Union City Blue

Philadelphia Independence 1-3 FC Gold Pride
June 13, 2010

I was finally able to make to an Independence game.  On a warm and humid night, the Independence fell to FC Gold Pride at John A. Farrell stadium in West Chester 3-1. Two of the Gold Pride’s goals were scored by Marta, who also assisted on the third.  It was a real privilege to see this marvelous player in action.  Newcomer Tina DiMartino scored for the Independence.

There was a decent crowd for the game, although it was far from full.  At least this makes for an easy in and out of the stadium parking lots.  The demographic seems to be very different from Union games.  It’s definitely family oriented, with more small children, especially girls, and youth soccer groups, and very few young adults.  It was also interesting that almost no one seemed to recognize Sebastien LeToux, who attended the game.  This was quite a contrast to his long autograph line at the Union open house. The presence of 8-12 year old girls at soccer games makes for a unique atmosphere. If you want to hear shrieking, some of which can only be heard by dogs in the next county, this is the place for you.

I also got to see the field at Farrell Stadium in person. I had previously complained in this blog about the bright gridiron lines on the field.  It was nearly impossible to see the faint yellow soccer lines on the surface from the seats. If you got close to the field and looked very hard, you could see the lines delineating the soccer pitch.  In person, I could see the field surface was turf, so the gridiron lines may be permanent, which would explain the presence of these lines in June, far outside the football season.  There is also a track surrounding the field, so the stands are somewhat far from the field.  From my angle in the stands it was actually impossible to see the action right along the near touchline, as it was blocked by advertising placards.

I did enjoy the game and would definitely attend another.  WPS has a good product, and attending these games is an important experience for youth soccer players.  Fortunately, the weather held out, although I was treated to fairly heavy rain on the way home down West Chester Pike.

The sides line up before kick off. Love those lines.

The action on the field between the Independence and the Gold Pride.

Independence team meeting at half time.

An Independence game is the place for the family (and the team).

I had a chance to catch the Independence’s game against the Boston Breakers on April 18 on TV.  I was immediately met by the sight of beautiful, crisp, new gridiron lines on the field at Harvard Stadium.  The yellow lines marking the soccer field were barely visible.  This was also the case at Farrell Stadium in West Chester for the Independence’s home opener.  Maybe someone can explain to me why these universities require football gridiron lines in April.  Early pre-season camp? Fortunately, with the building of new soccer specific stadiums, this is becoming a thing of the past in MLS.

This was my first opportunity to watch an Independence game.  The game got off to a late start due to some technical problems, and my DVR didn’t pick up all of it.  I was a Charge season ticket holder when I lived in St. Davids, and they were playing at Villanova.  Now with the Union in the picture, it is too much of a time commitment for me to get to all the Independence games.

I’m not in love with the team uniforms.  The gray and yellow is distinctive, but I’m not sure how marketable it is.  I was glad to see Kelly Smith back in action for the Breakers.  I did not get see much of her due to a knee injury when she played for the Charge.  As a Spurs fan, I was also happy she wasn’t playing for Arsenal in the off season.

I am pleased that Paul Riley is taking an attacking approach with the team and that we have an experienced goalkeeper in Karina LeBlanc.  The Boston game resulted in a 1-1 tie.  Alison Falk scored the first ever goal for the Independence on header. Karina LeBlanc had some great saves in the first half.  Jenn Buczkowski was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card.  The Independence were out shot and committed more fouls but still managed to come away with a tie.  A point on the road is a good result.

I had hoped to attend the game the day I am writing this (April 25th), but, due to chilly temperatures and rain, I think I may chicken out.  I’ll have to see if it’s on TV.