Veterans Stadium (New Britain, Connecticut)
 | |
| Location |
Willow Brook Park New Britain, Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Owner | New Britain, Connecticut |
| Operator | New Britain, Connecticut |
| Capacity | 8,500[1] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Opened | 1982 |
| Tenants | |
|
Connecticut Wolves (United Soccer Leagues) (1993-2002) U.S. Open Cup (2001, 2007-2009) CT United FC (ASL) (2015-present) Connecticut Crushers (NWFA) New Britain High School Soccer and Football (1982-Present) | |
Veterans Stadium (full name Veterans Memorial Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in New Britain, Connecticut. Opened in 1982, it is dedicated to the soldiers of the city who died in various U.S. wars, particularly Vietnam. The stadium now Houses CT United FC of the American Soccer League.
The stadium is used mostly by New Britain High School, and some other area schools, for football and soccer games. It also hosts the Connecticut Crushers of the National Women's Football Association. The stadium was also home to the Connecticut Wolves team of the United Soccer Leagues before that team folded in 2002.
The stadium is an 8-lane oval track around a regulation-size football field. The track was dedicated to coach Irving S. Black in April 1992. Seating is all in metal bleachers, with 7 sections of 27 rows each on either side of the field. The estimated capacity is 8,448. In the summer of 2012, the middle seating on both sides was changed to better match the colors of New Britain High School, which are maroon and gold.
The stadium is owned by the City of New Britain, and is part of Willow Brook Park. Also located in the complex are two baseball fields, New Britain Stadium and Beehive Field.
In the 1970s and 1980s, it hosted four United States men's national soccer team matches. It most famously hosted the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals game between the Carolina Railhawks and the New England Revolution on September 4, 2007 in which New England won 2-1 to advance to the finals,[2] where they eventually defeated FC Dallas for the Dewar Cup. New England would return to Veterans Stadium on July 1, 2008 to defeat the Richmond Kickers 3-0 in the 3rd round of the 2008 U.S. Open Cup.[3] New England would return again on July 8, 2008 to play Crystal Palace Baltimore in the quarterfinal round. After 90 minutes of play and a half-hour of overtime, with the score 1-1, New England midfielder Mauricio Castro scored the Rev's 5th penalty kick out of five, winning the game on penalty kick on a score of 5-3.[4] The New England Revolution are now 3-1-0 at Veterans Stadium after their 2-1 Open Cup loss to Harrisburg City Islanders on June 30, 2009 .
Matches Hosted
| Date | Competition | Teams | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 12, 1973 | Friendly | United States   |
10,000 |
| July 13, 1988 | Friendly | United States |
10,213 |
| June 17, 1989 | 1990 FIFA World Cup Qualification | United States  |
10,516 |
| May 26, 1996 | Friendly | United States  |
8,526 |
| June 26, 2001 | 2001 U.S. Open Cup Second Round | Tampa Bay Mutiny |
4,362 |
| September 4, 2007 | 2007 U.S. Open Cup Semifinals | Carolina RailHawks |
4,203 |
| July 1, 2008 | 2008 U.S. Open Cup Third Round | Richmond Kickers |
3,950 |
| July 8, 2008 | 2008 U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals | Crystal Palace Baltimore |
2,590 |
| June 30, 2009 | 2009 U.S. Open Cup Third Round | Harrisburg City Islanders |
3,100 |
| May 26, 2010 | Friendly | Northern Ireland   |
4,000 |
References
Coordinates: 41°38′54″N 72°46′22″W / 41.648434°N 72.772667°W