In soccer scoreboards news, we look at the burgeoning success of soccer in the Philadelphia. Philadelphia is finally getting some top class soccer action! This year alone, the English champions Manchester United, the Scottish champions Celtic, and the Mexican champions Chivas de Guadalajara have all come to Philadelphia to play. More stars and big teams have visited Philly in the last 6 months than in the whole of the previous decade.
Beckham has also visited the city, recently with L.A Galaxy for a regular season match up. He even commented on how passionate the fans are and how much he respects the game in Philadelphia. Thierry Henry is also visiting Philly this month with the Red Bulls, with the soccer scoreboards showing that both of these games are sell-outs at the 18,500 seater stadium.
The city even gets to see the national team in action: this month they are playing a friendly match against Columbia, and last month they played against Turkey.
This all comes after years of soccer doldrums for the city. They could not form a Major League team, no matter how hard they tried, and it was consequently hard to sustain any interest in the sport. They city does have a big support base for soccer: it has a high proportion of immigrants who have brought their interest in the game from their home countries. The potential is there, and it is finally being realized. Soccer fans in Philly are elated that they are finally getting to see top class soccer action from some of the best players in the world.
By the end of the season, the stadium looks set to sell around 450,000 tickets, including friendly and international matches. The average ticket price is around $40, which means a big income for soccer in Philadelphia this year.
Next year the league will expand and the number of home games will increase to 17 from 15. The team hopes to be at the core of the Major League, and will be striving hard for some silverware in the next few seasons. Although the team is not a contender for the top prize yet, it has some good players and bags of potential. With the support base being as it is, in just a few short years they may have caught up the likes of L.A Galaxy.
However it is the international games that are generating the biggest buzz in the city. These games boost the sporting profile of the city, and increase the overall soccer market in Philadelphia. The reputation built can then feed off into other sports, which then have a greater chance of coming to the city.
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