Major League Soccer has gone through a recent wave of expansion that has added teams in Toronto (2007) and Seattle (2009). The success of these additional franchises encouraged MLS owners to continue to expand the league. And with MLS ready and willing, it only became a matter of which city would be most receptive to a new team.
When reports began in 2007 that suggested that the league would be interested in adding a team based in the Philadelphia area for the 2010 season, soccer fans in Philadelphia took action. The supporters group called “The Sons of Ben” was founded, taking the name of the famous American Benjamin Franklin. The Sons of Ben made many efforts to drum up interest in the general public for an MLS side, such as running season ticket drives to prove that a club in Philadelphia would be financially viable.
The league was convinced that the city was ready for a team, and Philadelphia Union were added as the 16th MLS side on 28th February, 2008; ready to appear in their inaugural season in 2010.
As an expansion team, Philadelphia were entitled to take part in the 2009 Expansion Draft. The newcomers were allowed to choose ten players from the different teams in MLS, while other teams were allowed to protect eleven players from being selected. Philadelphia made a strong pick in French striker Sébastian Le Toux from Seattle Sounders. Seattle, themselves an expansion team in 2009, did not protect Le Toux, even though the striker had won the Most Valuable Player Award for the USL First Division in 2007 and had been first player ever signed by the club. Le Toux is currently Philadelphia’s leading goalscorer.
For head coach, the new additions took on the Polish former professional Piotr Nowak. As a player, Nowak enjoyed a productive spell in the German Bundesliga in the mid 90s, before moving to the United States to finish his career with Chicago Fire. As a coach, the Pole helped DC United to their fourth MLS Cup before taking a break from domestic coaching to take the role of assistant coach with the United States national team during the 2008 Olympics. With Nowak at the helm, Philadelphia have years of experience and soccer knowledge leading the way.
With all the players and management selected, the team was prepared to play in their brand new venue. PPL Park, a stadium made specifically for Philadelphia Union, was opened on 27th June, 2010 for their first match of the MLS season. As a considerate show of gratitude to the supporters group that played a big part in bringing a team to Philadelphia, a section of PPL Park is reserved for members of The Sons of Ben. The home team won their first match, defeating last year’s expansion side Seattle Sounders 3-1.
Sides in the MLS play 30 games during the regular season. Now at the midway point of this campaign, Philadelphia are only two points removed from the bottom of the table, having won only four of their 14 matches. By comparison, Seattle, the most recent expansion team, played very well in their first season, advancing to the MLS Cup Playoffs. Toronto FC on the other hand, produced a very poor inaugural season, winning only six of their 30 games. Early results have not dismayed Philadelphia supporters, who still arrive in droves regularly for home matches.
Philadelphia recently had the opportunity to test their form against two of the top clubs in the world. The American side played matches against Scottish giants Celtic and world renowned Manchester United during the European teams’ tour of North America. Philadelphia defeated the former by a score of 1-0, and Union held their own for much of the match against Manchester United. Ultimately, a late effort by the English decided the game, as Man Utd won by a lone goal. Though substitutes featured largely in both matches, it is an encouraging sign that an expansion MLS team can remain competitive with these top European sides.
The MLS is prepared to add three more teams over the next two years, which will give the league 19 teams by 2012. With successful expansion franchises in Toronto and Seattle, and a positive inaugural season for Philadelphia, the MLS seems to be encouraging a new interest in soccer in North America, the likes of which has never been seen before.
