Railing at brand-new Audi Field falls, hits D.C. United sideline reporter

D.C. United beat the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night, but Audi Field’s opening could have gone better.

A railing at the brand-new stadium fell and hit sideline reporter Lindsay Simpson before the game. It was the first game for DC United at the near $200 million stadium.

An author for MLS’ website noted that Simpson’s incident may not have been the only one involving a falling railing.

D.C. United moved from RFK Stadium to Audi Field. RFK, built in 1961, had its own issues. It was falling apart seven years ago, long before Audi Field opened. But a 50-year-old stadium having problems is a bit different than a state-of-the-art stadium on opening night. At least we know duct tape is as reliable as always.

Thankfully the railing didn’t hit Simpson in the head. The former college soccer player is also the team’s director of communications.

The first game at Audi Field was also D.C.’s first game with Wayne Rooney. The former Manchester United and Everton forward made the move to MLS when the Premier League season was over. Rooney entered the game in the 58th minute as D.C. beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0.

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter

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