California women's soccer team relocates

Women's Professional Soccer's top-ranked team finally has a home to call their own.

FC Gold Pride, based in Santa Clara, California, moved into the newly-renovated Pioneer Stadium on the campus of California State University East Bay last week. The team, which sits in first place in WPS, had been playing home games on a lined football field at Castro Valley High and held training sessions all over Southern California.

Pioneer Stadium will give the team its own home field to practice and play on in front of panoramic views of San Francisco Bay. The 5,400-seat stadium offers the team a level of comfort, coach Albertin Montoya told the San Jose Mercury News. "We're finally gonna be at one location and a place where we can call home."

Last year, the team shared Santa Clara University's Buck Shaw Stadium with their Major League Soccer equivalents, the San Jose Earthquakes. Renovations to their new field cost about $1.97 million and included replacing turf, updating sidewalks and fences, and widening the field.

Sports team relocations can often spur public interest in the team and bring more fans to the park, a trend that team officials hope takes hold for the Gold Pride.

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