Yankee Stadium is one of the most iconic venues in any sport in any country. It is New York City FC’s biggest drawing card.
It also may be the team’s biggest downfall — a finesse team hamstrung by a cramped, uneven pitch.
Unlike the NFL, where every field conforms to precise dimensions, a soccer pitch can vary within FIFA (and in this case, MLS) regulations. In the case of Yankee Stadium, that means a smaller field, which robs teams of their space to create — and the Stadium offers the smallest playing surface in the league. For a finesse club like NYCFC, that is the equivalent of the Yankees sending out a lineup devoid of lefty power to take advantage of the short right-field porch.