Estadio Chillogallo, Football stadium in southern Quito, Ecuador
Estadio Gonzalo Pozo Ripalda, known as La Caldera del Sur, stands at Rumichaca avenue and Moromoro street in Chillogallo, southern Quito. Its natural grass pitch measures 105 by 68 metres, with seating split into palcos (310), tribunas (4,763), General Norte (5,755), General Sur (5,380) and General Central (5,281). The ground remains unfinished: the general and preference stands were never fully built.
The first stone was laid on 24 May 1986 under President León Febres-Cordero, and work began in 1987 with funding from Jaime Nebot Saadi. The planned 28,000 seats were cut to 22,000 for economic reasons, and the ground opened on 19 February 1994 with a 4-1 friendly win over Junior de Barranquilla. It was named after Gonzalo Pozo Ripalda on 24 November 2013.
Aucas fans call the ground La Caldera del Sur, the "Southern Cauldron". The name honours Gonzalo Pozo Ripalda, a player of the provincial five-title run between 1945 and 1949; the club gave the stadium his name on 24 November 2013 before a Serie B match against Ferroviarios. The ground also hosts concerts, including Iron Maiden on 10 March 2009.
The stadium is accessible by public transportation, with multiple bus routes connecting it to different areas of Quito. Visitors should check local schedules and allow adequate travel time to reach the venue.
The stadium's nickname, La Caldera del Sur (The Southern Cauldron), predates its official name: the club only dedicated it to Gonzalo Pozo Ripalda, a reference of the 1945-1949 provincial five-time championship team, on 24 November 2013. Concerts also feature: Nightwish played on 10 December 2004 and Rata Blanca on 29 October 2010.
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