Toughest Places to Play in MLS (Rank 'em)

1. Los Angeles
2. Chicago
3. District of Columbia
4. Dallas
5. New England
6. Chivas USA
7. Real Salt Lake
8. Houston
9. Kansas City
10. Columbus
11. Colorado
12. New York/New Jersey

 

Dallas used to be a fort and so far this year they have done ok but they still have a lot to prove. When it gets hot they need to play a style more conducive to the weather.

 

Is this thread about which stadium has the best atmosphere or which team is the toughest to beat at home? I seem to recall New England being undefeated at home last year.

 

Come June-Sept, nobody will want to play in Houston, not even the Dynamo.

 

I know, cause it'll be like, 200 degrees.

But a dry heat (as they always say).

 

Nope a very wet heat, 80+% humidity

 

I think you guys are underestimating Colorado. The altitude's pretty tough. Crowd atmosphere, not so much unless it's July 4.

 

Colorado as #12? Pass me some of what you're smoking. The Rapids have traditionally been a team that sucked on the road and won most of their games at home. And the altitude isn't important? Tell that to the Crew who showed up last week and were running around like maniacs the first half. In the second half, they hit the wall and lost the game. It happens game after game and it's not an advantage? Trust me, with the roster we've had in Colorado, if it wasn't for the thin air, we wouldn't have won any games at all.

 

i dont really think that the crowds or atmosphere is much of a factor in any of the stadiums. think about it... you've got at most 15k in any given game (usually less in most stadiums). yea, im sure guys like djorkaeff and donovan are shaking in their boots

last year, it was hands down spartan stadium because of the cramped dimensions. this year, i'd venture a guess to say rapids #1, and then everyone else tied for #2. in the summer months, everyone will push ahead of LA and chivas (la is not known for its heat waves, whereas most of the other cities are). then, for the playoff run, i'd put colorado #1, chicago/NE #2, NY/DC #3 , then everyone else (colder weather, rainier snow in those cities mentioned : example game 2 of the 1st round of playoffs last year, NY @ NE, played in snow/sleet and terrible field conditions)

 

You recall incorrectly, since San Jose won there last year. The 2005 Earthquakes were the only team ever to go undefeated at home.

 

i had forgotten how ridiculous the ball bounces at rsl's stadium. i am watching the NY-rsl game right now, the bounce of the ball reminds me of the way it behaved in the first few seasons at giants stadium. also, the ball rolls alot quicker on the ground than any other stadium (at least in my opinion). for these reasons, i would put RSL at #2 or even #1.

 

Phoenix= 120 degrees in the summer, dry heat
Houston=110 degrees in the summer, wet heat, heat index of 125 (exaggeration, I know)

 

Too be sure.

In fact, a temperature of 110 has never been recorded in Houston

((Houston's all-time record high is 107 degrees))

 

I really hope you had to look that up.

 

yea

walk outside and begin to sweat. No just step outside and begin to sweat. open the door and begin to sweat. I just thinking about it and i am sweatin.

 

DC is pretty typically 90+ and humid. But this year, we hardly have any home games during the summer, so no problems there.

I would think Colorado would have to be #1 just because of their altitude. Works for the NFL Broncos, too. It's just tough to beat a team at high altitude that has been training there all year.

Or course, someone could just look this up, but that wouldn't be as fun.

 

Yes, I did look that up.

But I was 99.9% sure that it'd never reached 110 in Houston.


As a former Houston and current Dallas resident, I would say that Houston's summer weather is usually a bit more uncomfortable than Dallas', especially during the evening.

In Dallas it often cools a bit during evenings, while the humidity typically keeps up the temperature during the night in Houston.

 

what about dcu's baseball infield? that has to be a nightmare for visiting teams...

 

BB, I promise you, it's not. Be glad that DC's game in Houston comes at the end of September this year.

 

The original Soldier Field was probably the hardest place for a team to play. That was a mix of the good team, and the very large home support we had in the first few years. Hopefully we can replicate that in Bridgeview.

 

I'm surprised one of BigSoccer's stats guys hasn't chimed in yet.

No doubt, someone has compiled the WLT records of each team at their various home venues over the years.


((Actually, if we want to divy this up, I don't mind computing Dallas' WLT record at the Cotton Bowl, Southlake, and PHP; someone else could compute Chicago's record at Old Soldier Field, Naperville, New Soldier Field, etc, etc))

 

When other teams come to play at Houston during the summer they are going to think they are in HELL!!!!!!!!!!!! I love humid days with 100 degress outside.