USL Feature

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

TAMPA, Fla. – One of the most historic soccer hotbeds in the United States will have a professional team in 2016.

The USL and Philadelphia Union announced on Wednesday afternoon the addition of Lehigh Valley as the league’s 27th club. Set to begin play in 2016 at 16,000-seat Goodman Stadium on the campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., the club becomes the ninth in the USL to be owned and operated by an MLS club.

“I am so pleased to be part of this exciting occasion,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said. “The Philadelphia Union, and the respected ownership group of Jay [Sugarman], Nick [Sakiewicz] and Richie [Jacobs] exemplify MLS’s professionalism and integrity. I am sure that this fine organization will create one of the strongest and most dynamic teams in the USL.”

Lehigh Valley becomes the third USL expansion club announced for the 2016 season, joining RGVFC and FC Cincinnati. Located just more than an hour away from Philadelphia, the area was the home to numerous historic clubs in the 1920s and 1930s, with five U.S. Open Cup winners originating from the region in that span. The sport has remained a fixture in the area, which has a population of almost one million residents, with the presence of Lehigh Valley United Sonic in the PDL adding to a strong youth soccer environment.

“It’s a great, great day,” Union CEO and operating partner Sakiewicz said. “Words can’t describe how excited we are to be making this historic announcement.”

Wednesday’s announcement also heralded the end of an exclusive partnership between the Union and the Harrisburg City Islanders, who will become a rival to Lehigh Valley starting in 2016. With their relationship established prior to the existence of the partnership between the USL and MLS, the Union and City Islanders provided a model that is now utilized extensively across both leagues.

“I want to thank Eric Pettis and the Harrisburg City Islanders organization for being such amazing partners for the last six seasons,” Sakiewicz said. “It was an alignment of the Philadelphia Union and the City Islanders back in 2010 that drove the ideas for both leagues to align, and for much of the subsequent growth and success you see today across MLS and the USL.”

The Union also announced it will hold a vote to name the team, with fans able to share their vote both atphiladelphiaunion.com and at mcall.com.