soccerstadiumdigest.com

San Jose Earthquakes Lew Wolff unveiled renderings of a proposed new stadium near San Jose International Airport, but we're not sure whether it will hasten construction of the facility.

Wolff unveiled the renderings of the proposed $60-million facility at the Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation Dinner Saturday night. "These designs show our desire to create an intimate atmosphere that helps every fan connect to the game on the field," said Wolff in a press release. "This European-style stadium will have the fans closer to the pitch than any other stadium in Major League Soccer."

And the drawings sure are pretty. They show a smaller horseshoe-style facility anchored by a high-definitions scoreboard on the open end. Wolff says he wants to see fans closer to the action than in any other stadium, but there's a limit as to how close they can get: MLS rules dictate signage on each side of the field, which tends to buffer fans from the sidelines.

The renderings from Kansas City's 360 Architecture are just theoretical drawings of how a stadium could work: there's no budget, no plans for a groundbreaking, and no financing arranged. Wolff admitted there's a backup plan that could have the 'Quakes share a new Oakland A's ballpark as well. With nothing in place except an option to develop the land, it's hard to say what Wolff was trying to accomplish with the unveiling of the renderings -- except drum up interest for the 2010 'Quakes season.