Promptly at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, the bodies began dribbling through Gate B at the northwest corner of Toyota Park in Bridgeview. And after a climb up an Olympus-like staircase to the main concourse, two Fire fans slowed their gait as the vista of the stadium interior unfurled before their eyes.
“Nice,” one of them said. “Niiiiiiiiiice.”
They were among the select 12,941 — season ticket-holders, selected supporters and Bridgeview residents — who witnessed the Fire’s first game at its new home. Presumably, they are also among those who now wonder if the Heimlich maneuver lessons are standard fare, what with the Fire coughing up two stunning goals in added time for an anticlimactic 3-3 draw against New England.
“The atmosphere was good,” Fire midfielder Chris Armas said. “It’s nice that we rewarded the fans with a few goals and seemingly had the game won. I guess they end up seeing an exciting finish, but not the way we wanted.”
Nevertheless, postgame fireworks boomed at the stadium’s south end, even though this controlled debut wasn’t the official “Grand Opening.” That takes place on June 25, preceded by Sunday’s “Grand Dry Run” to ensure the faucets worked, the pretzels cooked and the plasma TVs in the luxury suites glowed.
Well beforehand, tailgaters dotted the parking lot. Upon entering the stadium, fans often paused before taking their seats to take in the view, snapping pictures.
As for the mechanics, no one rushed from restroom to restroom testing the flushing function at the last minute. Within two minutes of Gate B opening, the nearest concession stand on the main concourse sold its first hot dog.
“It’s been easy to get around, easy to find everything you need,” said spectator Adam Carver of Elgin, attending with his two sons.
Early returns, Fire CEO John Guppy said, contained no major problems. The Fire will work on congestion at the concession stands, some inadequately decorated stairwells and the barren landscaping on the exterior. But it’s not like a sinkhole developed at midfield.
“The mayor’s vision and our vision was that we were going to spend our money starting in the center of the field,” Guppy said. “We were going to get a world-class field and build out from there.”
There was little on-field action to build off of Sunday. Goals by Nate Jaqua in the 39th and 79th minutes provided the Fire (2-3-5, 11 points) a 2-0 lead. After the Revolution (3-4-3, 12 points) answered, Calen Carr tallied in the 91st minute for a 3-1 lead.
Then, the borderline unbelievable: Goals by New England’s Steve Ralston and Andy Dorman in the 93rd and 94th minutes, respectively, to knot the game at 3-3, just beating the final whistle.
“That was the worst thing ever,” Fire defender C.J. Brown muttered.
Especially given what was, even with many an empty seat, a lively homecoming–or home-starting, as it were.
“In my mind, it’s a disappointing night when you don’t get three points,” Fire coach Dave Sarachan said. “The peripheral things were terrific.”
Added Jaqua: “The atmosphere was great, even half-capacity. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like full. The field is incredible, the stadium is incredible, the fans were great.
“I just obviously feel bad that we couldn’t put the game away.”
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bchamilton@tribune.com
