Posted: Tuesday, June 3, 2014, 3:01 AM
FOR SOCCER FANS, the World Cup is the premier event. There is no shortage of celebrations and watch parties all around the world for 4 weeks in June and July. While the Union has no one on the U.S. national team, the team is still getting in the World Cup spirit.
The Union announced its watch party schedule for the World Cup yesterday afternoon in Center City. The team has scheduled 29 events all around the region during the tournament.
Most of the events are based around when the U.S. national team plays in the group stages, which will be on June 16 against Ghana, June 22 against Portugal and June 26 against Germany. It is the seventh straight appearance in the World Cup for the U.S., which will spark what CEO and operating partner Nick Sakiewicz called 'World Cup fever in the U.S.'
'This will be another one that we have a heightened awareness in this country, and the excitement that goes along with it,' Sakiewicz added.
One of the bigger events the Union is a part of is a soccerfest and viewing party at the SteelStacks in Bethlehem, Pa. There will be a giant LED screen featuring 26 matches during the World Cup. ESPN will do a live look-in event during the United States' game against Portugal.
Fans of the game in the United States have expectations of the team that they would not have felt a decade ago.
'Sitting here, we expect things from our national team,' Sakiewicz said. 'We expect to win. We expect to not just get out of the group stage, but we expect to do well. It is not just good enough to qualify anymore.'
Regardless of how the U.S. does, soccer as a whole will be on display. The event will last only around a month, but the effects are expected to reverberate around the country for much longer.
'The World Cup has been an indicator every year of how soccer is growing in the U.S.,' Sakiewicz said. 'For the last successive three or four World Cups, the TV ratings of the national team have gone up dramatically. Interest has gone up dramatically in the sport.'
Increased interest in the sport is something the Union can use. In only its fifth season, the team has a loyal following, but the Union also wants to see more interest in soccer overall.
'Win, lose or draw, whether our national team does well or doesn't do well will have zero impact on the growth of the sport in this country,' Sakiewicz said. 'We will continue to grow like the weed that soccer is in this country. It keeps growing in your backyard, and you can't kill it off.'
Remembering Katz
The Union, like many other organizations around Philadelphia, offered condolences in the death of Lewis Katz, a co-owner of the Daily News, Inquirer, and Philly.com who died Saturday in a plane crash.
'On behalf of our organization and our team, obviously the tragic news that came out [Sunday] morning about the passing of Lewis Katz was quite a shocker to all of us,' Nick Sakiewicz said.
Katz invested in the NHL Devils and NBA Nets, and almost got involved in Philly's future soccer team.
'Lewis was an amazing man, a legend in this town and a visionary,' Sakiewicz said. 'He is someone we had early conversations with way back when the Philadelphia Union were not even named and just a dream. I spent some time with Lewis and Drew, his son, about potentially being investors in the club.'
On Twitter: @AndrewJAlbert01