Columbus was known for having the first soccer stadium built specifically for an MLS team. Which is why I found it quite bizarre to learn that this original stadium had been mothballed and a completely new one constructed to replace it. This seems remarkably quick and less than ideal, and I don't quite understand how it happened. Nonetheless, I have nothing to say about the old one since I never went there, and can only rate this stadium on its merits.
I actually rather like the location. It's in a waterfront area, making it reasonably possible to walk across the river to get here. It looks like kind of an old industrial area with a lot of highways going by, so it works better for a stadium than it would for residences. The building looks like a lot of MLS stadiums, like it was built to fit a city block. It's airy, but very cramped. It's hard to make your way around, and sitting without bumping into the person next to you is difficult. All of this becomes even more problematic when you consider the COVID implications and the fact that their ticket prices were quite high. I found nothing of interest in the concessions, and notably no water; the one set of water fountains I located did not work. They had some weird scanner at the entrance that didn't require you to remove your keys or anything, and getting in was quick, but also illustrative of the overly restrictive security and bag policies modern sports arenas are increasingly moving towards. So a lot of headaches. But I will say that besides being cramped at least it was airy and the seats all had a pretty good view of the field.
I must say that the fans here seem less interested than those in Cincinnati did. I don't know if it's complacency or what, but it was a relatively tepid crowd. The place is pleasant to visit in good weather, and hopefully enough fans do so to make this new stadium worthwhile. read more