New York Red Bulls expected to play in New Stadium in less than a year

It has been a year already since the New York Red Bulls have broke ground for their new stadium and the team as well as the fans are extremely excited, especially since their fan base is rising as result of the unexpected 5-4 result against David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy in August, an exciting match that turned many New York and New Jersey residents that have never been to a soccer game before into Red Bull fans looking forward to attending more games. If David Beckham did anything for Major League Soccer, he ironically did more for the Red Bulls than his own team in Los Angeles.

The New York Red Bulls have finally followed the example of many other Major League Soccer clubs and have broken ground at the site of the new Red Bull Park on September 19, 2006. That's right, Red Bull fans! The New York Red Bulls are expected to move out of Giants Stadium and set up shop at a new soccer-specific stadium in Harrision, New Jersey next year. According to an article from the New York Times that was posted on the official wesbite for Red Bull Park, the new stadium will cost 200 million dollars and will seat 25,000 people. The Red Bulls have made Giants Stadium there home since the franchise first started as the New York/New Jersey Metrostars in 1996 as one of the first MLS clubs. The stadium is expected to be finished by July 2008 so the team is expected to play in the new stadium for at least half of the 2008 season.

According to the New York Times article, "Red Bull Park, which will be built on the eastern bank of the Passaic River across from Newark, will be managed by the Anschutz Entertainment Group, which sold its interest in the MetroStars and half its share in the stadium to Red Bull, a company based in Austria that makes the energy drink of the same name."

Marc deGrandpre, the Red Bull managing director, is by no doubt excited avout the new stadium for his team and was quoted as saying the following by the New York Times:

"This stadium is going to be the crown jewel of soccer stadiums in the United States and North America. When we purchased the team we said we were committed to building a stadium that will evoke English Premier League and European stadiums. It will cost a little more than we first thought because of the roof covering the fans, but we feel it will be an electric environment."

The playing surface of the new stadium will be grass, according to Marc deGrandpre, "because that's what Bruce Arena wants, and we do what our coach wants."

If any player is the emost excited about the new stadium, it is Livingston, New Jersey resident Josmer Altidore. Sixteen years old at the time, he was only a rookie when they broke ground. "I thought I was daydreaming for a second, honestly.But then I heard the crowd roar and thought: 'Oh, shoot. That was for me.' Hey, I'm 16 and having fun," he said of his first goal for the team which he contributed around the same date ground was broken.

According to the article, "the stadium is part of a $1 billion redevelopment project on 300 acres of an abandoned industrial area along Harrison's waterfront. It will include 6,000 apartments and condominiums, 3.5 million square feet of office space and 1.2 million square feet of retail space. Red Bull and AEG will contribute $100 million to the project, and Hudson County and Harrison will finance the cleanup and the construction of a parking garage. Harrison has already completed an initial $40 million bond sale, backed by Hudson County."

The one year anniversary of the breaking of ground of this new stadium comes at around the same time that Major League Soccer had established the goal that they will expand the league from the now 13 teams to 18 teams by 2010.

"This is really a celebration for soccer," said Nick Sakiewicz, who was the former general manager of the franchise and the president of AEG New York. "I knew we had made it when I met recently with Harrison's chief of police and found out he is a carded referee with U.S. Soccer. It has been six long years, but we got it done."



For more information regarding this exciting new addiiton to Red Bull soccer, check this website.