Pitches, Then and Now Major League Soccer Franchises Generally Start in Available Facilities, Usually Gigantic Football Palaces That Seat at Least 50,000 People

Home , Arrowhead Stadium, BC Place, BMO Field, Cotton Bowl (stadium), Foxboro Stadium, Rio Tinto Stadium

Pitches, then and now Major League Soccer franchises generally start in available facilities, usually gigantic football palaces that seat at least 50,000 people. Then, franchises build more intimate “soccer-specific” venues that seat around 20,000. This timeline shows how the league moved around. City, team, venue, year built Seats Years of use Chicago Fire Soldier Field, 1924 61,500 1998-2002, 2004-2005 Cardinal Stadium, 1999 15,000 2002-2003 Toyota Park, 2006 20,000 2006-present Columbus Crew Ohio Stadium, 1922 101,568 1996-1998 Crew Stadium, 1999 22,555 1999-present D.C. United RFK Stadium, 1961 45,000 1996-present Stadium in Prince George’s County, Md., still in planning stages Kansas City Wizards Arrowhead Stadium, 1972 79,451 1996-2007 CommunityAmerica Ball Park, 2003 10,835 2008-present Wizards Stadium, under construction 18,500 opening 2011 New England Revolution, Boston Foxboro Stadium, 1971 60,292 1996-2001 Gillette Stadium, 2002 68,756 2002-present New York Red Bulls Giants Stadium, 1976 80,242 1996-2009 Red Bull Stadium, 2010 25,189 opening 2010 Philadelphia Union PPL Park, 2010 18,500 opening 2010 Toronto FC BMO Field, 2007 20,148 2007-present CD Chivas, Los Angeles Home Depot Center, 2003 27,000 2005-present Colorado Rapids, Denver Mile High Stadium, 1948 76,273 1996-2001 Invesco Field, 2001 76,125 2002-2006 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, 2007 19,680 2007-present FC Dallas Cotton Bowl, 1932 92,200 1996-2002, 2004 Dragon Stadium, 2001 11,000 2003 Pizza Hut Park, 2005 21,193 2005-present Houston Dynamo Robertson Stadium, 1941 32,000 2006-present New stadium to seat 20,000-22,000 planned; no construction started yet LA Galaxy, Los Angeles Rose Bowl, 1922 92,542 1996-2002 The Home Depot Center, 2003 27,000 2003-present Real Salt Lake, Salt Lake City Rice-Eccles Stadium, 1927 45,017 2005-2008 Rio Tinto Stadium, 2008 20,008 2008-present San Jose Earthquakes, San Jose Spartan Stadium, 1993 30,578 1996-2005 Buck Shaw Stadium, 1962 10,300 2008-present New stadium to seat 15,000-18,000 planned for 2012 season Seattle Sounders Qwest Field, 2002 35,700 2009-present Portland Timbers PGE Park, 1926 27,913 2011 Vancouver (B.C.) Whitecaps BC Place Stadium, 1983 60,000 2011 New stadium to seat 15,000-30,000 planned for 2016 Source: Major League Soccer; individual clubs. PAM MARTIN/THE OREGONIAN