If the United States get another chance to host a FIFA World Cup™, it would not be surprising if Reliant Stadium in Houston were called upon to host matches. In its short existence, Reliant Stadium has proven, well, reliable, at attracting huge crowds.
The stadium, however, is not on US Soccer’s shortlist to be a venue for FIFA World Cup1™ qualifying matches in the CONCACAF semi¬final round for South Africa, but it could be used in the final round. “Reliant Stadium is a great venue,” US Soccer President Sunil Gulati said. “We would consider it.”
Of course, there is a major difference between the actual tournament and getting there. Teams schedule qualifiers in cities and venues that give them the greatest chance of picking up three points. The FIFA World Cup1″, the greatest show on earth, is a worldwide celebration of football and the stadium has certainly proved capable of drawing some large audiences, especially to see Hispanic teams.
Reliant has hosted more than a dozen international football games since it was constructed in 2002, none more important than a pair of titanic encounters between CONCACAF arch-rivals the USA and Mexico. What makes the facility unique is that it has a retractable roof to keep out the elements. And as people who have spent time in Houston during the summer will know, it can be hot and muggy to the nth degree.
In fact, the unbeatable heat led to the building of the Astrodome for Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros in 1965, the first domed stadium on the planet.
Advances in modern technology allowed local officials to build a state-of-the-art USD 367 million stadium, taking their lead from the construction of the Gelredome (Arnhem, the Netherlands), which had a retractable roof and a grass pitch suitable for outdoor matches, and the Sapporo Dome (in Sapporo, Japan), which has a traditional dome with a pitch that can be used outdoors as well (the latter facility hosted games during the 2002 World Cup).
INCREDIBLE RALLY
For the first US-Mexico encounter on 8 May 2003, 69,582 spectators were entertained by a typically fierce battle that ended in a goalless draw.
A stadium record 70,550 watched Barcelona tussle with Club America (Mexico) in August 2006 while 70,103 witnessed the latest confrontation between the Mexicans and Americans – a 2-2 draw – on 6 February 2008.
The Barcelona-America encounter went down as a classic as the Spanish club incredibly rallied from a three-goal deficit in five minutes to salvage a 4-4 draw. Javier Saviola (Argentina), Ronaldinho (Brazil) and Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) scored for Barca, the latter in stoppage time. Needless to say, the atmosphere was electric for the most recent encounter between the USA and Mexico, and with the roof closed due to the rain, it was an extremely loud night. “It was the way it always is,” said US forward Clint Dempsey, who plays for English club Fulham. “The way it was in Phoenix, the way it was in the Gold Cup. It was really loud.”
“The atmosphere was crazy,” said US midfielder Ricardo Clark, who plays for two-time MLS Cup champions Houston Dynamo at club level. Meanwhile, Mexico coach Hugo Sanchez said that “The teams played this friendly with the intensity of a qualifier.”
Reliant has also hosted InterLiga matches — a competition for Mexican clubs to qualify for the Copa Libertadores – in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and CONCACAF Gold Cup matches in 2005 and 2007 (68,417 saw a first-round double-header that featured Cuba, Honduras, Mexico and Panama and 70,092 were in attendance for a quarter-final double-header that included Mexico, Costa Rica, Guadeloupe and Honduras).
Another type of football is played at the stadium, the American kind (National Football League), and it is home to the Houston Texans. The stadium also hosted Supet Bowl XXXVIII (38) in 2004 and the East-West Shrine game between American college football all-stars. Furthermore, the National Collegiate Athletics Association puts on its regional tournament here and the Final Four of college basketball – the semi-finals and final — are scheduled for 2011.
THE STONES AND RODEO
On top of that, non-sporting stars such as the Rolling Stones and Gloria Estefan have performed there and Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana, a popular children’s TV star in the US, was scheduled here this March. The stadium is home to rodeo events as well and can be used for trade fairs and livestock shows.
The stadium, named after Reliant Energy (which paid USD 10 million a year for its naming rights up to 2032), is part of a huge complex named Reliant Park that includes Reliant Arena for basketball games and children’s shows and the Astrodome.
The 1.9-million-square-foot stadium also has plenty to offer for those fans that can afford it -165 private suites, 8,200 club seats and more than 400 concession and novelty stands.
And in case you are wondering, the retractable roof, which is made from steel and Teflon-coated fibreglass fabric, takes ten minutes to open or close. The stadium has more than 1,000 miles of wire and cable and in the neighbourhood of 17,274 tons of steel.
As for the World Cup, given the stadium’s early success, football authorities would find a way for at least one Hispanic team to play its matches there.
But a lot must happen before then, including the US submitting a successful bid to FIFA. One thing is certain, though, Reliant Stadium has lived up to its name as it proven to be a venue you can rely on for football games.

THE STADIUM
Name: Reliant Stadium
Address: 1 Reliant Park, Houston, TX 77054
Opened: 24 August 2002
Last renovation: None
Total capacity: 70,500
Covered: 100% (retractable roof)
Home teams: None in football; Houston Texans in American football (NFL)
Internet: www.reliantpark.com

The statistics noted the date of 12 September 2007 as the 75th and probably last time the French national team would be playing an international match at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris. Just for the record, they actually lost the EURO 2008 qualifier against Scotland 1-0.
Les Bleus have, in fact, been playing their home games at the Stade de France ever since 1998 but last September it was strictly reserved for the Rugby World Cup, forcing them to return to their old haunt, evoking several nostalgic memories despite their defeat. After all, it was here against the affluent residential backdrop of Porte de Saint-Cloud that France claimed their first international title when they beat Spain 2-0 for the European Championship crown on 27 June 1984.
TAILLIBERT’S REGRET
The Parc des Princes was constructed in 1972 to designs by architect Roger Taillibert. “This stadium was the turning point in my career,” he reminisces, “as the structure of the building was unprecedented anywhere in the world. 1 have designed many other sports centres since then, but everywhere I go — whether to China or Venezuela — I am still introduced as the fellow who designed the Parc des Princes.” Taillibert was 41 when he won the bid in 1968. “The stadium should have been finished in 1972,” he recalls, “but existing contracts stipulated that the old arena had to be available for use until 1970. So we had to build without any scaffolding and without completing an attractive facade.” A further handicap was the motorway, the notorious ring road that was supposed to run underneath the stadium, resulting in the demolition and reconstruction of one whole stand for safety reasons. The architect was slated at the time for incurring costs of FFR 90 million (today approximately EUR 77 million), which was considered exorbitant. In fact, the costs had doubled. Taillibert comments: “If I had the chance again, I’d build the stadium differently. I think it’s a shame it wasn’t refurbished for the 1998 World Cup but instead only underwent a few cosmetic touches.”
POLITICS AND MENTALITY
The current Parc des Princes arena, skirting the borders of Paris and the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt, is the third built on the same site.
The first stadium, inaugurated in 1897, was situated in a wooded area where kings, princes and noblemen had spent their time hunting, relaxing, strolling about and playing games. When the first road through the woods was built in 1855, it triggered an urban boom.
The existing sports complex actually includes the Roland Garros tennis centre just a stone’s throw away as well as the Parc des Princes. Before the complex was extended in 1979, a scientific research institute for chronophotography had to be demolished to make way for it. But there is still a dearth of parking spaces. Journalists who are given parking permits for the Parc des Princes regard them with more reverence than a seat in the press stand.
Many football fans the world over wonder why Paris Saint-Germain have not moved to the Stade de France but continue to play at the Parc des Princes, which they say could be sold off as city-centre development land at a preposterous price in the same way that the legendary Bokelberg stadium was disposed of in the German town of Monchengladbach.
The reasons for this decision are to be found in France’s politics and mentality. Apart from the fact that Paris Saint-Germain are currently undergoing some lean years and that an 80,000-capacity arena is rarely half full, the Stade de France belongs to the central government and the Pare des Princes to the city. Paris therefore subsidises its main first-division club with a handful of euros in return for the rent on the stadium. Any other questions?
The various Parc des Princes stadiums were used by Racing Club de Paris from 1932 to 1966 and Stade francais from 1945 to 1966. Paris Saint-Germain have been playing there since 1974, Racing Club de Paris returned between 1984 and 1990, and FC Paris made guest appearances between 1972 and 1974 as well as in the 1978-1979 season.
The number of world stars who have performed at the Parc des Princes is the stuff of dreams. To mention just a few, since being built in the 19th century, the Parc des Princes has twice hosted the Olympic Games and formed the backdrop to two FIFA World Cups™ (in 1938 and 1998), two European
Championship finals (in 1960 and 1984) and three European Cup finals (in 1956, 1975 and 1981). What is more, the world’s most famous cycling race, the Tour deFrance, has culminated no fewer than 54 times not on the Champs Elysees but at the Parc des Princes. Added to all this are the 59 rugby matches that were contested here during the Five Nations tournament. And French television’s first ever live broadcast of a sporting event also came from the Pare des Princes.