4 minute read
Champions Palace
Tour of the Chase Center
Christopher Araujo @chris_jrnlsm
The Chase Center home of the current NBA champions, The Golden State Warriors first opened their doors in 2019. The Warriors used to play in Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. At Oracle Arena the team used to be tenants but now, they have and own their own building.
Chase Center being located in San Francisco, California, is known for their heavy use of public transportation. Mission Bay in San Francisco is known as a transit first community so if people have an event ticket for the Chase Center you can use it as a ticket for transportation.
The player campus is connected to the home teams locker room with a weight room and equipment for the players to use. It also has two full sized courts for players to practice in. The Warriors locker room has a good nod to their old home Oracle Arena with the locker room roof being the same design as Oracle Arena. Also in the middle of the locker room there is hardwood with the team logo on it with the unwritten rule in all sports that to move and touch the ball very well to keep possession.
Number 14 Paige Nielsen took a shot on goal from outside the box forcing the goalie to push it out forcing a corner kick. In the nineteenth minute America had been struggling to find any offense as they had turned the ball over for DiDi Haracic the goalie. ACFCs defense had been making some great stops by number 3
Jasmyne Spencer and number 11 Sarah Gordon who kept interfering crosses and passes coming in. Thompson made it difficult for America’s defense as she continued to have good runs, nearly drawing a penalty kick. Number 18 Jun Endo was covering the midfield by scanning her area and retrieving possession. In the 32nd minute Thompson created danger again forcing the goalie to stretch for a corner kick. Endo set up a perfect pass for number 9 Savannah McCaskill who missed a sitter against the goalie. America quickly attacked with a great shot but ACFCs goalkeeper Haracic made a fantastic save. In the 43rd minute america had a good chance to level the game but the shot was shot up high giving ACFC a goal kick. The First half ended with ACFC being on top of the scoreline 1-0. Dominant defensive half for ACFC has Endo controlling the midfield with the right side of the field with Gorden and Spencer locking down the away team.
Second Half ACFC kicked off the second half right away with a goal by number 10 Claire Esmile but was ruled offside keeping the score 1-0. America came out the second half still struggling to find a rhythm to get the ball moving and lacking in defense. In the 55th minute ACFC scored yet again in a set piece after the ball was passed then crossed inside the box with number 14 Paige Nielsen brought the ball down and kicked it in. ACFC extended the lead to 2-0 as there were no signs of a fight by America in the field. Esmile and Spencer were substituted off who had a great first half as they received an ovation by the home team. ACFC continued their dominance in the 70th minute as they created more attacks with Endo having a shot on target. In the 75th minute number 21 Thompson was substituted off as she received a standing ovation from the BMO Stadium with her having a fantastic game creating space and danger in attack and a goal throughout the game. Goal in the 84th minute by number 7 Simone Charley who got a one on one opportunity with the away goalie and scored the dagger for ACFC to extend their lead 3-0. ACFC showed no signs of letting down as they continued to attack in the second half leaving America with no chances for them to create. In the end the final result was ACFC 3 Club America 0 with the home team winning their preseason friendly in a dominant win. Next game for ACFC will be in the National Women’s Soccer League season on March 26, 2023 as they open at home vs Gotham Football Club. since their opening day. Any event and any Golden State Warriors game is a sell out for the arena. The “Dubs” left Oracle Arena to play in their new home but the fans still show up to support their home team. With a Jumbotron that moves down from the roof. The Warriors are missed in Oakland but now use the Oracle Arena as a hub to the community of Oakland. Most NBA teams do not own their own building but the Golden State Warriors do and continue to raise banners in the Chase Center. no one should absolutely step in the logo as a sign of respect.
The double court is provided for players to practice in to get ready for their upcoming games. In there you will see their championship banners the franchise has won over the years. Around the walls there are pictures of some of their legendary players who wore the Warriors jersey to the current players today. What is very impressive in the double court is that there is facial recognition technology that records players movements and shots that will let players and coaches know shooting percentages and possible matchups for the teams upcoming game. It pulls data and tracks stats. For example, if a player makes three out of the five shots, it will show players and coaches those stats. Media is also held in the double court of the area for players to answer questions to the media.
The Chase Center has a lot of retail and restaurant spaces. Below the arena there is a steakhouse called “Miller & Lux,” where Warriors players show up sometimes to enjoy a meal after a game. There are also wine bars but Chase Center is working on adding more spots for attendees to enjoy. They are working with the city of San Francisco to get a Ferry service to ease the arrival for fans especially from Oakland, CA. There are a total of
60 theater boxes at Chase Center. There are dining tables that are more intimate.
On the side of the dining tables, there is a curtain where they can go through and sit in their seats. They are one of the few arenas that have those exclusive theater boxes. It is very very expensive to rent the theater boxes yet still demanding. Art pieces are all over the Chase Center hanging on their wall. There are roughly 300 pieces of museum art and some of them on loan from San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It represents the history of the Golden Warriors and the city of San Francisco.
The Chase Center still remains a sold out arena
