Toyota Field – Home of the Scorpions

Considering this was my first Toyota Field event I was pretty impressed by the organization and cleanliness. For starters, traffic coming into the fields may have been a hassle, but the parking assistants were helpful and professional. There is military and student discounted tickets so it’s good to know they appreciate the service and the bookworms. The only issue is the main concession services. I waited over 25 minutes just to make it to the counter and order a drink. I understand the high volume of people, but this is where a staff should prepare ahead of time to meet customers in a timely manner. On the other hand, there are multiple options around like freshly squeezed lemonade, raspas, Bahama Bucks, but the trade off is these side locations only take cash. Overall, I was still impressed by how clean, and comfy this stadium is compared to the Alamodome, and I will definitely return to watch the San Antonio Scorpions play again! See you at the Scorpions Nest!

Toyota Field is exactly what the supporters of grassroots soccer in America need. It’s a modern, clean, compact ground that has its own unique identity in the suburbs north of San Antonio. The team has some supporters clubs that make it a traditional to march into the ground and most of the seats were occupied with fans in their Scorpions shirts.
The venue itself was very nice. The landscaping is beautiful and the entry process was one of the easiest I have been a part of in a while. There was no line and close to no security check. There were plenty of signs and amenities including concessions, a beer garden, spacious restrooms, and areas outside the stands to hang out and stand. The seats were close and there really wasn’t a bad seat in the entire stadium. My seat at midfield on the south side was only $ 20 as well. One complaint I had with the stands though was how the back of the seats went a quarter of the way up your back. They didn’t have good lumbar support and I found myself in some discomfort by the end of the match.
Outside of the game itself, there were two things that I would change about this venue. One of them is something they can fix and one of them is just a fact of life. The parking situation was a little confusing and far from the venue. I also was not expecting to pay for parking at a second division match. The signs were confusing and if you follow the arrows to the «free» lots, you are funneled into a paid lot. Secondly, I had a big problem with the fans at the match. I know this is nothing that the venue did wrong, but it is something that just needs to be shared with the world. I heard a lot of questions about the game, which is great! I would love to spread the rules and passion of football to anyone who takes the time to learn it. The problem I had was with the same people yelling things like «Kick the referee!» and «Stop passing backwards! Are you scared?» The mob mentality reached a low point when a Scorpions player was sent off when he left his feet to make a two-​footed tackle. This player refused to leave the field then took his shirt off and threw it on the pitch and ripped the corner flag out of the ground. The mom next to me made a big effort to laugh and point it out to her 8 and 10 year old sons who were little soccer players. This is not what the game needs and made me wonder if we really are going in the right direction as a country when it comes to the sport I love.
Overall, the venue was excellent. I would love to play or watch a game here any time. The price was right and the ability to support grassroots soccer in the second division in America is a rewarding experience. It’s even more exciting to know that this is happening in the heart of American Football country.

First time here and must say, Toyota Field management has some work to do…
Signage! Signage is you friend. From identifying the FREE lots from pay lots from VIP lots, the consumer loves signage. I drove around like a maniac looking for the FREE parking only to shell out $ 5 for paid parking.
Finally made it to the ticket booth to redeem my two Groupons only to be met by 8 people in one booth trying to get their computers back online. Fifteen minutes later, the line started moving. Twenty minutes in, and I come face to face with the gal behind the glass only to hear, «Oh, if you have a Groupon you must go to the other ticket booth over there.» «OK, that one over there at the other end of the field? The one with 150 people waiting in it,» I asked. «Yes,» she replied.
Remember what I previously said about signage?! I looked back at her and said, «In the future, if you could put up a sign so fans don’t waste their time…» «OK, thanks,» was the curt reply.
We walked down to the other ticket booth and, due to a lack of signage, said, «Hell, I guess this line is just as good as that line.» Fifteen minutes later I was rewarded for my excellent line guessing with 2 tickets to a game which was no underway.
The stadium is nice. It’s new and shiny and easy to navigate. Signage abounds on the inside funneling fans to their appropriate sections. Bathrooms were clean and accessible. We found our seats quickly and easily. Thirty minutes later, it was refreshments time…
First, the kettle corn was excellent although we did get the very last bag (they originally told me I’d have to wait 10 minutes as they cooked more but I chose the smaller bag — the last bag). Very tasty stuff but because it was the last bag, it was more a bag of kernels…
Kettle corn in hand, I got in line for a beer. You guys need to work on efficiency here because it should not take 10 minutes to service 3 people regardless of their order. OK, beer — let’s look at the menu to see what’s on tap. Miller Lite and Coors Lite. Hmm, no beer on tap…
Are you frickin’ kidding me?! Miller Lite or Coors Lite on tap for $ 6.75? FAIL! I can’t believe I bought it. The man rang up my order and it was $ 8. «Excuse me, but isn’t it $ 6.75» «Oh, you didn’t want to 24oz with special souvenir cup,» he asked… The cup they had given me looked like a paper cup with a picture on it. «Is THIS the souvenir cup?» «Yes, that’s it. I could pour your beer into the smaller cup.» «No, that’s fine. I’ll take it.» Really, Toyota Field — $ 8 for a Coors Lite in a «souvenir» cup that looks like paper and probably cost you guys a dime?!
Back to the stadium itself. It’s a really beautiful venue. Seating is adequate but the seat length is short so if you’re tall, you’ll be uncomfortable. Press box side seats are much more expensive than on the other side of the field. Staff was helpful in answering our questions. Fans from both teams are loud — constantly playing music and chanting… Soccer fans…
OK, so to summarize, first and foremost, SIGNAGE! It’s your friend. Second, BEER and to a lesser extent concessions on the whole. Toyota Field needs to work on their concessions. The beer selection is painfully expensive and lacking. Nobody should have to pay $ 6.75 for swill! and $ 8 for a souvenir cup, regardless of whether it says TOP SHELF DISHWASHER SAFE, that looks and feels like a paper cup, is just sticking it to your fans.
My wife is a soccer fan and wants to return. Based on my first experience, I hope not to…

Came out for the Wounded Warriors vs NFL Legends charity flag football game. Stadium is new, turf was nice and everything seemed to go well. The only thing was the parking lot was not thought out very well and the attendants didn’t seem to be wearing any uniforms so we couldn’t tell who was directing traffic.

This was our first soccer game and it was a blast. My wife and I loved the energy in the stadium. The loss of one star was because the snack bar food was awful. We tried the nachos, pretzel, and popcorn. It was all terrible. The pretzel was hard as a rock, the popcorn tasted almost stale, and the nachos were the same. Aside from the food, it was a great experience. We will absolutely come back, but skip the snacks.

Nice venue but I wish that the Parking situation was a little better!
Regardless great venue to support our home soccer team!
Go Scorpions Go!!!

I won two tickets to a Scorpions game so I came with a friend to watch SA Scorpions vs Carolina Railhawks this past weekend.
I am so glad I came b/​c I didn’t know soccer was this big in SA. In fact, I didn’t even know SA had a soccer team! Don’t throw eggs at me.
There were a lot more people that night at the game than I expected. So the atmosphere was pretty great. Our seats were the best in the house, we could literally have a conservation with the soccer players. The stadium looked very new and attractive, the facility is top notch.
Both my friend and I enjoyed the game so much that we thought about coming again to watch another one! The hot goalkeeper I like better be here next time, haha! ;)

Toyota Field is the crown jewel of the NASL stadiums.
The only real secret here is the beer garden. The area behind the Scorpion’s netminder in the first half has enviable seating… and it’s free. There’s tables and chairs for private seating and the beer is $ 2 until a certain time (and at different times throughout the game it sounded like too?)
A night at a Scorpions game is a nice respite from the day’s exhausting heat

We heard the Scorpions got a new stadium, so when we were in town we made sure to catch the visiting Atlanta Silverbacks.
There is $ 10 parking if you park around the north side of the stadium, and looks like a lot of supporters also tailgate here. If you come in from the north side of the stadium, there is an area where vendors set up carts to sell food, sponsors set up stalls to give out free prizes, and a DJ plays music. A great place to take your kids if you get there early. Oddly, the attendants didn’t have scanners for our tickets, and simply tore off the barcode. Maybe it was just because this was the second game at the stadium, and they didn’t have enough handheld scanners, but this needs to be addressed before scalpers figure out this work around. Also, we didn’t get programs until we walked around to other entrances. (We love game programs, so that was annoying.)
Overall, the stadium is a great 8,000 seat venue that is clearly optimistic about expansion in the future (as evidenced by the free standing I-​beams around the stadium. The west side of the stadium has different colored seats that make a picture of the Scorpions logo (pretty cool). The west side has a shade cover and nice leather seats that are embroidered with the Scorpions’ logo-​pretty sweet. One minus/​indication of a stadium on a budget is the lack of cup holders, even in the VIP seat area. A minor inconvenience, but a cost saving measure that enables the team to afford the stadium.
The concourses are wide, and so if your hands are full of stuff, the risk of getting knocked around is low. The concessions serve up the standard hot dog/​hamburger/​nachos/​pretzel/​popcorn fare. If you go early, try to stand around the south side of the stadium to watch the teams warm up. (Not really supposed to loiter there.) You get pretty close, but are safe from errant shots thanks to some field-​goal netting. As you walk up the south ramp, there’s a team store, where you can get various Scorpions swag like jerseys and scarves.
Since we had VIP tickets, we got to go to the upper deck where there’s a patio (with a TV), a bar, and access to suites. The stand alone bar girls are cash only, but if you walk around the corner to the bar, they take credit card. The bar area is pretty nice, with tvs showing highlights. It would have been a bit nicer if they added a few more pieces of Scorpion memorabilia, instead of the 6 kinds of liquor they serve. The bar has a nice selection of draft and bottled beer, as well as the aforementioned liquor. You can also watch the traffic come in from the upper patio area. Any drinks purchased in the upper deck have to remain up there.
After we had a couple beers on the upper patio and a quick restroom stop, we headed down to our seats in section 103. (The bathrooms are pretty basic, but clean and air-​conditioned!) We had a great view of all the game and the seats had a lot of leg room, while be at a good pitch to see the match. Before the game, they have someone (not sure of her title) named Vanessa to introduce all the traditions they’re trying to implement in the stadium (bang on the aluminum stands during corners, sing along, chants, yell out player’s last names during introductions). I think that’s really great for a young team to try and introduce to create a fun atmosphere.
The supporters groups sit in the lower seats on the north side of the stadium, and I counted 2, maybe 3 supporters groups. I thought it was odd that they didn’t sit together, but rather anchored the north corners. It seemed like they were fighting with each other for attention. I think the front office needs to work with both groups to bring them together to create a better atmosphere. I did like how they did have a supporter out front to serve as the «drum major.» He was pretty good at leading the group in songs and chants. I forget which minute they started playing the «Dale, dale, San Anton» (not a typo) song, but it was entirely too loud and jarring.
Because we had a long drive back, we left in the 80′, back through that north entrance party plaza. At first we thought the exit was blocked, till we asked an attendant, to which she said, «Yes, but you CAN’T come back in.» Uhh… are you ever allowed to come back in if you leave? Odd.
Out of the parking lot, there’s only one way back to the freeway, so we could see potential traffic issues here. The potential for a huge backlog of cars is pretty probable, unless traffic officers take charge.
Overall, a great place to catch some soccer, but they have a few minor kinks to work out. Tickets were affordable, so hopefully the Scorpions manage a few sellouts soon!

Stadium looks great!!! Good family fun!!!