For the first time since 1968, the U.S. men’s national soccer team will play an official game in Philadelphia. As part of this year’s Concacaf Gold Cup, the Stars & Stripes will take on Panama in the second game of Saturday’s quarterfinal doubleheader at Lincoln Financial Field. Canada meets Honduras in the opener at 5 p.m. For the area, the Gold Cup couldn’t have come at a better time. Excitement builds around the Philadelphia Union, set to join Major League Soccer in 2010 in 2010 and play at a new 18,500-seat stadium under construction at the base of the Commodore Barry Bridge in Chester, Pa.
“It’s especially exciting for all of us to be here in Philadelphia,” U.S. coach Bob Bradley said during a press conference. “It’s a great sports city and a great soccer city. The timing of us being here with the news of the Philadelphia Union serves everybody well.” Bradley also spoke about the area’s soccer roots: “When you think about Philadelphia as a soccer city, you’ve got great history. You’ve got a part of Delaware and South Jersey, and the way it all connects. It will be a diverse crowd. There will be fans to certainly support the USA, but there will be fans supporting Canada, Honduras and Panama. There’s going to be a great atmosphere in the stadium.”
Chuck Blazer, Concacaf’s general secretary, also emphasized the importance of diverse soccer crowds in Philadelphia and America. “One of the reasons the U.S. has worked as a venue for the Gold Cup is because these venues turn out to be home stadiums for the visiting teams,” he said. “A very positive aspect of this is that we’re able to attract, from within the communities, people who are able to support each of the teams. I’m expecting a great crowd. Every team that plays here should be able to feel reasonably at home.”