General manager Nelson Rodriguez realizes Soldier Field won’t instantly feel like home for the Fire and their fans. After 14 years in a soccer-specific stadium in Bridgeview, that would be impossible.
But there are things the Fire can do to facilitate the acclimation. The Fire will need cooperation from the Bears and signage in and around the stadium, and the club’s game-day staff and ushers will need to cater to soccer fans.
“It will have a Chicago Fire taste and feel to it,” Rodriguez said. “That prematch, in-match and postmatch experience will matter.”
The process of getting Fire fans more familiar with the new digs continued Saturday during a seat-preview event. Supporters used to SeatGeek Stadium’s intimacy checked out their new views, and Rodriguez said the excitement and enthusiasm were palpable.
“More than having the fans get to know the venue, which I think most of them do already,” Rodriguez said, “it’s our chance to communicate with the fans in a much more personal way that I think reflects the direction of the club.”
The Fire would like to become the next Atlanta United or Seattle Sounders, who’ve turned NFL stadiums into imposing soccer homes. Soldier Field holds 61,500, though capacity usually will hover around 28,000, and tarps likely will cover seats in the 300 and 400 levels.
The Fire hope that the stadium won’t feel cavernous and that their fans will have reasons to emulate the Atlanta United and Sounders crowds. Matching the success of those teams would be a key step.
“In the old days, there used to be [20,000]-plus here sometimes when the team used to consistently compete for the championship,” said Chris Page, a season-ticket holder since the inaugural 1998 season. “That certainly helps.”
Rob and Michelle Fetterer are season-ticket holders from Algonquin who have seen the Seattle experience firsthand. Michelle’s father lives in Seattle, and they’ve witnessed how much that franchise has penetrated the community.
“They’re just going to have to get out there and be more visible in the community,” Rob said. “Do more of the meet-and-greet type of events and just push it, get the branding out there. In Seattle, the Sounders’ stuff is everywhere. You know they play there; you know they’re in town.
“I think the Fire are going to have to do the same thing.”
Saturday’s event, plus the increased marketing and advertising, could help the Fire reach owner Joe Mansueto’s goal of 25,000 per game.
“I hope they fill it up,” said Jim Strezewski, who’s in Page’s group of ticket holders. “It’s good to bring it closer to a younger crowd, which is hard to get out at the old stadium. I think that will probably help. Now they’re doing a good job of marketing the heck out of it to try to get people to start coming back.”