HONOLULU — Aloha Stadium is ready to welcome back professional soccer teams after a series of renovations, said officials from the Honolulu stadium.
Stadium officials invested $1.2 million in the new field that was installed by August 2016, Hawaii News Now reported Friday.
They have also improved the drainage system, said Samantha Spain, marketing specialist for the stadium.
“There’s no seams, so it’s one continuous field, and the blades are a little bit thicker, so it makes it a little bit faster as well,” she said.
The moves come after a 2015 international soccer match between U.S. Women’s National Soccer team and Trinidad and Tobago that was cancelled after complaints of unsafe field conditions, leaving thousands of fans disappointed.
Stadium officials argued that the field was safe.
“We are a safe facility and we do our checks every year and we will continue to do that,” Spain said.
Professional men’s teams from Japan, Canada and the U.S. are expected to come through in February for the inaugural Pacific Rim Cup. The teams include the Vancouver Whitecaps from Canada, the Hokkaido Consadole Sapporro and the Iwaki Football Club from Japan and the Columbus Crew from the United States.
Team organizers are pleased with the renovation results, said Justin George, who handles media relations for the tournament.
“Some of the teams have sent representatives out to check on the field and are very happy with it and have said that it will be perfect for their playing conditions,” George said.
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Information from: KGMB-TV, http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/
