Will the Union save soccer in Philly?
First they had a voice.
Then they built a stadium.
Now they have a name.
But will it be enough?
The Philadelphia Union revealed their name and team logo today at an event in Center City. The soccer community has always had a voice in Philadelphia [see our friends at Philly Midfielders]. But will the voice be loud enough? We’ll find out in 11 months when the 2010 season starts, but with all the money being put into the Union’s new home, it’s definitely worth a good conversation.
The stadium will sit at the foot of the Commodore Barry Bridge in Chester, Delaware County. Chester was the first in the Philadelphia area to get a casino, having Harrah’s enter the community within the past five years. Aside from that, the soccer stadium is one of few attempts made to rebuild the Chester community which has inherited a reputation of crime and poverty.
Will the soccer community be able to clean up that reputation? Will this new team jump-start a regional interest in soccer? If David Beckham’s stint in America is any indication, the answer is no. It’s a shame, because Philadelphia is notorious for its sports teams and their respective fan bases. I have no reason to believe that Union fans will be any exception to the precedent that Eagles, Flyers, Phillies and Sixers fans have set, but will they survive?
Their new stadium will hold 18,500 for soccer games, fairly low for a soccer stadium. Eventually time will tell if the Union will be strong enough to survive, but for now there is an apprehensive hope. Will their small group of passionate fans be enough to keep them from having the same fate as the Philadelphia Charge who lasted only three years?
