Aloha Stadium manager says facility ‘will be vindicated’
The USA women’s soccer team practiced at Aloha Stadium in Halawa on Dec. 5. (Star-Advertiser file)
The USA women’s soccer team practiced at Aloha Stadium in Halawa on Dec. 5. (Star-Advertiser file)
Aloha Stadium manager Scott Chan told the Stadium Authority today he expects the facility “will be vindicated” in the controversy over the cancelation of the soccer exhibition by the U. S. Women’s National Team.
“We still take the position that the facility is safe and that there is nothing wrong with the field,” Chan said at the authority’s first meeting since the Dec. 6 match with Trinidad and Tobago was abruptly canceled after several players objected to the conditions.
The State Attorney General’s Office is conducting a review, and a class-action lawsuit of ticket buyers is currently pending in state court.
Nine members of the Authority went into executive session with their attorneys to discuss the situation, part of which was scheduled to include an on-the-field tour of the turf.
Prior to the executive session, Chan said “Again, we believe that it was a preference (for the U. S. Soccer Federation to cancel) and it is the right of every client to say whether or not they choose to play on it,” Chan said. “But, to say that it is unsafe … Well, we have experts that come in to evaluate and certify our field.”
Chan said, “So, I want to make it very clear that if they are not playing it is because it is their preference, then they should not be using the (excuse) that it is unsafe.”
He held open the hope that U.S.Women’s National Team might someday return. “After we go through the process and put our differences aside, we’d like to make sure that we have an opportunity to have this event come back.”
27 responses to “Aloha Stadium manager says facility ‘will be vindicated’”
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“Vindicated” — das one hi-makamaka way for saying dey gon’ bus’ um down, not?
or like saying “Whop your jaws” at the U. S. Women’s National Team.
“vindicated” (REALLY?!) Did some Biblical forms of vindications, and.., maybee deez-won-kine : Genesis 3:15 ESV ”
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Tie your mama down?
agree….diaster.
The soccer girls are the one that are high makamaka. I wouldn’t even consider letting them come back. The real reason they cancelled is cuz they didn’t sell enough tickets. They was going keep all the money from ticket sales. They expected 40,000 tickets to be sold but only sold 14,000…they had sour grapes.
Yep! Everything now a days is based on money profit.
Are you kidding me? Aloha Stadium is a dump. Nuff said. I don’t blame the Women Soccer for refusing to play on a broke a** sorry excuse of a field. Seams coming apart, sharp granular imbeds. Lose Money!!!
The NFL doesn’t complain. Only girls complain.
Can’t complain at the NFL. Too much gambling money is at stake here.
The field itself is not messed up. It has replaceable panels at the 50 yard line and the endzones. Instead of having to repaint an H logo and the end zones every time you have a non UH football game, they just pull up the panels and replace them with unpainted ones. The problem with the unpainted panels is that they are not used that often and the turf sticks up almost an inch taller than the rest of the game-worn field. In addition, the panels are just laid there in place with no stitching needed. Hope Solo was lifting up a panel in one of her twitter pics trying to say the seams were broken. They weren’t.
thank you. thats my point. there is nothing wrong with the field.
you are correct, I went to the Trinidad & Tobago soccer website and they said they were sad they couldn’t play as they understood it was going to be a sold out crowd…so I guess the US Team told them that. I was wondering where the TT team was because the game was called off at the last minute. I was thinking where were they???
even if it were, it should have been inspected well in advance by the women’s soccer officials, problems identified, if any and Chan would have time to exert warranty. The girls wanted a free Hawaii vacation and they got it.
For a soccer player running full speed while simultaneously chasing after a ball rolling on the ground and an opponent trying their best to take away control of that ball, the panel separation which Hope Solo pulled up, is broken and DANGEROUS for a soccer player. Everyone trying so hard for damage control with this incident but EVERYTHING from Oahu roads, parks, bathrooms, the Aloha Stadium, etc is run down and stadium official got caught with their pants down in selling the Aloha stadium as a “world class” soccer venue and got embarrassed big time. Spin it all you want for the purpose of soccer, the field is a failure if you can pull the turf apart to show separation and take a picture of it for the world to see.
At least the stadium buys good quality toilet paper.
I agree with Oahuan. Aloha Stadium is a dump ….playing soccer and football on that field are two different things and I can’t fault the women’s soccer team for criticizing and cancelling their appearance at the stadium. They are the best of the best in women’s world soccer and the playing conditions on that turf is pathetic and I cannot fault the soccer team because an injury might occur and then what….what a crummy playing surface…yes, it was wrong to cancel at the last minute but blame the soccer organization and not the women’s national team.
sounds like someone trying to save his job…
You go Scott! I hope that the truth of this matter will be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. If the tuft needs to be fixed…O.K. then get it done. If the complaints were unwarranted to go after everyone who can be named in a party to civil suit and get them to retract statements. Hold who needs to be accountable…well…accountable.
vindication. with no signed contract locking in the fifa soccer organization to using aloha stadium, vindication will be hard to earn.
Chan wish. I heard that China beat US not sure if its true.
Another example of substandard work product and maintenance from unionized public workers. Absolutely no accountability in public employment because the unions own the politicians and fund their campaigns. Scott Chan should resign, only a ding bat would cover a playing field with multiple panels with various degrees of wear, creating an uneven playing surface. The fact that there are any seams, much less ones that are peeling up is just plain dumb and could very well be unsafe.
The field was ‘open’ for inspection prior to the contract being signed. If there was evidence of substandard work, they wouldn’t have signed the contract. In this case, it is becoming clearer that the Stadium Authority is the fall guy here. The NFL uses the field regularly. If it was substandard, the Commissioner would pull the Pro Bowl. Something is not meeting the eye here; look to USA Soccer.
The fact that there were ANY seams is unacceptable.
Just look at the picture real well. The gals are already whining to the coach about having to play when they should be getting a vacation instead.
Management always expects the little man to pick up after his mistakes.
Clearly, Hawaii soccer fields are dangerous to female soccer players. No more female soccer until everything is brought up to par. Shut it down IMMEDIATELY!!! We don’t want them to get injured.