Shizuoka Stadium
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| Location |  Fukuroi, Shizuoka, Japan |
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| Coordinates | 34°44′35.60″N 137°58′13.81″E / 34.7432222°N 137.9705028°E |
| Owner | Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Operator | Shizuoka Prefectural Football Association |
| Capacity | |
| Field size | |
| Surface | Grass |
| Opened | March 2001 |
| Tenants | |
Shizuoka "Ecopa" Stadium (静岡スタジアム・エコパ, Shizuoka Sutajiamu Ekopa) is a sports stadium used primarily for football. The stadium is in Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, although the stadium itself is merely the centrepiece of the larger Ogasayama Sports Park which extends into neighbouring Kakegawa. The stadium's capacity is 50,889.
Usage
Shizuoka Stadium was opened in 2001 and played host to some matches during the Football World Cup of the following year, including Belgium versus Russia in the group stage (which Belgium won 3-2) and the quarter-final match between Brazil and England, which Brazil won 2-1. It is now the primary venue for major sporting events in Shizuoka Prefecture, including track and field, for which it is fully equipped. Ecopa is the venue for J. League team Júbilo Iwata's more high profile games, including the Shizuoka Derby versus Shimizu S-Pulse and is also used as a home ground by Shimizu S-Pulse occasionally. It hosted the 2003 58th National Sports Festival of Japan main stadium.
In recent years Ecopa has also been home to one semifinal match of the Emperor's Cup, sharing the duty with the Kasumigaoka in Tokyo, although due to its isolation and the fact that both semifinals are held at the same time, Ecopa usually has less attendance.
Next to the stadium is the indoor Ecopa Arena which is used for various performances and shows.
Access
Aino Station was constructed at the same time as the stadium and is a fifteen-minute walk from the stadium. Aino Station is four minutes west of Kakegawa Station, the nearest Shinkansen station to Ecopa. When the stadium is used for J. League or international fixtures, shuttle buses run from Kakegawa station to the stadium.
The walk from Aino Station to the stadium is notable for the sixteen works of art which line the route. These were commissioned to commemorate the 2002 World Cup, with each art piece being designed by an artist from a previous host of the competition.
External links
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