Saputo Stadium

Saputo Stadium (french: link=no, Stade Saputo) is a soccer-specific stadium at Olympic Park in the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The stadium opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of CF Montréal (formerly the Montreal Impact). The stadium is built on the former practice track and field site on the grounds of the 1976 Summer Olympics, while the stadium's east side has a view of Olympic Stadium's inclined tower. It has a capacity of 19,619, making it the second-largest soccer-specific stadium in Canada, after BMO Field in Toronto.

Construction

The stadium cost ($ in dollars) to build, with $7.5 million paid by the Saputo family and the rest financed on a 25-year term. Saputo Stadium is now CF Montréal's administrative headquarters and also includes a training field, 34 corporate suites and full player welfare areas. The complex covers approximately . It was designed and fabricated by Dant Clayton Corporation and built by Broccolini Construction Inc.

The stadium features a natural grass playing surface and was reportedly preferred over BMO Field for this reason by members of the Canada men's national soccer team. BMO Field has since installed a heated and fully irrigated natural grass field similar to those found in the English Premier League.

Anticipating a Montreal entry into Major League Soccer, plans were made to expand the stadium from its initial 13,034 capacity to 20,000 to cope with the anticipated boost in attendance. The Quebec government put $23 million for the renovation and expansion of the stadium (the total cost of the stadium was therefore about $40 million). The construction plans went into effect after MLS granted Montreal their nineteenth franchise, which began play in the 2012 season.

Sports usage

The stadium welcomed its first Impact home game on May 19, 2008, a scoreless draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Impact's first goal in the stadium was scored by Rocco Placentino against the Charleston Battery on June 13, 2008. This also gave the Impact its first victory in the stadium, with a score of 1–0. The Impact's first game in the newly renovated and expanded Saputo was played on June 16, 2012, against the Seattle Sounders FC. The Impact won the game 4–1.

The only official international matches played at Saputo Stadium were two matches played by Canada men's national soccer team during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF).

Gallery

File:Canada11.jpg, View inside the stadium prior to expansion
File:Preferential tribune from south tribune.jpg, Saputo Preferential Tribune prior to expansion
File:Saputo Stadium in night.jpg, Saputo Stadium at night prior to expansion
File:Olympique from Saputo.jpg, Stadium in 2010 prior to expansion
File:2012 Impact de Montréal au stade Saputo.jpg, Home match against New York Red Bulls in 2012
File:2012 Impact Montreal Stade Saputo.jpg, Goal celebration against D.C. United in 2012
File:IMFC Pre Game Montreal Impact Columbus Crew 2012-07-08.jpg, Stadium in July 2012 after expansion
File:Imfc-crew-debout.jpg, Scoreboard of Saputo Stadium

See also

* List of soccer stadiums in Canada
* List of Major League Soccer stadiums
* List of Canadian Premier League stadiums

References

External links

Stadesaputo.com

{{North American Soccer League stadiums

North American Soccer League stadiums
Major League Soccer stadiums
CF Montréal
Soccer venues in Montreal
Sports venues in Montreal
Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
2008 establishments in Quebec
Sports venues completed in 2008