Eddies shift to Commonwealth Stadium
Club hopes to put World Cup final on Jumbotron before NASL game
FC Edmonton will kick off the second half of its 2014 North American Soccer League campaign next door to their regular home field because of delays installing new turf.
Commonwealth Stadium will host FC Edmonton’s home game against Ottawa Fury FC instead of Clarke Field because underlay for the new Field Turf surface had not arrived in time for Sunday afternoon’s game.
“It’s unfortunate Clarke’s not going to be ready by the sounds of it,” Eddies head coach Colin Miller said at practice Tuesday. “But I’d rather we know now then hanging on until Saturday evening wondering which field we’re on.”
The cost to remove the old turf and install the new one — which is one model newer than Commonwealth’s four-year-old surface — is $1.2 million.
Despite the delay, the new turf at Clarke is a source of optimism among the players, including defender Eddie Edward.
“That old turf is hard on your body,” Edward said, “I mean, the more we can keep in our legs when we train, the better for game days. So it will be nice to train on something a little more refreshing.”
Edward said the change in venue should serve as a benefit for the FC Edmonton players as “the bounces will be more true.”
“(Commonwealth’s) turf is newer than the old turf we had at Clarke, so it will be better in that respect,” the Ottawa native said.
Commonwealth, which boasts a capacity of 56,302, will be a cavernous experience for a team that has drawn over 3,000 spectators on average, but FC Edmonton hopes to bolster those numbers by turning Sunday’s fall-season debut into a soccer doubleheader.
The club has tentative plans to broadcast the World Cup final live on Commonwealth’s new Jumbotron prior to their game.
“Any time (soccer’s) on the TV, I’m a happy guy,” Miller said when asked about the World Cup. “I see a lot more (soccer) being played in parks and people talking about the game, it’s fantastic.”
The World Cup has been drawing massive viewership across North America— CBC reports this year’s edition has attracted the most viewers ever for a World Cup it has broadcast — and FC Edmonton hopes that would help translate into more fans in the stands Sunday if they are allowed to broadcast the final.
“It’s fortunate that we’re playing in a 60,000-seat stadium, and hopefully, we get a big crowd out there,” Miller said. “It might even give the team a lift playing in a huge stadium like that.”
FC Edmonton will be looking for redemption after a heartbreaking loss in their previous match against Ottawa. The Fury scored in the 90th minute May 31 in the nation’s capital, downing the Eddies 1-0.
The World Cup final begins at 1 p.m. followed by FC Edmonton vs. Ottawa at 4 p.m.