Shizuoka Stadium ECOPA (静岡スタジアム・エコパ, Shizuoka Sutajiamu Ekopa) is a sports stadium used primarily for football. The stadium is in Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, although the stadium itself is merely the centrepiece of the larger Ogasayama Sports Park which extends into neighbouring Kakegawa. The stadium's capacity is 50,889. It is now the primary venue for major sporting events in Shizuoka Prefecture, including track and field, for which it is fully equipped.
Usage
Shizuoka Stadium was opened in 2001 and played host to some matches during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, including Belgium versus Russia in the group stage (which Belgium won 3-2) and the quarter-final match between Brazil and England, which Brazil won 2-1.
Ecopa is the venue for J. League team Júbilo Iwata's more high profile games, including the Shizuoka Derby versus Shimizu S-Pulse and is also occasionally used as a home ground by Shimizu S-Pulse. It hosted the 2003 58th National Sports Festival of Japan main stadium.
In recent years Ecopa has also been home to one semifinal match of the Emperor's Cup, sharing the duty with the Kasumigaoka in Tokyo, although due to its isolation and the fact that both semifinals are held at the same time, Ecopa usually has less attendance.
The stadium has also been announced as one of the venues for 2019 Rugby World Cup (Japan) which will be the first Rugby World Cup to be held in Asia.[2]
Next to the stadium is the indoor Ecopa Arena which is used for various performances and shows.
Access
Aino Station was constructed at the same time as the stadium and is a fifteen-minute walk from the stadium. Aino Station is four minutes west of Kakegawa Station, the nearest Shinkansen station to Ecopa. When the stadium is used for J. League or international fixtures, shuttle buses run from Kakegawa station to the stadium.
The walk from Aino Station to the stadium is notable for the sixteen works of art which line the route. These were commissioned to commemorate the 2002 World Cup, with each art piece being designed by an artist from a previous host of the competition.
2002 FIFA World Cup matches
The following were played at Shizuoka during the 2002 world cup:
References
- ↑ http://www.ecopa.jp/facilities/stadium/
- ↑ "World Rugby approves revised Japan 2019 hosting roadmap". World Rugby. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
External links
Cameroon
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Belgium
Russia
England
Brazil