In 2012, Hubby had to work in Dallas, and I was able to tag along on the trip. Our plans to visit every MLB stadium tour were well established, so we naturally planned to see a Texas Rangers game, but the official kickoff of the MLS/MLB Stadium Tour was more than a month away. I had only attended one MLS game – Columbus Crew – but I knew we were embarking on the MLS stadium tour, and a game in Dallas was inevitable, so we made the mid-week trek to Frisco to see FC Dallas take on the New England Revolution.
I bought the tickets to the FC Dallas game a few weeks before the game, and snagged fantastic seats for a great price – $25 each for 3rd row seats that were essentially on the half line. About a week before the game, while I was driving home from work, a sales representative from FC Dallas called me. His job was to sell me a season ticket package, but after chatting for a minute, he recognized that I lived in Wisconsin and was not going to buy a season ticket package. Instead, he told me the basics of navigating to the stadium, warned me about the parking scams ($5 lots that we’d pass first, but parking at the stadium was free so keep driving!), and restaurant recommendations for the rest of the week in Dallas. And, I never received a call from FC Dallas again – unlike every other MLS team who contacted me repeatedly after buying tickets, despite living thousands of miles away.
Hubby worked late, and the stadium is north of downtown Dallas so we arrived at the game late, and didn’t see any of the introductions or fanfare at the start of the game. We went right to our seats, where we found reserved signs with our names on them. At halftime, we wandered around the stadium. Hubby bought an FC Dallas shirt at the open air team store at one end of stadium. I noticed that there were phone charging stations throughout the stadium which was uncommon in 2012. I also noticed that there were limited overhangs on the stadium structure, meaning that the summer sun of Dallas would be brutal during day games.
The downside of the game was the crowd size – about 11,000 fans, though it seemed like even fewer. We sat close to the field and could hear the players yelling to one another. I don’t remember the supporters groups – I’m sure they were there, but they didn’t stand out to me, and it wasn’t something I knew to look for when attending games. I remember thinking that the game felt similar to the first game I had attended in Columbus – low attendance, mediocre soccer on the field. Perhaps this is why Seattle and Portland, which we visited the next month, have always felt so different and so special; the stadiums are packed and the fans in Seattle and Portland drive the overall experience.
Toyota Stadium recently made some renovations, and FC Dallas produces amazing homegrown talent, so I’d be interested to visit Dallas again. I think the location in Frisco will always be problematic, but I also know that FC Dallas has created a soccer compound for its youth development. If the kids can get there, so can the fans! The one thing I hope they don’t change is the customer service – best pregame experience I have ever had!
