Monday Morning Center Back: Philly expansion gaining momentum

Good morning folks. It was a pretty good weekend of soccer action, both in Europe and here in the United States and lost in the drama of the final weekend of the MLS regular season was word out of the Philly area that Philadelphia is gaining serious momentum toward being the next MLS expansion franchise.

Delaware County officials have approved $30 million in funding toward a proposed $115 million stadium to be built in Chester, a Philly suburb. Now it appears that MLS and Philly expansion folks are working feverishly to secure more funding that would allow MLS to approve Philadelphia in time to announce Philly as a new expansion club at MLS Cup in a month. It just so happens that MLS Cup is in Washington D.C. this year, just a few hours from Philadelphia.

If approved, Philadelphia could join MLS in 2010, a year after Seattle is set to join the league and two years after San Jose.

Apparently word that Philly was next in line didn't sit too well with people in Portland. MLS commissioner Don Garber went to Portland last week and was promptly booted from a radio show by some pretty amateurish radio guys with a serious inferiority complex (The Garber interview is about 13 minutes and 35 seconds into that clip).

As many of you already know, I'm a big fan of adding Philadelphia for obvious reasons. The rivalries that would be created with the Red Bulls and DC United would be good from the start and the Philly area is one of the best areas for soccer in the country. Yes, places such as St. Louis and Portland have their strengths but for my money Philadelphia needs to be in the league ASAP.

What do you think? Are you happy about the Philadelphia news? Disappointed? Do you think the league is ready to add three teams in three years? Should it add more?

Share your thoughts on this topic below.

Comments

[YankatOxford]

Good, Philadelphia needs additional options for teams to support, the Eagles/Flyers/Sixers/Phillies have not delivered since 1983 collectively.

I think the matches would be incredibly well attended, and that the home side would enjoy the biggest home field advantage in America very quickly. A positive step for MLS, to tap into remaining large cities.

[Peter]

Yeah, I can't wait for another team that lets Philly fans down.

[Go Metro]

Chester is a really bad location. It's a bit of a haul for South Jersey residents who make up at least half the support of Philly sports teams. I guess, we should take what we can get but it seems like MLS is really bad at putting teams closer to the fans.

[Jay Goppingen]

Interesting article on the front page of the Star Ledger today... Could this affect the stadium timeline at all?

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1193032746190090.xml&coll=1

Little town a big target in hunt for corruption
Investigators eye Harrison
Monday, October 22, 2007
BY JEFF WHELAN, RICK HEPP AND JOHN P. MARTIN
Star-Ledger Staff

Just when every new tale of corruption, ethical lapses or curious decisions by public officials in New Jersey was starting to have that tired, been-there, done-that feeling, along comes Harrison.

[Chi Town Fire Fan]

St. Louis has a huge soccer base and several players from the St. Louis area play in the MLS and have played for the National team. Please don't forget a St. Louis team would have a rivalry with Chicago and Kansas City much the same way the baseball team does now. It would be a shame to lose this potential.

[Derek (Brooklyn)]

I've been waiting for an MLS team in Philadelphia for a while now so this is exciting news. I'm all for Portland, St. Louis, and even Seattle in the league (despite some concerns about Qwest stadium) but I don't think anyone can argue that adding a team in a Soccer Specific Stadium in a rabid sports town that is the 4th biggest media market to MLS is a good thing.

Stadium renderings are due out today as well so it should be an exciting day for proponents of SSS in MLS.

[grant]

I'm all for MLS expansion. But does anyone know if MLS has any concrete plans on how to deal with the inevitable talent dilution that will follow the addition of 3 teams in a three year period? Over-expansion helped kill the NHL and I would hate to see MLS follow the same path.

[Connor]

Those portland radio guys are ignorant...al of us soccer people are hippies

[nickmustgo]

Chester is a bad place to get to

[Moibus]

I don't really see how anyone who is a fan of MLS (as opposed to someone in Portland, St. Louis, etc) can think this is anything but a good thing. Philadelphia is way too large a cit/important a media market, not to have one. They seem to have the ownership group and a credible stadium plan and so 'Philly, come on down!'

As for the objections, while it may seem "like MLS is really bad at putting teams closer to the fans" the reality is is that at this point soccer in the US doesn't have enough (of anything) to get the prime, prime real estate for its stadia. Maybe in 20-30 years...

I actually think the one expansion team per year for 2008-12 is a good way of easing the the expansion, rather than adding say, SJ, then two in 2009 and two more in 2011. Assuming the salary cap is raised a decent amount and the YI/SI slots expanded, dilution of talent isn't an issue. If you pay them they will come.

As far as the other candidate cities, boorish behavior among sports radio guys aside, I think Portland is the next city that *should* get one. MLS will be a huge success there.

[Gino]

I'm all for a philly team. Mostly b/c I live just a few minutes from the Walt Whitman bridge. There is already a fan group "Sons of Ben" which I think has about a 1,000 members and is just waiting for a team. My only concern is putting the team in Chester. I don't believe it is accessible by mass transit which I think should be a requirement for any new stadiums in urban areas.

[Derek (Brooklyn)]

Chester is accessible on SEPTA via the Regional Rail system (R3 I think).

I love these guys on the Portland radio show. They refer to MLS as a minor league and casually mention that there is an MLS team in Guadalajara, Mexico. That is what I call doing your research through wikipedia.

[Doug]

St. Louis has done everything humanly possible to secure an MLS bid. It's also the birthplace of American soccer and a franchise would be a guaranteed success. You have to love how Garber just strings cities along. Ridiculous. Thanks for a fine Monday morning Ives!

http://www.stlouissoccerunited.com/

[Bill in Md.]

I can understand the concerns about talent dillution with the addition of three new teams to MLS in three years. But with the $90 million in expansion fees, it's likely will see more money spent on salaries, which will help greatly with the talent issue. Soccer's a global sport, so with more money, we'll have many more options to develop and acquire good players.

I'd be just as concerned about where they'll get good coaching candidates, not retreads.

[Paul Lorinczi]

Talent dilution questions...

US Soccer is implementing a nationwide youth academy system. The IMG Academy just is not getting the job done in identifying talent in this country. There is a lot of talent being overlooked. Through the Academy system through various clubs throughout the country, the hope is to identify more talent.

Another trend you will see in the coming years is the invasion of top European Clubs into the US Market. For the Euro-snobs out there, the numbers speak for themselves.

Our club here in Indianapolis was recently signed by Celtic to be a partner club in the US. Celtic through their foundation is helping underwrite the inner city after school Soccer program at both Indianapolis Public Schools and Washington Township schools.

There is a shift in this country right now. As more of us are having kids and introducing them to Football, the sport is becoming generational. My Son is 15 and the 3rd generation behind my Dad and myself playing the game. You are starting to see a lot of it happening.

Oh...the Celtic thing...there is going to be a U15 tournament in Indianapolis every year called the North American Cup bringing Youth Academy teams from Celtic, Liverpool, and Barcelona to the US to play at a tournament.

So...to answer your concerns...I think the problem will be solving itself with the more emphasis by US Soccer and Euro-clubs getting more involved in youth development.

The talent is here, it just needs developing.

[Tim]

Again, I mentioned this on another thread, but why no teams in the southeast? Charlotte, Raleigh, Birmingham, Tampa, Miami, Atlanta, or even Nashville could all support an MLS franchise. One thing I have a concern about when MLS starts to "cluster" teams in a region, like NY/Philly or Portland/Seattle is that it "alienates" the rest of the country. Somebody in Raleigh, N.C., which has a huge soccer fan base and already has a soccer specific stadium, could probably care less about some west coast rivalry. Raleigh already has SAS Soccer Park, which has hosted two NCAA championships, a pre-WC match between the U.S. and Jamaica, and several women's soccer events, all to sellout crowds. The Jamaica/U.S. match tickets sold out the first day they went on sale. The stadium currently has a capacity around 9000-10000, and could also easily be added on to at the grass end. Infrastructure, parking, and all the other costly components are already in place, not to mention the land, which in that part of Raleigh is very expensive. The additon of an MLS franchise I think would easily entice Raleigh to expand the stadium. Raleigh also has a good history with pro franchises, namely the Carolina Hurricanes, who've won a Stanley cup, and play to capacity crowds of 20+ thousand routinely.

[Brian]

Adding Philly is great. Yet another close road trip for the Screaming Eagles!

[George H.]

Since I live in the Philly area, this is great news. With the population density and media market here, it makes a ton of sense for MLS. The rivlaries with DC, Red Bull and NE will definitely raise the level of passion at the games. Plus, you will see more road support when these teams are playing each other.

Unfortunately, in order to get a SSS built today, you have to go to locations such as Chester as the economics don't work in more centrally-located and established areas. The land becomes too valuable as there are several other potential uses for it.

I really hope that all of the other candidate cities get their own MLS franchises in due time, but I'm hoping the Philly's time has finally come.

[J]

I'm totally for expanding the foot print of MLS and think Philly would be huge given its proximity to other cities.

On a side note, can someone provide a link to where "St. Louis is the birthplace of American Soccer?"

[Hoot]

I grew up 5-10 minutes from the projected site and it has its pros and cons. The major con is that Chester is, for the most part, a terrible, horrible place. It is a den of poverty, crime, and corruption and was once even featured in George magazine as "Toxic Town, USA" and one of the 10 most corrupt cities in America. The location they've chosen to build the stadium, though, isn't all that bad. My understanding is that they're putting it in an area on the Delaware right next to the new slots casino and racetrack that were built there last year. I guess the thought is that adding an MLS team there would help galvanize the efforts to reinvigorate the area.

Also, it shouldn't be that hard to get to the stadium. It's only a few minutes off of I-95, right near the Commodore Barry Bridge and Blue Route interchanges. This should allow pretty easy access to the people in both south Jersey and the northern and western PA suburbs. Game scheduling could be tricky, though, because rush hour is pretty nasty.

As far as support goes, I think the team will draw really well. There has been a large youth soccer presence for years that has produced some pretty good players.(Bobby Convey to name one.) My only concern is that the overly aggressive and sometimes mean-spirited local sports media might ignore or undermine the team. This especially comes into play if expansion exacerbates the already shallow pool of talent in the league and the team is dreadful.

[A.S.]

I too am concerned about the Chester location. I'm a little puzzled by the statements that it is hard to get to - it's right off 95 and there is another highway (the Blue Route) to some of the fancy suburbs like Radnor. But Chester itself is a bit iffy, I think.

[Doug]

ok fine, birthplace is a little dramatic. I'm just frustrated.

* St. Louis' national soccer prominence has a rich history that reaches as far back as the U.S. upset of England in the 1950 World Cup, where nearly half of the U.S. National Team was recruited out of St. Louis. The movie, "The Game of Their Lives" is a documentary of this historical moment. Despite an unlikely finish in the 1950 World Cup with a roster chock-full of St. Louis players, the United States would not reach the World Cup again until 1990.

* Al Trost became the 21st St. Louis soccer personality to be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame on August 28, 2006. St. Louis is home to more Hall of Fame inductees than any other city in the nation, with the exception of New York.

* The Raiders, part of the original North American Soccer League, were the first St. Louis semi-professional soccer team in 1947. Four members of the Raiders represented the United States in the 1948 Olympics; five played on the 1950 World Cup team. The semi-professional NASL folded in 1953 due to lack of fields.

* Kutis emerged as the prominent amateur soccer team during the 1950s. In 1958, the entire Kutis team was selected to represent the United States National Team. Bob Kehoe is perhaps Kutis' most legendary player, acting as captain of the U.S. National Team in 1965 and as coach of Kutis in 1972. The team still exists today.

* Bob Hermann, St. Louis native, pioneered the first American professional soccer league, the North American Soccer League (NASL). He also inaugurated the Hermann Award (college soccer's equivalent of the Heismann trophy for men and women). He was also President and Owner of the St. Louis Stars (NASL). Saint Louis University's soccer-specific Hermann Stadium is named after him.

* The St. Louis Stars immediately drew attention from many mainstream sports fans who previously would have never been distracted from MLB Cardinals baseball, NFL Cardinals football, or NBA Hawks basketball. Using known St. Louis-based players, the Stars led the league in attendance in its first year, averaging over 7,000 fans per game.

* Saint Louis University men's and women's teams rank nationally in the top ten and twenty respectively, in attendance. Saint Louis University Men's Soccer holds the NCAA record with 10 National Championships; Saint Louis University Women's Soccer celebrated its 10th season of existence in 2005 with an NCAA tournament berth and 1st round upset over Stanford University. Saint Louis University Men's Soccer is considered the first true soccer dynasty, having won 5 National titles between 1959-1965 and 10 titles in its storied history.

Note: 6,500 people attended Saint Louis University's first match in the newly renovated Hermann Stadium in 1999, a 2-1 upset of defending NCAA National Champions Indiana University. Hermann Stadium was also host to the 2006 NCAA Men’s College Cup in December that saw California-Santa Barbara defeat UCLA 2-1.

* St. Louis youth soccer has the highest average rate of participation in the game of any MLS existing or proposed markets, with 303,000 participants or 10.2% of the population. (CSL Preliminary Study: Participation by Metro Area, CSL.)

[Haig]

"There is already a fan group 'Sons of Ben' which I think has about a 1,000 members and is just waiting for a team."

You should note that the "Sons of Ben" counts everyone who has signed their petition in support of bringing a team to MLS as a member. That number is nonsense-- largely soccer moms and dads who signed the petition at Kixx games, and who won't be in what we know as a "supporters club."

[RK]

Tell StL to get moving on a stadium if it wants a team. It is that simple. I'm not expecting or complaining that Atlanta -- or any southern city, for that matter -- isn't getting a team, because no one has stepped up to pay for a team or a stadium.

[Joel]

I too think the talent dilution issue is a real one. Let's face it, its not like we're dealing with a wealth of talent to start with anway in the MLS, and further diluting an already average amount of talent will not be good for continued growth going forward.

That being said, the MLS needs to be placed in cities where there is the potential for rivalry building and active fan bases, and Philadelphia would certainly be one of those. I just have to wonder how it makes sense to place a team in Seattle and San Jose (second time around for SJ) before places like Philly and St. Louis.