Saitama Stadium 2002

Saitama Stadium 2002
Saisuta
Location	Saitama, Japan
Coordinates	35°54′11.31″N 139°43′2.97″E
Opened	October 2001
Owner	Saitama Prefecture
Operator	Saitama Prefectural Park Association
Surface	Grass
Capacity	63,700
Field dimensions	105 x 68 m
Tenants
Urawa Red Diamonds (2001-present)

Saitama Stadium 2002 (埼玉スタジアム2002, Saitama Sutajiamu Niimarumarunii), often called Saitama Stadium (埼玉スタジアム, Saitama Sutajiamu) or simply Saisuta (埼スタ), is a football stadium located in Midori-ku, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.

Currently J. League football club Urawa Red Diamonds use this stadium for home games. It is one of the largest "football only" stadiums in Asia.

Location

The stadium is a 15 to 20 minute walk from Urawa-Misono Station on the Saitama Railway Line.

History

Built by Azusa Sekkei to host matches of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, construction was completed in September 2001. The stadium holds 63,700 people, although for segregation reasons league games hosted at the ground have a reduced capacity of 62,300. The Saitama Studium hosted four matches during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, including co-host Japan's first match against Belgium.

First Round:

• 2 June 2002: England 1–1 Sweden
• 4 June 2002: Japan 2–2 Belgium
• 6 June 2002: Cameroon 1–0 Saudi Arabia

Semi Final:

• 26 June 2002: Brazil 1–0 Turkey

Between 2005 and 2007, the Urawa Red Diamonds' local derby rival Omiya Ardija hosted matches here along with Urawa Komaba due to expansion of its home Ōmiya Park Soccer Stadium.

Features

Saitama Stadium 2002

• Building Area: 54,420m²
• Total Floor Area: 62,674m²
• Covered Area: 29,000m²
• Stand Inclination: Max. 30 degree angle

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Atmosphere at Saitama Stadium (English)