A stylish soccer space opens in the brand in America

As the sun sets over the San Gabriel Mountains, a group of people pass through a vibrant soccer field, tossing a ball through the air. They’re surrounded by the light of downtown Glendale’s cityscape—in sight are tree-lined streets, elegant civic architecture, and Eiffel Tower-esque architecture.

It’s easy to forget you’re on top of a parking structure at the mall.

Skyline Pitch is a 25,000-square-foot open-air sports facility occupying the top level of the Americana at Brand, transforming what was once a concrete block into a playground for soccer fans of all ages and skill levels.

Pick-up games start at $15 in the open air.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Developed by Chicago-based marketing agency Elemento L2, the complex opened its LA location this fall with two rooftop soccer fields, a sheet cage (essentially a small enclosed area for speed-focused games of 1-on-1 or 2-on-2), a tennis court (a small rectangular court with a split net section) and offers other games. 15 ways for athletes to engage with sports. The venue also has lovely lounge areas where patrons can hang out, order food, sip mocktails, watch sports on flat-screen TVs and dance to music by live DJs on special nights.

Skyline Pitch follows the trend of sports clubs moving into shopping centers as retail leaders try to meet consumer expectations for new experiences and activities. In the past few years, indoor pickleball spot Pickle Pop opened in Santa Monica, as part of an effort to revive the Third Street blight, and Paddle Up (dedicated to the sport of paddle) Westfield Century entered the city. Also this past summer, Racquet Sports Social Club announced it would take over the derelict Macy’s building on the block in Lawntown LA.

In the world of recreational soccer, converting part of the parking structure to create the Skyline Pitch is a smart move, helping to overcome one of the persistent obstacles for players in LA: the lack of space.

A view of downtown LA from the soccer field

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

“Finding a place to play is the hardest thing,” says Matthew Bambrick, founder of SoCal Youth Sports, one of the local organizations that hosts youth training camps and other programs along Skyline Patch. “So finding unused spaces or space that can be revitalized in different ways is really, really smart. That should be the map.”

For Elemento L2 co-founder Ivan Lopez, it means opening a second Skyline pitch in LA — the first was in Chicago — not only because it’s home to three professional teams and will host the FIFA World Cup next summer, but because of the city’s rich soccer culture.

People enjoy football in the evening.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

“Stadiums are full if it is [the] Gold Cup, World Cup, [UEFA] Nations League, and we celebrate the game in many ways,” says Lopez, who has been traveling to L.A. for years to create soccer activities for brands like Target and Coca-Cola. “This is where the game is alive and well.”

Anyone who wants to play at Skyline Pitch can sign up for pickup games starting at $15, rent the entire field starting at $150 or buy a $20 activity pass, which gives you access for two hours. The space is also available for private events and birthday parties. Along with SoCal Youth Sports, other local partners include Cal South Soccer and Soccer Stars Los Angeles.

Jimmy Conrad, who played five years for the National Football Team and 12 years for Major League Soccer, has become a brand ambassador for Skyline Pitch and says he would have liked a place like Skyline Pitch when he was growing up in LA, a place where people were “encouraged to play football.”

“It didn’t exist in my generation,” he says. Although streets and local parks [offer] More than enough room to play, he says, having a dedicated space with proper goals and lines “just ups the cool factor.”