Nelson Rodriguez is aware of Soldier Field received’t immediately really feel like house for the Fire and their supporters. After 14 years away in a soccer-specific stadium in Bridgeview, that will be not possible.
But there are issues the Fire can do to ease the acclimation course of. There must be cooperation with the Bears, Fire signage in and across the stadium, and the membership’s coaching of employees and ushers will have to be efficient and focused to cater to soccer followers.
“It will definitively have a Chicago Fire taste and feel to it,” Rodriguez mentioned. “That pre-match, in-match and post-match experience will matter.”
The strategy of getting Fire followers extra aware of the brand new digs continued Saturday throughout a seat-preview occasion. Supporters used to SeatGeek Stadium’s intimacy checked out their views of the sector, and Rodriguez mentioned he felt a palpable pleasure and enthusiasm from followers on the gathering.
“More than having the fans get to know the venue, which I think most of them do already,” Rodriguez mentioned, “it’s our chance to communicate with the fans in a much more personal way that I think reflects the direction of the club.”
The Fire consider their path is turning into the following Seattle or Atlanta, franchises which have turned NFL stadiums into imposing soccer houses. Soldier Field holds 61,500, although capability will often be round 28,000 and tarps to cowl seats within the 300 and 400 ranges are a robust risk.
The Fire hope the stadium received’t really feel cavernous and that their followers may have causes to generate sufficient noise, emulating the sport expertise by the MLS flagships. Winning like these two franchises can be a key step.
“In the old days, there used to be (20,000)-plus here sometimes when the team used to consistently compete for the championship,” mentioned Chris Page, a season-ticket holder because the inaugural 1998 season. “That certainly helps.”
Rob and Michelle Fetterer are season-ticket holders from Algonquin who’ve seen the Seattle expertise firsthand. Michelle’s father lives in Seattle, they usually’ve witnessed how a lot that franchise has penetrated the group.
“They’re just going to have to get out there and be more visible in the community,” Rob Fetterer mentioned. “Do extra of the meet-and-greet sort of occasions and simply actually push it, get the branding on the market. In Seattle, the Sounders stuff is in all places. You know they play there, you already know they’re on the town.
“I believe the Fire are going to must do the identical factor.”
Saturday’s occasion, and the noticeably elevated advertising and marketing and promoting, might assist the staff attain Joe Mansueto’s aim of 25,000 per match.
“I hope they fill it up,” mentioned Jim Strezewski, who’s in Page’s group of ticket holders. “It’s good to bring it closer to a younger crowd, which is hard to get out at the old stadium. I think that will probably help. Now, they’re doing a good job of marketing the heck out of it to try to get people to start coming back.”