Foul Weather Fans

Periodic downpours Thursday cancelled team practices, but did nothing to discourage truly hearty (seemingly waterproof) futbol fans.  An estimated 1,000 of them, most wearing partisan colors, flocked to the lower concourse at M&T Bank Stadium for brief encounters with some of the players.

Here are a few pix. (Yes, that’s Ronaldinho on the left.)   Just wish there was sound so you could get the real flavor of the pandemonium.

Pics from last night

Our Field of Fescue

Jeff Provenzano, MSA’s Director of Football Operations, sent this pic this morning after the last strip of sod was prodded into place at M&T. I had to go see this amazing transformation for myself. While I’ve been to events where potted palms, flowering shrubs and even dance floors were rentals, I’ve never seen a tempo job like this before. Row after row of tightly woven Bermuda grass with an inch and a half of thatched soil and roots, covering the entire football field. Right now, it looks a bit dry in some places, and feels soggy in others (couldn’t resist taking off my shoes for the full effect.) Jeff says that after a few days in place, the seams will be barely discernable. By Wednesday it will be ready for lining; on Thursday, the teams practice for the Friday match

This preparation isn’t nearly as messy as bulldozing a couple tons of dirt for the Dew Tour BMX course, but it’s still a monumental task. The sod hails from a farm outside of Richmond, so it’s had a bit of a commute. What is neat, though, is that after the game Friday, the turf will be rolled up again and trucked back to the farm where it will be unfurled in the field, awaiting its next gig.

How cool is that? Just one more example of our commitment to sustainability and responsible recycling.

Sold Out Soccer

It’s official – the Chelsea FC-AC Milan soccer match taking place at M&T Bank Stadium July 24th has sold out, ten days before the event. This “friendly” is more than an exhibition . For the first time, the European soccer teams who cross the pond post season will be participating in a round robin tournament known as the World Football Challenge. Each team plays three times in the six matches, accumulating points to determine the winner of the inaugural Challenge. The event in Baltimore will be broadcast live on ESPN.

Baltimore, with its avid soccer community, is a natural to host a contest between two teams recognized as the best of the best. The fact that this came about is a tribute to the synergy created by the Office of Sports Marketing and the Baltimore Ravens, who took quick advantage of an opening in the schedule to land this premiere event (au revior, Montreal) on very short notice.

The showcase event gives us yet another opportunity to demonstrate why Maryland is such an excellent choice. We’ll be commenting as more preparations take place prior to Friday’s face off.