According to girls’ varsity soccer captain, junior Ava Bishop, the Allianz Field stadium opening in the spring will be very beneficial to the Twin Cities community.

“The stadium will bring a form of entertainment and a bit of competitiveness. It will bring a lot of people in, so it could help a lot of businesses around the area and help the Minneapolis, St. Paul county,” Bishop said.

Minnesota United FC (MNUFC) account executive Tommy To said the Allianz Field has distinct qualities that separate it from other sports stadiums.

“One thing that is unique about Allianz Field is it’s all natural grass playing surface. Some stadiums within Major League Soccer play on turf,” To said. “Allianz Field is also a soccer-specific stadium, meaning it was purposefully designed for the best soccer viewing experience.”

“It just shows that soccer as a professional sport is growing in the U.S., and the fact that we went from not having a (Major League Soccer) team to one having their own stadium where they can play in four years is really indicative of the growing popularity of the sport,” Klepfer said.Senior captain of the boys’ soccer team Ben Klepfer said the new Allianz Field represents the increasing demand for soccer and the prevalence of the sport.

In addition to the physical benefits of the stadium, Klepfer said having a field the team can call its own will help the team improve.

“To have something more permanent that you can call home and is your own just feels really good, and it gives the players more confidence,” Klepfer said.

To said Minnesota United’s goal is to bring in more fans and to become more recognized, especially by teens. 

“I think high schoolers should know that if they are big fans of soccer or enjoy sporting events, they should come check out some matches,” To said. “Soccer is becoming one of the most popular sports in the United States, and we are looking to make MNUFC a household name all across Minnesota.”

Bishop said watching professional soccer players gives her motivation to learn and work on her own game.

“I like to see other teams’ strategies and their ball control,” Bishop said. “At a more competitive level, the game gets so much better and it inspires me to keep trying, keep on learning new techniques, and keep going to practice and knowing that I can always get better.”

According to To, the Allianz Field will host its first match April 13 against the New York City FC soccer team, but the specific opening date for the stadium has yet to be determined.