[top to bottom: Toronto Stadium, Salt Lake Park ,Rapids Stadium (CO), Red Bull Park (NJ), Toyota Park (IL), Home Depot Center (CA), Crew Stadium (OH), Pizza Hut Park (TX)]
The MLS enters its 12th season this year. I know, it is hard to believe it has been that long, right?
The American soccer league that lasted the longest was the NASL, which lasted 17 years from 1968 through 1984, THAT league, however, relied on importing star players from across the world to compete here. The MLS, by contrast, emphasizes developing American players. That is why it has been so successful. Naturally, adding a handful of international stars will only help popularity of the league, but you have to be able to promote some home grown talent as well.
Despite what the many soccer-bashers in the media and across the country say, the MLS has been very successful and is growing into exactly what it's founders had envisioned in the mid 90s.
The most obvious example of it's success is the building of several SOCCER-ONLY stadiums all over the United States. Here is a breakdown:
**FC Dallas: plays in Pizza Hut Park, a soccer-only stadium located north of Dallas in Frisco,TX.
The American soccer league that lasted the longest was the NASL, which lasted 17 years from 1968 through 1984, THAT league, however, relied on importing star players from across the world to compete here. The MLS, by contrast, emphasizes developing American players. That is why it has been so successful. Naturally, adding a handful of international stars will only help popularity of the league, but you have to be able to promote some home grown talent as well.
Despite what the many soccer-bashers in the media and across the country say, the MLS has been very successful and is growing into exactly what it's founders had envisioned in the mid 90s.
The most obvious example of it's success is the building of several SOCCER-ONLY stadiums all over the United States. Here is a breakdown:
**FC Dallas: plays in Pizza Hut Park, a soccer-only stadium located north of Dallas in Frisco,TX.
**Columbus Crew: plays in MLSs' 1st soccer-only facility in downtown,not far from OSU
**Los Angeles Galaxy/ Chivas USA: The two LA-based franchises both play in the Home Depot Center, a soccer-only facility located in Carson,CA, just south of LA.
**Chicago Fire: plays in Toyota Park, a soccer-only stadium in suburban Bridgeview,IL.
**Red Bull NY: will move into the soccer-only stadium,Red Bull Park, in 2008. The complex is located in Harrison,NJ, across the river from Newark.
**Colorado Rapids: will move into their own soccer-only park for the 2007 season. Th facility is located in Commerce City,CO.
**Real Salt Lake: The Utah-based franchise will move into it's very own soccer-only stadium in 2008. The complex is being built in Sandy,UT.
**Toronto FC: The MLSs' first Canadian entry will begin play in 2007, and they will do so in their own soccer-only complex located in downtown Toronto.
**DC United: The most storied franchise in MLS is negotiating to build a soccer-only stadium near the Anacostia River.
This leaves only 3 franchises without their own soccer-only stadiums in the works as of 2007. (New England Revolution, Kansas City Wizards, and the Houston Dynamo)
Soccer is, indeed, growing very well in the U.S.A.
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