MLS: Ranking all 24 Major League Soccer stadiums

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 08: A wide view of the pitch from the stands of Mercedes Benz Stadium just prior to the start of the 2018 Audi MLS Cup Championship match between Atlanta United and the Portland Timbers at the Mercedes Benz Stadium on December 08, 2018 in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images) /

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VANCOUVER, BC – MAY 31: Toronto FC plays The Vancouver Whitecaps during their match at BC Place on May 31, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Devin Manky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

19. Vancouver Whitecaps – BC Place – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Capacity: 22,120

Opened: 1983

Pros: Retractable roof, location

Cons: Retractable roof, artificial surface, capacity

BC Place is a tricky one. On the one hand, its location, right in the middle of downtown Vancouver, couldn’t be better and its retractable roof makes it one of the most fan-friendly venues in the league, given the climate in the Pacific Northwest. On the other hand, it is too big for MLS (the upper deck is creatively tarped off for Whitecaps matches), the artificial surface is one of the worst in the league and purists would argue that the roof takes away the unpredictability of playing in the elements (hence the double dose of retractable roof in the pros and cons section). Not to mention the shadows when the roof is open. Somewhere between shared and unshared (the BC Lions of the CFL do play there, but the sightlines aren’t as bad as other shared venues), BC Place is unlike any other MLS stadium. Whether that’s a good thing or not, though, is up for debate.

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