There have been soccer franchises which stopped by in the Philadelphia area for brief vacations.
Major League Soccer's Philadelphia entrant, which will begin play in 2010, plans to stay for a permanent visit.
In 1973, the Philadelphia Atoms began playing with the likes of goalkeeper Bob Rigby as well as Casey Bahr, Bobby Smith, Lew Meehl and Manny Schellscheidt. They might not be recognizable names to the younger soccer crowd, but those types of players are certainly remembered by soccer aficionados.
"You're bringing back some memories for me," said Haverford (Pa.) High boys soccer coach Jorge Severini, who played for the Atoms over parts of their first two seasons in '73 and '74. "It was such a great time. It was different back then, but the sport isn't any different."
After the Atoms departed in 1976, the Fury joined the North American Soccer League and stayed in town from 1978-80. The Philadelphia Charge of the Women's United Soccer Association, which has ceased operations but could return in a couple of years, also made a brief appearance in the area.
How things have changed with this MLS team.
When you have a fan group with more than 1,600 members in The Sons of Ben, when ticket deposits are starting to come in quickly, when a brand-new 18,500-seat soccer-specific stadium is about to be constructed, things definitely have changed for the better.
"Look at MLS globally," Severini said. "It's a whole new world than it was in the '70s. The city has to sell the team, and if they do that and the fans come, the franchise will be very successful. I know this: I'll be there when the games start."
Soccer participation in the Philadelphia area has never been higher. Kids are interested and excited about the sport as evidenced by the large number of boys and girls who attended the initial press conference last Thursday at Turbine Hall, adjacent to the Chester waterfront.
"There is incredible passion for the sport of soccer in Philadelphia," said Nick Sakiewicz, CEO and operating partner of Keystone Sports and Entertainment LLC, which will run the Philadelphia team. "There have been teams in the past here briefly, but this is a much different situation. There is so much backing for the franchise, the stadium and development. Starting a franchise in 2008, 2009 or 2010 is much different than it used to be in the '70s. We have no doubt about the viability of soccer in this region. I hear from people all the time how excited the kids are. That's where it starts, with the kids."
The same excitement resonates with people in their '80s. Take Walter Bahr, for instance.
Bahr was part of perhaps one of the most improbable goals in World Cup history when he assisted on Joe Gaetjens' game-winning goal in the United States' 1-0 victory against England 58 years ago in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
"I can't believe it's that long ago," said Bahr, 80, who was the captain of the World Cup team in 1950, the subject of the movie "The Game of Their Lives."
Can he believe Philadelphia was awarded an MLS team?
"They deserve it and they have deserved it for a long time," said Bahr, who was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 1976. "Fans have always been into soccer here. For whatever reason or reasons, it didn't work in those leagues. This is a great thing. I'm so happy for the people around here who worked so hard to help get this franchise."
Andy Jasner is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
