The Union plan to bring their new USL team to Lehigh Univ.'s Goodman Stadium in '16, but for future seasons, the MLS club is "looking to build a soccer-specific stadium somewhere in the Lehigh Valley," according to a front-page piece by Gary Blockus of the Allentown MORNING CALL. Union CEO & Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz said, "We made an agreement with Lehigh University on a year-to-year basis renewable every year. ... We will put forth an effort to do what other USL teams have done, which is build a 10,000- to 15,000-seat USL soccer-specific stadium." Blockus notes the Union's yet-to-be-named team "will be the 27th" in the USL. The 24-team league, which had just 12 clubs overall in '14, now "will have at least nine MLS-owned franchises" for the start of '16, along with "many other teams that are affiliated with MLS teams" (Allentown MORNING CALL, 8/20). In Pennsylvania, Matthew DeGeorge notes the USL team’s colors and name "will be selected by fan vote." The Union "assume complete financial and logistical responsibility" for the USL club (DELAWARE COUNTY DAILY TIMES, 8/20). In Philadelphia, Jonathan Tannenwald noted Sakiewicz and his Union colleagues "have wanted for a while to launch a USL team that the MLS club owns and operates." In recent years, they have "partnered with" the USL Harrisburg City Islanders. That relationship has been "fruitful, but limited compared to what MLS clubs have done with USL teams that they own and operate." Now the Union and the Islanders "are going their separate ways." The Union "have been looking at Bethlehem as a potential USL team destination for a while" (PHILLY.com, 8/19).
NEW KENTUCKY HOME: Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer this week said he remains "very bullish" on his town as a spot for potential MLS expansion. In Louisville, Jonathan Lintner notes officials with USL club Louisville City FC in the short term "are working to ensure they'll be in position to answer a call from the nation's top-tier league." Louisville City FC Majority Owner Wayne Estopinal "plans to meet Monday with Fischer to discuss City's current five-year sub-lease" from the Triple-A Int'l League Louisville Bats to "play home games at Louisville Slugger Field." Conversations are also expected to "start on a soccer-specific stadium." Louisville City FC "has averaged 6,431 fans at its 11 home games, second of 24 clubs" in the USL (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 8/20).
