybe for the casual fan, having yard designations may be helpful to understand the distance of sailing goal kicks and the pinpoint precision of long passes.

TEAM: Utah Blitzz, Western Division member of the United Soccer Leagues' Pro Soccer League. 2001 National Champions.

WEBSITE: www.utahblitzz.com

VENUE: Rice-Eccles Stadium, 451 S. 1300 East. While the seating capacity is 45,634, only the middle portion of the west stands — chair seating — is used for Blitzz games.

In addition to the U. football team, the stadium also is host to motor sports and other sporting events and large-venue concerts. Rice-Eccles was also site of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics.

SCHEDULE: Season runs from mid-April through July, with playoffs possible through early September. Most Blitzz home games are played Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.; or Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Upcoming Blitzz home games include Friday vs. Colorado Rapids Reserves, 7:30 p.m.; a scheduled July 31 exhibition against an unnamed opponent, and potential home games in the postseason.