Since the 1996 season, D.C. United fans have been trekking to RFK, experiencing the highest of highs, periods of consistent mediocrity, and some pretty underwhelming lows. United’s home opener last night ranked somewhere between mediocre and underwhelming. But for this piece, I’m going to ignore United’s performance because it was a performance worth ignoring. The one thing, however, I can no longer continue to ignore is RFK. It just has to go.
This is a stadium I’ve been going to since the late 80s. But it’s time to send RFK to a retirement home. In many ways, it already is one. But the most painful part of the retirement home process is watching slow deterioration. I just don’t want to watch it anymore. It’s time to give D.C. United fans a more intimate environment worthy of their dedication through years of excellence, mediocrity, and last night.
Now, don’t get me wrong. RFK holds a special place in my heart. One of my most memorable moments at RFK was the U.S. Cup match in 1993 between Brazil and Germany. It was a mesmerizing encounter between two teams on a typical, blazing-hot D.C. summer day. Brazil was up 3-0 at halftime. Game over, right? Jürgen Klinsmann didn’t think so. An 89th minute Klinsmann goal tied the game up at 3-3, leaving fans with a sense of what real soccer in the States might feel like. It almost felt authentic.
Fast forward roughly seventeen years. A professional league and a D.C.-based professional soccer team later, we’re still visiting a stadium that was initially built to house American football and baseball, two sports that have departed for newer, more customized grounds. But this time, instead of soccer moms and dads and passive cheering, we’ve got a full-fledged Barra Brava, fans traveling from the surrounding areas several times a month to watch professional soccer, and the base of supporters that is only continuing to grow. United has been ready for the next step for some time, and everybody knows it.
D.C. United needs, no, must have its own stadium. Aside from the underwhelming performance last night, that’s my one takeaway from the match. The club is a stadium away from having an electric atmosphere. MLS Commissioner Don Garber is already on board and is on record expressing his irritation with the District for dragging its feet. All of us who have followed the growth of D.C. United over the years can imagine a rocking stadium several years down the road, ready to surpass all other venues when it comes to the stadium environment. Do you think fans are more eager to travel to an away match at Red Bull Arena, or a sparsely filled RFK Stadium? Too many of us know that the soccer-specific stadium, especially in major markets, is one of the major keys to the next phase of the league’s growth. We are very close to creating environments many European fans would envy.
I want my memories of RFK to be just that, memories. Give me a new stadium, pronto. I’ll pitch in to help with construction. And there you have it, my thoughts on yesterday’s match.
