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Fans cheered as the Greenville Triumph claimed its first win at its new stadium in front of a sold-out crowd.
The Triumph opened the G.E. Vernova Park on June 3 against Forward Madison in front of a crowd of around 4,300, winning a gritty 1-0.
GE Vernova Park represents a $27.5 million public-private investment — with contributions from Greenville Pro Soccer ($13.5M), the State of South Carolina ($12M), and the City of Mauldin ($4M), along with donated land and in-kind development support from Hughes Investments, developer of BridgeWay Station.
"It feels kind of like a relaunch in a way," longtime Triumph fan Chris Rizakis said. "I'm really excited to have an actual stadium to ourselves. We're not renting out a space from anyone, and fans will be closer to home."
Fans enjoyed a pre-match Fan Fest at BridgeWay Station, which began at 4:30 p.m., a flyover by the South Carolina Air National Guard, and a fireworks show followed the final whistle.
More: Greenville Triumph SC sells out home opener at new GE Vernova Park
Anticipation for the upcoming stadium has been building since the fall 2024 announcement by international soccer star Ronaldinho to the Greenville Triumph and Liberty's ownership group.
Construction officially began in late September 2025.
GE Vernova Park is designed to complement BridgeWay Station’s unique European-inspired architecture, which features grand columns, ornamental cornices, Italian-inspired towers, and archways that serve as entrances to the stadium and the community.
"It feels like we're committed to success. It's tremendous," Rizakis said.
Hours before kickoff, fans streamed into parking lots surrounding G.E. Vernova Park, lining the stadium entrances as they waited for gates to open ahead of the Greenville Triumph's inaugural match at the city's new soccer venue.
Chris Harris, a Seattle native, said he's excited to see this team grow along with the stadium. The Seattle Sounders are widely regarded as the best fan and team support in American soccer. Harris said that, despite the Triumph not being as widely supported as the Sounders, this is the beginning of many people in the area becoming fans.
"To see this finally pop up here, I can't wait to see it grow. This is a great start, having this stadium here," Harris said.
The stadium's intimate seating layout kept spectators close to the action, helping fans maintain a sense of closeness to the match. Concession areas offered a variety of food and beverage options, though demand at times led to lines. The club hopes GE Vernova Park will become a venue that delivers a game-day atmosphere, a hallmark of Triumph matches.
More: Opening week at Greenville’s new soccer stadium: What fans should know
The Triumph was originally scheduled to host the stadium's first match on May 9, rather than June 3, but a winter storm that began on Jan. 25 and continued sporadically through Feb. 1 created significant challenges across the project.
"I was willing to wait for us to find the right place and the right people to get this stadium. We needed to have the time to make sure it's a place that fits us," Rizakis said.
After the Forward Madison match, the Triumph will play their next home fixture against Virginia-based side Loudoun United on Wednesday, June 10, at 7 p.m.
Tickets for the match depend on the time of purchase and what seats are available. To purchase tickets, guests will use the Greenville Triumph website.
Chasity and her husband, Jamie Ruth, brought their daughters to the game. Chasity said they're a soccer family and feel that the stadium's proximity to the rest of Greenville has played a big role in families' ability to come to more games.
"It's great to see this area now have this team. We now have this beautiful facility, and it's something the more populated Greenville area can run to when wanting to watch soccer," Ruth said.
From their inaugural season in 2019 through 2022, the Greenville Triumph played their home games at Legacy Early College Field, 900 Woodside Ave. In that same year, the Greenville Liberty (women's soccer) became affiliated with the Upstate soccer brand.
Since then, both clubs have hosted games at Furman University's Paladin Stadium.
The team played its home games of the 2026 season at Furman soccer's Eugene Stone Soccer Stadium
The overall sentiment among supporters appeared positive, with most viewing the inconveniences as typical opening-night challenges for a brand-new facility.
"We were the red-headed stepchild at our old stadiums; we're now at a new stadium where it's our home," Ruth said.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Long-awaited G.E. Vernova Park opens to a Triumph win, fireworks
Continue reading...
The Triumph opened the G.E. Vernova Park on June 3 against Forward Madison in front of a crowd of around 4,300, winning a gritty 1-0.
GE Vernova Park represents a $27.5 million public-private investment — with contributions from Greenville Pro Soccer ($13.5M), the State of South Carolina ($12M), and the City of Mauldin ($4M), along with donated land and in-kind development support from Hughes Investments, developer of BridgeWay Station.
"It feels kind of like a relaunch in a way," longtime Triumph fan Chris Rizakis said. "I'm really excited to have an actual stadium to ourselves. We're not renting out a space from anyone, and fans will be closer to home."
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Fans enjoyed a pre-match Fan Fest at BridgeWay Station, which began at 4:30 p.m., a flyover by the South Carolina Air National Guard, and a fireworks show followed the final whistle.
More: Greenville Triumph SC sells out home opener at new GE Vernova Park
Anticipation for the upcoming stadium has been building since the fall 2024 announcement by international soccer star Ronaldinho to the Greenville Triumph and Liberty's ownership group.
Construction officially began in late September 2025.
GE Vernova Park is designed to complement BridgeWay Station’s unique European-inspired architecture, which features grand columns, ornamental cornices, Italian-inspired towers, and archways that serve as entrances to the stadium and the community.
"It feels like we're committed to success. It's tremendous," Rizakis said.
You must be registered for see images attach
Fans pack G.E. Vernova Park for inaugural Triumph match
Hours before kickoff, fans streamed into parking lots surrounding G.E. Vernova Park, lining the stadium entrances as they waited for gates to open ahead of the Greenville Triumph's inaugural match at the city's new soccer venue.
Chris Harris, a Seattle native, said he's excited to see this team grow along with the stadium. The Seattle Sounders are widely regarded as the best fan and team support in American soccer. Harris said that, despite the Triumph not being as widely supported as the Sounders, this is the beginning of many people in the area becoming fans.
"To see this finally pop up here, I can't wait to see it grow. This is a great start, having this stadium here," Harris said.
You must be registered for see images
The stadium's intimate seating layout kept spectators close to the action, helping fans maintain a sense of closeness to the match. Concession areas offered a variety of food and beverage options, though demand at times led to lines. The club hopes GE Vernova Park will become a venue that delivers a game-day atmosphere, a hallmark of Triumph matches.
More: Opening week at Greenville’s new soccer stadium: What fans should know
The Triumph was originally scheduled to host the stadium's first match on May 9, rather than June 3, but a winter storm that began on Jan. 25 and continued sporadically through Feb. 1 created significant challenges across the project.
"I was willing to wait for us to find the right place and the right people to get this stadium. We needed to have the time to make sure it's a place that fits us," Rizakis said.
You must be registered for see images attach
Who's next?
After the Forward Madison match, the Triumph will play their next home fixture against Virginia-based side Loudoun United on Wednesday, June 10, at 7 p.m.
Tickets for the match depend on the time of purchase and what seats are available. To purchase tickets, guests will use the Greenville Triumph website.
Chasity and her husband, Jamie Ruth, brought their daughters to the game. Chasity said they're a soccer family and feel that the stadium's proximity to the rest of Greenville has played a big role in families' ability to come to more games.
"It's great to see this area now have this team. We now have this beautiful facility, and it's something the more populated Greenville area can run to when wanting to watch soccer," Ruth said.
From their inaugural season in 2019 through 2022, the Greenville Triumph played their home games at Legacy Early College Field, 900 Woodside Ave. In that same year, the Greenville Liberty (women's soccer) became affiliated with the Upstate soccer brand.
Since then, both clubs have hosted games at Furman University's Paladin Stadium.
The team played its home games of the 2026 season at Furman soccer's Eugene Stone Soccer Stadium
The overall sentiment among supporters appeared positive, with most viewing the inconveniences as typical opening-night challenges for a brand-new facility.
"We were the red-headed stepchild at our old stadiums; we're now at a new stadium where it's our home," Ruth said.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Long-awaited G.E. Vernova Park opens to a Triumph win, fireworks
Continue reading...
