Futbol

[GoCubsGo]

I blame Mrs. O Really.

[O Really]

That's sad, man. Certainly not how she wanted to finish.

[Vrede too]

[O Really]

Money to burn, I guess.

S.D.’s new MLS team offers fans seating on field of play
Soccer team marketing premium Pitch Boxes starting at $650 per seat
San Diego FC is marketing Pitch Boxes, an on-field premium seating offering. ( San Diego Football Club renderings) An eight-seat Pitch Box will include a cooler drawer, storage area and access to premium clubs. ( )
BY JENNIFER VAN GROVE
San Diego Football Club is putting its own spin on premium seating with an on-field option that places its fans with the deepest pockets within reach of their favorite players.
Wednesday, the Major League Soccer expansion team will begin marketing the unique seat offering, called Pitch Boxes, at a Snapdragon Stadium event for prospective premium season ticket holders.
The seat type, modeled in part after court-side seats at professional basketball games, doesn’t come cheap. Individual seats start at $650 a game, but they will only be sold as a unit in eight-seat boxes. Boxes must be purchased for an entire season, which includes 23 home games. Pitch box prices are also dynamic based on demand and location, meaning the boxes located nearest to the players will cost the most.
“It’s the first time anyone has done a standalone loge box, like a little mini luxury suite, on the pitch from a convertible standpoint,” San Diego FC CEO Tom Penn told the Union-Tribune. “We saw an opportunity to do something different and innovative by creating these eight-seat loge boxes, with amenities, so that you can have your own Pitch Box experience with your feet on the grass.
San Diego FC, which officially became Major League Soccer’s 30th franchise in mid-May, is scheduled to begin playing in February 2025 at Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley. The organization, which has its corporate headquarters in Little Italy, is also in the process of constructing a $150 million training facility and youth academy on the Sycuan Reservation, and recently opened a retail store at the Mission Valley mall.
Wednesday’s event at Snapdragon Stadium marks the start of San Diego FC’s premium ticket-selling push, with people who have expressed interest in the team’s higher-end offerings invited to tour the sports venue and its exclusive spaces. Penn said “thousands” of people have expressed interest in the ticket packages. The organization will be hosting two additional stadium tours in the coming days to accommodate demand.
Snapdragon Stadium, which first opened in August 2022, features 20 luxury suites and a handful of premium spaces, including the Cox Business Club on the field and the upstairs Sycuan Founders Club private lounge.
The Pitch Boxes, in contrast, have been developed specifically by San Diego FC in partnership with custom design firm Penwal and are unique to the soccer club.
It’s an entirely new offering that fans likely aren’t expecting, Penn said.
“We’re trying to send a signal that we’re going to be next level in everything we do, including premium,” he said.
The team is planning to put 12 Pitch Boxes on the west side of the stadium, offering direct access to the field-level club. It may opt to add more boxes on the east side, depending on demand. The boxes will be stored on site using a special wall-mounting system, and can be placed on the field using a traditional forklift.
Each box is a two-tiered unit that includes a cooler drawer and a storage area for bags, and patrons also get all-you-can-eat-and-drink perks at the stadium’s business and founders clubs. The boxes aren’t shaded, but nearly all of SDFC’s games will be played in the evening, Penn said.
The mostly barrier-free boxes — the lower tier does not have a floor board and there are no guardrails between fans and the field — will be on both sides of similarly designed boxes for players (aka the players’ bench), putting fans near star athletes and just steps away from the game.
“The purest view of the action traditionally is up higher,” Penn said, noting that the Pitch Box customer may differ from a suite buyer. “But many, many fans, especially here in America, really enjoy being down on the field in the action. There’s something special about having your feet on the grass.”
The $5,200-a-box, per-game price point is, of course, likely out of reach for the average fan. The club will, however, offer more 6,000 seats priced at $40 and below, a spokesperson for the team said. General season tickets will go on sale in 2024.

[Vrede too]

Money to burn, I guess.

S.D.’s new MLS team offers fans seating on field of play
Soccer team marketing premium Pitch Boxes starting at $650 per seat
San Diego FC is marketing Pitch Boxes, an on-field premium seating offering. ( San Diego Football Club renderings) An eight-seat Pitch Box will include a cooler drawer, storage area and access to premium clubs. ( )
BY JENNIFER VAN GROVE
San Diego Football Club is putting its own spin on premium seating with an on-field option that places its fans with the deepest pockets within reach of their favorite players.
Wednesday, the Major League Soccer expansion team will begin marketing the unique seat offering, called Pitch Boxes, at a Snapdragon Stadium event for prospective premium season ticket holders.
The seat type, modeled in part after court-side seats at professional basketball games, doesn’t come cheap. Individual seats start at $650 a game, but they will only be sold as a unit in eight-seat boxes. Boxes must be purchased for an entire season, which includes 23 home games. Pitch box prices are also dynamic based on demand and location, meaning the boxes located nearest to the players will cost the most.
“It’s the first time anyone has done a standalone loge box, like a little mini luxury suite, on the pitch from a convertible standpoint,” San Diego FC CEO Tom Penn told the Union-Tribune. “We saw an opportunity to do something different and innovative by creating these eight-seat loge boxes, with amenities, so that you can have your own Pitch Box experience with your feet on the grass.
San Diego FC, which officially became Major League Soccer’s 30th franchise in mid-May, is scheduled to begin playing in February 2025 at Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley. The organization, which has its corporate headquarters in Little Italy, is also in the process of constructing a $150 million training facility and youth academy on the Sycuan Reservation, and recently opened a retail store at the Mission Valley mall.
Wednesday’s event at Snapdragon Stadium marks the start of San Diego FC’s premium ticket-selling push, with people who have expressed interest in the team’s higher-end offerings invited to tour the sports venue and its exclusive spaces. Penn said “thousands” of people have expressed interest in the ticket packages. The organization will be hosting two additional stadium tours in the coming days to accommodate demand.
Snapdragon Stadium, which first opened in August 2022, features 20 luxury suites and a handful of premium spaces, including the Cox Business Club on the field and the upstairs Sycuan Founders Club private lounge.
The Pitch Boxes, in contrast, have been developed specifically by San Diego FC in partnership with custom design firm Penwal and are unique to the soccer club.
It’s an entirely new offering that fans likely aren’t expecting, Penn said.
“We’re trying to send a signal that we’re going to be next level in everything we do, including premium,” he said.
The team is planning to put 12 Pitch Boxes on the west side of the stadium, offering direct access to the field-level club. It may opt to add more boxes on the east side, depending on demand. The boxes will be stored on site using a special wall-mounting system, and can be placed on the field using a traditional forklift.
Each box is a two-tiered unit that includes a cooler drawer and a storage area for bags, and patrons also get all-you-can-eat-and-drink perks at the stadium’s business and founders clubs. The boxes aren’t shaded, but nearly all of SDFC’s games will be played in the evening, Penn said.
The mostly barrier-free boxes — the lower tier does not have a floor board and there are no guardrails between fans and the field — will be on both sides of similarly designed boxes for players (aka the players’ bench), putting fans near star athletes and just steps away from the game.
“The purest view of the action traditionally is up higher,” Penn said, noting that the Pitch Box customer may differ from a suite buyer. “But many, many fans, especially here in America, really enjoy being down on the field in the action. There’s something special about having your feet on the grass.”
The $5,200-a-box, per-game price point is, of course, likely out of reach for the average fan. The club will, however, offer more 6,000 seats priced at $40 and below, a spokesperson for the team said. General season tickets will go on sale in 2024.

"Individual seats start at $650 a game, but they will only be sold as a unit in eight-seat boxes. Boxes must be purchased for an entire season, which includes 23 home games."

$119,600 and up I would prefer the higher vantage point, anyhow. I don't need to see Messi's beads of sweat.

[O Really]

Strangely, it doesn't seem as expensive when you look at it as $120K because that wouldn't be a heavy promotional purchase for a company who likes to wine/dine clients. A bit steeper than taking them out for golf, but may be in line with other sports. I dunno.

[Vrede too]

Strangely, it doesn't seem as expensive when you look at it as $120K because that wouldn't be a heavy promotional purchase for a company who likes to wine/dine clients. A bit steeper than taking them out for golf, but may be in line with other sports. I dunno.

Yeah, I think a large proportion of luxury boxes in any sport are corporate bought. They may even be tax write offs

The hard part is finding 7 other Americans that want to watch a futbol match

[O Really]

Real Salt Lake discovered how to make futbol interesting to the rest of us:

[Vrede too]

Real Salt Lake discovered how to make futbol interesting to the rest of us:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK5VYSXszMk

I played on a snowy frozen field once during a winter festival. As a goalie it hurt. Never did it again. The Real Salt Lake teams had it easy - snow on an unfrozen field.


No opinion on the coach's decision, but this is a sad end of an era:

Alex Morgan left off the 18-player US soccer roster headed to the Olympics
Morgan was the most notable absence on the 18-player list.

... Morgan, a three-time Olympian and two-time Women's World Cup winner, was the most notable absence on the 18-player list announced Wednesday by Hayes.

The roster, the youngest for the U.S. since 2008, signals a shift in the team as it looks toward the 2027 Women's World Cup under Hayes....

Ten players who were on the World Cup roster were included on the Olympic team. The United States has won four Olympic gold medals, more than any other team, but has not won gold since the 2012 London Games. The U.S. was eliminated by Sweden in the quarterfinals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games before earning the bronze in Tokyo.

The United States fell to No. 5 in the latest FIFA rankings, its lowest rank ever....

Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, now Alex Morgan - We're going to have to learn a new crop of stars to root for

[Vrede too]

Real Salt Lake discovered how to make futbol interesting to the rest of us:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK5VYSXszMk

Would you enjoy it more if there were hazards?
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/s ... e/3475010/

https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sit ... png?w=1280

[O Really]

Would you enjoy it more if there were hazards?
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/s ... e/3475010/

https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sit ... png?w=1280

Sure, hazards would be good. Playing in traffic might be even better.

[Vrede too]

No opinion on the coach's decision, but this is a sad end of an era:

Alex Morgan left off the 18-player US soccer roster headed to the Olympics
Morgan was the most notable absence on the 18-player list.


Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, now Alex Morgan - We're going to have to learn a new crop of stars to root for

https://swimsuit.si.com/.image/t_share/ ... uit-16.jpg

I should have included Hope Solo.

Found one:

Fans Gush Over Mallory Swanson After U.S. Wins First Olympic Soccer Match
The American capped an incredible comeback to major international soccer with a scoring blitz.

... Swanson tore a tendon in her knee and missed the 2023 World Cup. She didn’t even make the Tokyo Olympics squad in 2021. The last time she played in the Summer Games was in Rio in 2016....

Fans and media loved it. The U.S. might need her scoring punch again when it faces a much tougher test against Germany on Sunday. But for now, people were reveling in her comeback.

2:45 EDT USA Network.

i love when mallory swanson plays soccer like damn

Mallory Swanson is a BEAST

MALLORY. SWANSON. IS. GOOD. AT. SOCCER.

More tweets at the link.

[Vrede too]

USWNT clinches Olympic quarterfinal spot with 'devastating' attack

After watching her players complete what she called a "mature performance" in their 4-1 victory over Germany here Sunday night, new United States women's national team coach Emma Hayes was typically blunt in describing how she felt.

Her biggest positive? The team's attack, with Sophia Smith scoring twice, Mallory Swanson adding another for her third in two Olympic matches and substitute Lynn Williams closing the scoring to completely stifle any hope of a German comeback....

Biggest negative? Some poor decision-making that led to Germany having more chances than it might have deserved, with goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher bailing out her teammates after some critical turnovers....

The Americans play their last Group B match against Australia on Wednesday and can secure a first-place finish with a draw or a win.

Sophia Smith


Lynn Williams


Alyssa Naeher

[Vrede too]

USWNT legend Alex Morgan announces her retirement
Morgan helped lead the U.S. to an Olympic gold medal and two World Cup titles.



Women's soccer legend Alex Morgan announced on Thursday that she is retiring from soccer.

In a video posted on X, the 35-year-old Morgan said that she is pregnant with her second child and that her final game will be on Sunday, Sept. 8, when the NWSL's San Diego Wave face the North Carolina Courage at Snapdragon Stadium....

Internationally, she has the fifth-most appearances in USWNT history with 224 and is eighth all-time in the women's game with 123 goals. She made her national team debut in 2010.

"Soccer's been a part of me for 30 years," Morgan said. "It was one of the first things that I ever loved and I gave everything to this sport and what I got in return was more than anything I could have ever dreamed of."

x 30

[GoCubsGo]

You beat me to it.