The Kansas City Wizards have sold more than 1,100 new season tickets since Monday's launch of an exclusive block of 2,011 season tickets for the 2011 MLS season, the club announced Wednesday. The figure does not include any season tickets from the renewal process, which will begin in the coming weeks.
"The demand for new 2011 season tickets is a testament to the momentum we have built through our 'Summer of Soccer' and the construction of our world class facility opening next June," said Andrew Steinberg, Kansas City Wizards Executive Vice President. "The fan experience is a top priority for our organization and we look forward to showcasing that to all of our guests as we welcome our newest season ticket holders."
After upsetting English powerhouse Manchester United 2-1 in front of a record crowd of 52,424 at the new Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, the Wizards began accepting initial payments per seat for the first 2,011 seats in the team's new state-of-the-art soccer stadium next year. Monday's pre-sale marked the first opportunity to reserve 2011 season tickets and for fans to receive priority consideration for seat selection among new season ticket holders.
Fans can secure their seats by visiting KCWizards.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL, and are encouraged to act fast as less than 900 remain.
The rush for season tickets continues an impressive showing of support for soccer in Kansas City. Sunday's crowd was not only the largest ever for a soccer match in Mid-America, but also was the largest attendance of any club game held in the United States this year. It exceeded both of Manchester United's previous stops on their 2010 Tour, which had drawn 39,139 in Toronto and 44,213 in Philadelphia.
Kansas City also turned out in record numbers for 2010 World Cup watch parties this summer, packing more than 12,000 fans into the Power & Light District for the United States round of 16 match against Ghana last month, an audience which was featured live during ABC's nationally-televised broadcast.
Kansas City's new stadium, being built in Village West in Wyandotte County, is scheduled for a June 2011 opening and will boast numerous modern features, including an 1800 square foot HD video board on the south end and a 250 square foot video board on the north end. The authentic soccer stadium's most distinguishing element will be a dramatic roof that will cover every section of the stadium and contain crowd noise for an amplified game atmosphere.
The stadium measures more than 340,000 square feet in size and will hold 18,500 soccer spectators, including a strategically designed supporters section with a capacity of 2,000. In addition to the stadium seating, the venue features 36 suites and five clubs for an array of premium seating options.
The field itself is projected to be larger than every field in the English Premier League with dimensions of 75 yards by 120 yards, and will be a natural grass surface with SubAir under-soil heating and cooling system to maintain its quality in all conditions.
