According to Sports Business Journal, the Philadelphia Union have sold their waterfront stadium’s naming rights to a local power company called Philadelphia Power & Lights (PPL). The deal will be for 10 years, $20 million.

Not bad at all for the Union considering Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah was for roughly $1-2 million a year for ten years. Also not bad considering Chicago’s Toyota Park deal with Toyota was for roughly $750,000 a year for 10 years to sponsor the Fire’s home.

So far it sounds like a good deal for Union fans. A $1-2 million a year deal isn’t bad at all.

Now the question comes down to whether or not it will be PPL Park, PPL Stadium, PPL Field, etc. The deal is being finalized and should be done by the end of the week.

Thanks to the MLS Insider for taking this footage yesterday while in Philadelphia. I must say this stadium has some serious potential to be one of the better ones in the league. What do you think?

MLS Insider: Inside the Union Stadium from mlsinsider on Vimeo.

Thanks to the Philadelphia Union for these recent photos of their new stadium in Chester. Things are really coming along. From the sounds of things they are about 50-60% done with the stadium. Very good to see.

Chester Stadium currently under construction. (Photo via Philadelphia Union)

Editor’s Note: Geoff Reid appears on WVHooligan each week. Today he is back to discuss something that is very close to home, the soon to be expansion Philadelphia Union. Geoff lives just 15 minutes away from the new club. Feel free to leave Geoff your thoughts below.

With just under six months before Major League Soccer’s newest club takes the field in Seattle in the 2010 opener, I thought it be good to give an update on where my local club are in preparation. It doesn’t seem like that long ago, we had the official announcement on February 28th, 2008 in Chester, Pennsylvania. While I haven’t been down in the area all that long, I always had concerns about MLS putting a team in the Delaware Valley. At the time, I thought St. Louis would have been a much more viable option, however, since that point I can safely say I’ve jumped on the bandwagon.

The club’s owners right from the start seemed like they were up against it: economic downturn, trying to sell the idea of re-building a historic, but rundown city by having a team and stadium as it’s crown jewel in a complete redevelopment of the area to the local government and promising to be a success all at the same time. Needless to say they accomplished that first part.

The ownership also had to field questions regarding if they still had enough cash to pull everything off with one of them losing a big chunk of money a year ago when the stock market dropped. The rumors of FC Barcelona even coming in and taking a stake was discussed but nothing came about after the Catalans decided to pull out of the Miami bid. There was also talk of the Montreal Impact coming in 2010 and pushing Philadelphia back to 2011. The panic button could have easily been pushed, but the ownership has stuck to their guns and currently the only news coming out of the club is good news. Sure there has been hurdles to jump over since the planning officially began on February 28, 2008, but careful brainstorming in all aspects while making small tweaks to the big overall picture has shown the group knows exactly what they are doing.
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Dilly Duka may be a guy we need to start getting use to seeing with the national team. (Getty Images)

Every once in a while people I usually disagree with get something right. I’m sure it happens with some of you where you hardly ever agree with me but I write something that is absolute truth for once. I know, it happens both ways. Anyways today was just that as Greg Lalas posted a story on SI.com about the U-20 National team loss to Germany over the weekend.

He said to not over react about the 3-0 loss to the German side. Why? No need to go crazy over a bunch of college kids getting beat in this tournament. First of all the US is in the group of death really and getting out of it alive will be nothing short of impressive from my viewpoint. Second of all he’s dead on, most of these kids aren’t playing against professional players all the time like the majority if not all of the German squad. They’re college kids with the exception of a handfull.

While the US doesn’t have any stand out players in this group that is in Egypt it does however have plenty of potential to be special. Most of you probably haven’t seen guys like Dilly Duka play at Rutgers or Gale Agbossoumonde play at USL-1’s Miami FC. Speaking of Agbossoumonde, how he hasn’t been picked up by a MLS squad yet is kind of sad if you ask me. Maybe next year he will be in a Philly uniform or a DC one (whoever in MLS were to sign him they’d have to transfer him since he signed a three-year deal with Miami).

Point is even should this group not succeed like the one prior to it in 2007 that went to the quarter-finals it won’t be the worst thing in the world. Its all about good experience for this bunch which will really only make the next crop stronger in my mind…not to mention make this strong as well. I just see the next group building even more so off whatever this group does.

So don’t freak out when you see that 3-0 scoreline. Germany was clearly the better side and don’t be shocked if Cameroon gives the US just as big of a test as the Germans did. Continue Reading…

Chester Stadium currently under construction. (Photo via Philadelphia Union)

Lots of attention lately has been given to the start of next season for each club. It mainly seems to boil down to two clubs that are causing the league to redo the start of the season schedule every other day.

Both Toronto and 2010 expansion club Philadelphia seem to have their own issues going on. Philly is trying to figure out where to play their first game (or two) while their new stadium is finished getting built. Toronto on the other hand is looking at the very likely chance of finally getting a grass field at BMO Field.

Yes grass. Something nearly every fan, player, writer, etc. has called for since BMO Field opened in 2007.

According to Soccer America, the new grass field is set to be voted on by the city of Toronto very soon which is causing the league to hold off plans of announcing their First Kick schedule for next year.

Back to Philly though and their opening slate for their first season. It could end up being a thing just like Toronto a couple years ago where they begin their season (reportedly in Seattle) on the road for a couple games until their new stadium in Chester is complete. That should also help the club to not have to play in a NFL stadium for a game or two.

Putting Philly on the road for a game or three wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if you ask me. Remember nearly all previous SSS owners had to begin their first seasons in their new stadiums on the road. Columbus was on the road for seven straight in 1999, LA was on the road for eight in 2003 and I believe Chicago saw nine road games in a row while Toyota Park was getting its final touches done a couple seasons ago.

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The Philadelphia Union will become the 16th MLS club at the start of next season and will play in the new Chester Stadium. But news came out this morning that their first game could be in another venue.

Philadelphia’s front office are keeping their options open as to the site of the first kick in 2010. Right now the likely destination for the first Union game will be at a NFL venue, Lincoln Financial Field.

This stadium hosted both Gold Cup and international friendlies this summer and is no stranger to soccer. Sure its disappointing to hear that Union won’t be in their new stadium at the start of next year but if they can pack in a good chunk of fans at this venue like Seattle did to open their expansion season this year it could be a good thing.

Word has it the opening kick schedule for next season could be out in a couple weeks too. Steve Goff reported this morning that it has undergone a couple different revisions as of late.