dimensions, lighting and entry ways, etc. -- are created with soccer in mind. MLS teams playing in stadiums they own and operate have distinct advantages in scheduling, sponsorships and ancillary revenue streams.
For communities where these stadiums are built, the benefits can include: new jobs, new business for hotels, restaurants and retail, community unification, improvements to public transportation, economic growth and community development. They become a place for diverse sectors of the community to gather together, and they serve as a focal point for soccer activity throughout the region. As an example, The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., helped create 1,000 construction jobs during the building process and another estimated 500 permanent jobs. The Los Angeles Galaxy has led the league in attendance each of the three seasons since The Home Depot Center opened, averaging 24,204 fans a game last year. Pizza Hut Park, with its 17-field complex, has become the hub of youth soccer in Texas. It is the headquarters for the U.S. Youth Soccer Association and the site of one of the world's largest youth soccer tournaments, The Dallas Cup, which draws more than 150,000 spectators during the week-long event.
The Revolution currently play at the spectacular 68,756-seat Gillette Stadium, which opened in 2002 and also serves as the home of the three-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Gillette Stadium has hosted several marquee soccer events, including MLS Cup 2002, attended by 61,316 fans.</p>
Soccer-specific stadiums for the Colorado Rapids and Toronto FC are due to open in 2007, and plans are underway for stadiums in Salt Lake City, and Harrison, New Jersey for 2008. Another proposed site for an MLS stadium, to be completed in 2009, is Glassboro, N.J., near Philadelphia, PA.
Five MLS teams currently play in soccer-specific stadiums. The existing soccer stadiums in MLS are:
