A season ticket holder since the inception of the MetroStars in 1996, Tyler Hoeflinger never entertained walking away from the club, despite countless frustrations and years of disappointment.
“After 14 years and you reach this point there’s not too much looking back, especially because this league has so much parity,” the Hightstown, N.J. native said “You know every year is a new year. With a new environment, a new coaching staff and maybe a couple of new players, it will be totally different.”
Hoeflinger was among 100 longtime season ticket holders who on Wednesday were given the chance to scout out and pick their exact seat location for the soon-to-be-completed Red Bull Arena.
Hoeflinger said walking around the 25,000-seat, $200-million stadium, which promises to be the crown jewel of Major League Soccer, was a dream come true, a culmination of a decade of delays.
“There were a lot of rumors, a lot of hurdles and construction in New Jersey,” said Hoeflinger, who purchased six tickets. “That’s what makes seeing this physically that much more special.”
Ron Olesko has also been a season ticket holder since the first MetroStars season. He’s spent much of his adult life watching his hometown team play in Giants Stadium, from the Cosmos to the Red Bulls.
The 52-year-old Bergenfield, N.J. resident said he fell in love with soccer as a student at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
“Seeing this whole stadium is to me the idea that soccer is going to stay around. We were tenants in Giants Stadium, following the legacy of the Cosmos and to be able to here and see this is our own home, it’s really thrilling.
According to Red Bulls managing director Erik Stover, Red Bull Arena is “about 80 perc ent right now.” Most of the upcoming work will be on the interior, with the sod for the field being laid down in about three weeks.
Before the 2010 MLS season kicks off in April, Stover said there will be a few dry runs, which could range from “interesting and exciting things down to very mundane things.”
“We need a few weeks to do one or two soft opening events,” Stover said. “We need to get in here and flush all the toilets at the same time, sell hot dogs and turn the TVs on to make sure it all works. You don’t want to flip the switch and the power doesn’t go on.”
That couldn’t come soon enough for Rody Costanzo.
“This has gone on for so long and when they said it’s happening, I’m here,” the 68-year-old from Bayonne, N.J. said. “I still wish it was opening in two weeks when it was supposed to. I can’t wait.”
