NWSL Soccer Season 2015 Takes Shape – Here is an Update on Boston Breakers
The Boston Breakers announced today Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium on the campus of Harvard University as their new playing and training venue for the 2015 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season.
The Breakers will move from Harvard Stadium, where they played in 2014 and from 2009-2011, to Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium, the home of the Harvard women’s and men’s soccer teams since September 2010.
“This has been a project we have invested a lot funding into, and something we have been working on for a while now,” Boston Breakers general manager Lee Billiard said. “We are excited about the facilities development for the 2015 NWSL season. The stadium will make for a very close and electric environment along with a top class playing field.”
Located adjacent to Harvard Stadium, and on the banks of the Charles River, Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium provides an intimate atmosphere and brings fans closer to the action.
Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium, which has a field that measures 116×74 yards, currently has a capacity of up to 2,500 (seating and standing room combined) However, the soccer-specific stadium is undergoing a massive renovation project both on and off the field for the upcoming NWSL season.
In addition to the new state-of-the-art Field Turf surface that was replaced (enhanced) last summer, seating capacity will increase by 2,500, bringing seated capacity to 4,000. Bleachers will be added to locations behind each goal to accommodate the extra seating, and there will be additional space for standing room only, from 500 to 700. There also is room for 100 pitch side seats.
“As a location, Harvard is important for us,” Billiard said. “It is in a good location on the map for fans to get to, and we want to start building a consistent location after moving these past two years. I am excited to see the stadium full with 4,000-plus fans attending to watch some of the world’s best soccer players and teams in action.”
The Breakers have trained on the field for the past three seasons, and played one game there: the 2010 Women’s Professional Soccer Super Semifinal against the Philadelphia Independence. In June 2013, the New England Revolution played a U.S. Open Cup match at Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium against the New York Red Bulls.
