Saputo Stadium

Saputo Stadium
Stade Saputo

Saputo Stadium in 2012
Address	4750 Sherbrooke Street E
Location	Montreal, Quebec
Coordinates	45°33′47″N 73°33′9″W / 45.56306°N 73.55250°WCoordinates: 45°33′47″N 73°33′9″W / 45.56306°N 73.55250°W
Owner	Saputo Inc.
Operator	Montreal Impact
Capacity	20,801[1]
Field size	120 by 77 yards (110 m × 70 m)[1]
Surface	Kentucky Bluegrass
Construction
Broke ground	April 18, 2007
Opened	May 18, 2008
Expanded	June 16, 2012
Construction cost	C$47 million[2][3][4]
Architect	Zinno Zappitelli Architectes (2008); Provencher Roy + Associés Architectes (2012)
Services engineer	CIMA+ Engineering[5]
General contractor	Broccolini Construction Inc.
Main contractors	Dant Clayton Corporation
Tenants
Montreal Impact (MLS) (2012–present) Montreal Impact (NASL) (2008–2011) Montreal Impact U23 (PDL) (2014) Montreal Impact Academy (CSL) (2010-2012) Canada men's national soccer team (2008–2010) FC Montreal (USL) (2015–present)

Saputo Stadium (French: Stade Saputo) is a soccer-specific stadium at Olympic Park in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The stadium opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of 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 west side has a view of Olympic Stadium's inclined tower. It has a capacity of 20,801,^[1] making it the second-largest soccer-specific stadium in Canada, after BMO Field in Toronto.

Construction

The stadium cost CA$17 million ($18.9 million in 2016 dollars)^[6] to build, with $7.5 million paid by the Saputo family and the rest financed on a 25-year term.^[7] Saputo Stadium is now the Impact's administrative headquarters and also includes a training field, 34 corporate suites and full player welfare areas. The complex covers approximately 1,600,000 square feet (150,000 m²). 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.^[8] 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.^[9][10] 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.^[11]

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 first international at Saputo Stadium was the second leg of Canada's second stage CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying match on June 20, 2008.^[12]

Gallery

• 
  View inside the stadium prior to expansion
• 
  Saputo Preferential Tribune prior to expansion
• 
  Saputo Stadium at night prior to expansion
• 
  Stadium in 2010 prior to expansion
• 
  Impact against New York Red Bulls
• 
  Sold out game against New York in 2012
• 
  Goal celebration against D.C. United
• 
  Stadium in July 2012 after expansion
• 
  Scoreboard of Saputo Stadium

See also

• List of soccer stadiums in Canada

References

1. impactmontreal.com - Stade Saputo
2. C$40 million = C$17 million (2008 opening) + C$23 million (2012 expansion)
3. Philipps, Randy (June 3, 2012). "Saputo Stadium renovations will be "marathon" until June 16, Impact boss says". The Gazette (Montreal). Retrieved June 18, 2012.
4. Dubuc, Andre (February 13, 2013). "Le stade Saputo a coûté 30% de plus que prévu". La Presse(Montreal). Retrieved February 13, 2013.
5. "CIMA+ Engineering". Cima.ca. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
6. Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada. "Consumer Price Index, historical summary". CANSIM, table (for fee) 326-0021 and Catalogue nos. 62-001-X, 62-010-X and 62-557-X. And Consumer Price Index, by province (monthly) (Canada) Last modified 2016-01-22. Retrieved March 2, 2016
7. "Stade Saputo Expansion". www.impactmontreal.com.
8. Campbell, Morgan (September 18, 2008). "Natural Grass 'Not Hot on Radar' for BMO Field". The Toronto Star. Retrieved September 18, 2008.
9. Montréal se joint à la MLS en 2012 (May 7, 2010).
10. Daigle, Frédéric (May 7, 2010). "Joey Saputo: Montréal aura enfin le soccer qu'il mérite". La Presse Canadienne.
11. Freedman, Jonah (May 7, 2010). ""Passionate" Montreal named as 19th MLS city". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
12. "Saputo Stadium to host Canada's World Cup qualifier". TSN.ca. April 22, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2012.

External links

• Stadesaputo.com