NFL World Reacts To The Unfortunate SoFi Stadium News (msn.com)
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Why?
A typical soccer field runs roughly 110 yards long which fits nicely between the dead ball lines of an American football field. The space provided for bench and technical areas for the NFL provide ample space for the wider soccer field as well as the smaller bench areas for soccer.
NFL stadiums are just about perfect for soccer.
Now CFL stadiums are a bit awkward as the CFL field while being closer to the width of a typical soccer pitch, is much much longer at 150 yards. So CFL stadia need some elaborate end zone conversions to intimately accommodate soccer with an enclosed stadium. Otherwise soccer just has to put up with 20 yards of empty space behind the goals before any fixed seating.
NFL field are way too narrow for soccer
easy to reduce the length of a cfl field for soccer.
take a close look at that pic. there is not room to widen the field without losing seats
there has to be adequate room left between the field and the seats.
Actually, a soccer field is even wider than cfl field.
Im very familiar with the permitted range of dimensions for soccer and the more limited range allowed for international torunaments and top-flite competition.
I know an NFL field is 53 yards, 1 foot wide. I also know the bench and tecnhical area for an NFL field is mandated to be very spacious and accommodating.
I know a typical soccer field is a bit wider than a CFL field. The CFL however doesn’t mandate the kind of sideline space afforded to teams in the NFL. Most of the stadiums now feature sidelines on the same side for example.
Allow me to present an ACTUAL photo of soccer at So-Fi for reference:
And Tim Horton's Field with soccer:
Which is more appropriate to the task?
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your picture of sofi is missing the seats that the article said would have to be removed
difference between smallast regulation soccer fields width and cfl field is minimal so that they can usually make it work
World Cup requires between 110 to 120 yards long + between 70 to 80 yards wide
NFL stadiums are 53 yards wide
As well even the name for the stadium falls afoul of World Cup regulations (SoFi) so rebranding is a must
The other issue for CFL fields are attendance requirements (which more or less guarantees no important games will be held at BMO; 60,000 for quarter finals and 80,000 for finals)
yes, what is needed is CFL field in larger stadiums.
The stadiums are not 53 yards wide, the playing field is.
A modern NFL stadium accommodates space for all 53 players and a dozen or more coaches and training staff either sideline plus area for media equipmment and personnel.
A soccer team dresses 16 if I recall correctly. 11 of those are on the field. Their benches and technical areas are far more discrete and on the same side of the field. NFL stadiums for the most part are ready-made, near perfect venues for hosting and watching top tier soccer.
An NFL stadium must in addition to the playing field, include the following:
Using your own graphic; a "new" (post 2006 stadium) is capped at 59 yards
An older stadium can be smaller
Either way I suspect majority of them require lots of seat removal as most are not large enough
A multitude of NFL stadiums host top-flite soccer of one sort or another every year. This includes big European clubs playing summer exhibition schedules in North America, US national team matches of all sorts and other big games.
The most typical soccer pitch size ranges fit nicely into the space provided by an American football stadium without modification. Maybe the oldest stadiums like Arrowhead or the former Ralph Wilson stadium would have issues but even that i can't say for sure. Many stadiums from the 90s hosted World Cup 1994 without major changes.
Likewise the NFL has staged numerous games at Wembly and Tottenham's new stadium in the UK without issue and with great sightlines.
The problem with CFL stadiums is they're either open ended requiring temporary seating or there are fixed seats 25+ yards behind the goal line from accommodating the CFL field's 150 yard overall length.
Yes atheltics (track and field) stadiums are used for marquee soccer matches with Berlin's Olympic Stadium and Paris' Stade de France hosting World Cup Finals but they aren't ideal. Any recently built NFL stadium would be more than sufficent to host such a game. Commonwealth Stadium (former track) in Edmonton was not selected as a WC 2026 stadium.
Canada's 2 World Cup host stadiums will be BC Place which has field level seating that extends over the CFL end zone for soccer intimacy and BMO Field which was built soccer specific but Frankenstein'd into almost a CFL stadium by demolishing its north stand. Architectually its supposed to have that north stand and for World Cup something temporary but similar to the old north stand will go up again overtop the CFL end zone.
11 NFL stadiums will host World Cup matches in 2026 without major modification.
To suggest CFL stadiums are somehow better suited for soccer is naive.
I for one have not suggested such. I have said the field size is better suited. CFL stadiums do not hold the number of fans that FIFA wants for the final.
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SoFi's other issue is you can't see the player taking near side corner kicks on the main camera shot. Las Vegas new stadium also has this issue.
Understood.. sorry about the combative language