The new stadium in Dallas Arlington Texas looks ready to go for Sunday’s two Gold Cup Matches; first between Guadeloupe and Costa Rica, then Mexico and Haiti.  There are some interesting quirks to this place…

On the bad side, the surface at New Cowboys Stadium is artificial turf.  If you want to get pretty depressed, watch this news story all about the guy who sold them three plastic fields.  Why build a stadium like this and skimp on the surface?  Now, Chelsea is playing Club America later this month here and they are laying down grass on top of the plastic.  Doesn’t it seem strange that for the second soccer game here they are already bringing in grass?  On the good side, here are the Field Level Suites. 

Check out the view from these suites.  The field is really close.  These glass doors open btw and you get even closer.  Kinda cool.  Not cheap, but cool.

Here is the view.  Pretty close.  A player could conceivably “eat it” on your handrail running out of bounds, no?  Or could be launched into your suite.  I believe they are padding these handrails for the Gold Cup.

3rdDegree posted this picture and wonders if the width of the field is the FIFA minimum of 70 yards and if there are 2 yards of space on the corners between the flag and the boards.  If not, no potential World Cup games are coming to town.  Also, it turns out you cannot stick the corner flags into the turf.

World’s largest flat panel.  It’s 90 feet off the ground.  Do goal kicks go that high?

This tv will show the game on the field, so if you want to just tailgate outside all day and never go inside, you can do that too, although it is pretty hot sometimes out there.

Images via Flickr and 3rdDegree