Полное название: Филадельфия Юнион Город: Philadelphia Страна: United States Лига: Высшая Лига Соккера Founded: 2010 Стадион: PPL Park (18,500) Цвета: Navy Blue, Light Blue, Gold Rivals: ДС Юнайтед, Нью-Йорк Ред Булз
Высшая Лига Соккера's newest expansion team are the Филадельфия Юнион, the 16th team to join the US and Canada-based league. Union are the first Pennsylvania-based club to join the league and the first major professional soccer team in Philadelphia since the 1980 demise of the Philadelphia Fury of the NASL. Union are expected to spark up rivalries with Northeast neighbors ДС Юнайтед and Нью-Йорк Ред Булз, both of which are less than 3 hours drive from Philadelphia, practically a derby in the American sports landscape.
The Филадельфия Юнион name pays tribute to the central importance of the city of Philadelphia in the founding of the United States, the "union" of 13 formerly British colonies. Both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the nation's founding documents, were composed in Philadelphia. The name was chosen in a "name the team" competition over other options AC Philadelphia, SC Philadelphia and Philadelphia City.
PPL Park:
PPL Park is located in Chester, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia about 15 miles south of the city center. The stadium is in the Chester Waterfront, on the banks of the Delaware River. PPL Park is named for stadium sponsor PPL, a Pennslyvania-based utility company. PPL Park is also home to the Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer.
The first two home matches of the 2010 season are being played at Lincoln Financial Field while construction is completed on PPL Park. Lincoln Financial Field is home to the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.
Colors and Logo:
Филадельфия Юнион's primary colors of navy blue and gold pay tribute to the similarly-colored Continental Army of the United States. The light blue is a nod both to the city of Philadelphia, whose principal city colors are light blue and gold, and to the Sons of Ben, a Union supporters group formed before the club started and who had adopted light blue and gold colors.
The Филадельфия Юнион logo is circular (representing unity) and includes 13 stars, representing the original 13 colonies that formed the United States of America. The shield in the center references the similarly-shaped shield in the Philadelphia coat of arms while the rattlesnake dates back to an 18th century political cartoon by Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and early leader of Philadelphia. The rattlesnake in the cartoon represented the dangers of disunity for the American colonies and featured in many early flags and symbols of the United States.
Benjamin Franklin is also referred to by the Филадельфия Юнион supporters group - the Sons of Ben.
