Photo gallery: 82,000 pack Cowboys Stadium to watch Mexico defeat Haiti on Sunday

by Erin Rice

ARLINGTON — Some predictions earlier in the week said that between 30,000 and 40,000 fans were expected for Sunday's Gold Cup quarterfinal doubleheader that pitted Costa Rica vs. Guadeloupe and Mexico vs. Haiti. And in the first match of the day, it appeared that estimation could have been spot on, as about half of the seats in Cowboys Stadium were vacant.

But come 5:30 p.m., when Mexico and Haiti were warming up on the artificial turf below, it was clear the predictions had fallen way short. Standing through nearly the entire warm-up session, an 82,252 strong sea of green-clad Mexico fans cheered, waved flags, and bleated plastic horns to prepare their players for the coming game. Some dedicated fans never even got a chance to sit during the match, as standing room only tickets were offered when the seats sold out. The excitement and crowd noise only escalated with each Mexican goooooooooool.

One of the biggest characters of the match was, in fact, the stadium itself. The newness of the massive building made one feel like a tourist in their own town (oh my goodness, there are blue flecks in the marble floors!).

The stadium was a rather odd venue to watch these matches in. Most soccer stadiums around the world are built as more of bowl, without any kind of ceiling. While the air conditioning was much appreciated, even on a day that fell just shy of triple digits, the indoor feel was an awkwardness I just couldn't shake. The turf field also felt odd, as FIFA only recently allowed national level matches to be played on artificial surfaces, but is clearly a momentum that will become commonplace soon. It's probably safe to say that football fans familiar with Texas Stadium will not have the same adjustment issues as me.

And obviously, there are several good things to be said of the stadium. First of all, that air conditioning, thank you. It also appeared that, no matter how high up towards the rafters you were sitting, you had a good view of the field, though, admittedly, we bought seats early and closer to the action. By the time 80,000 made it out, lines for food were pretty rough but beer was very easy to get, with vendors both stationed and moving throughout the concourse and bleachers.

All in all, what a day. Between the pre-game partying in the parking lots, to Mexico and Costa Rica's expected victories, to a pleasantly packed house, this was the kind of event that North Texas can only hope to hold on multiple occasions. It's safe to say that in Jerry's new house, the Mexican National Futbol Team will always be welcome.

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