Estadio Cuscatlán

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = Monumental Estadio Cuscatlan
nickname = "Coloso de montserrat", "El Cusca", "La Catedral del espectaculo"


location = San Salvador, El Salvador
coordinates =
broke_ground = 1971
opened = 1976
renovated = 2001 and 2007
expanded =
closed =
demolished =
owner = EDESSA (Estadios Deportivos de El Salvador)
operator = CLIMA (Asociación de Clubes de Liga Mayor A')
surface = Grass
Constructor =
construction_cost =
architect =
former_names =
tenants =
Alianza FC

seating_capacity =
52,900 (football)
dimensions =

Monumental Estadio Cuscatlán is a football stadium located in San Salvador, El Salvador. It is the largest stadium in Central America with a capacity of just over 52,900. The stadium is the home ground of the El Salvador national football team as well as club teams Alianza FC.

History

Cuscatlán stadium was first developed as a replacement to what at the time was El Salvador's largest stadium, Estadio Nacional de la Flor Blanca. Its creation was made possible by EDESSA (Estadios Deportivos de El Salvador) who in 1969 first proposed the idea of a new national stadium.

Construction began on March 24 1971 as the then president of El Salvador General Fidel Sánchez Hernández lay the first stone in order for construction to begin. After 5 years of building, the stadium was first opened and held its very first game on July 24 1976. This day saw German Bundesliga champions Borussia Mönchengladbach play the El Salvador national team. A game which ultimately ended 2-0 to the German side.

On May 25 1978, EDESSA agreed to and signed, a 99 year lease of the stadium to CLIMA (Asociación de Clubes de Liga Mayor A'). As a result, CLIMA is now the operator of the stadium, and controls what events are held there.

The Stadium

The Stadium, with a capacity of over 45,000 makes it the biggest football made venue not only in Central America, but also the Caribbean. As well as being the largest, Estadio Cuscatlán is also often referred to as the most modern stadium in the region also.

It was announced on November 16 2007 that Estadio Cuscatlán would become the first football stadium in Central America and Caribbean to have a large LED screen where the supporters can view the action. The screen will be 40 meters in height and width and is expected to be completed by March, 2008. ref|Pantalla1ref|Pantalla2

The modernation of the stadium also pertain to the ground on which the games are held.

These ground is modern in that it has:

* French drainage system to allow water to flow off the grounds when it rains excessively
* 6 sprikler systems to self water the grounds
* Dugouts for both home and away teams, each with its own lavatory
* Imported high quality grass
* Various V.I.P. boxes

Capacity

The stadium's capacity has been the topic of much dispute, with many saying that its official capacity is not accurate. As the stadium only has seats available in certain sections, it is difficult to estimate the maximum capacity when trying to take into account how many specators could fit into the sections without seats.

The following table details the set capacity limitations on each section, as approved by FIFA, the Salvadoran football federation and EDESSA.

The Stadium's seating structure is separated into 9 different sections.

These are (most expensive to least expensive):

It is safe to assume that the stadium's capacity is between 40,000 and 53,000. However, as a definitive capacity cannot be obtained for those sections in which there are no seats, then it has been agreed to by the three parties concerned that the official capacity is that which is obtained after the three totals are averaged. When doing this, a total of 45,925 is measured. That being the stadium's official maximum capacity.

The grounds

The stadium itself sits on an area of land roughly 15 square blocks (30 hectares) in size. Not only does it accommodate the stadium itself, with its parking lot (3,500 capacity), but also two other football grounds. These grounds are used for training by club sides, to limit damage to the stadium ground itself. The other ground is used for junior football.

Events

Although Cuscatlán stadium was primarily built to be just a football stadium, it is now also used to cater for other events. Apart from football, it's also used for concerts, cultural events, religious events and political rallies.

Notes and references

# [http://www.elsalvador.com/mwedh/nota/nota_completa.asp?idCat=6429&idArt=1838622 Article on new LED screen (in spanish)] Accessed 9 December 2006.
# [http://www.elgrafico.com/especiales/pantallagigante/index.html Conocé la pantalla gigante del Cuscatlan (in spanish)]

External links

* [http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/middle_america/el_salvador/san_salvador_cuscatlan.shtml "World Stadiums" page]
* [http://www.fussballtempel.net/concacaf/ESV/Cuscatlan.html Fussballtempel.net - Gallery of images]
* [http://www.1572-8.com/aa-company/deporte/estadiocuscatlan/estadio-historia.html Estadio Cuscatlan Capacidad]