Cardinale Stadium
4111 2nd Ave., Seaside
When Cardinale Stadium was opened in 1951, it was then called Freeman Stadium, and was the home field of the Fort Ord Warriors, a semi-pro football team of servicemen that sometimes played the likes of the San Francisco 49ers, among others. While the stadium was renovated and reopened as a soccer stadium in 2021, its original designers may have chosen the location with purpose, one that could give soldiers an edge on their opponents, while at the same time toughening them up. Because how else could one explain the decision to put a stadium in the most foul microclimate in the Central Coast, a place where if it’s not foggy, it’s windy? Though that doesn’t stop the hardcore Monterey Bay F.C. fans from filling the stands in their thick jackets and beanies – perfect attire for a midsummer’s night at Cardinale.
