Subaru Park

Subaru Park is a special stadium for soccer games in Chester, Pennsylvania, right next to the Commodore Barry Bridge along the Delaware River. It is where the Philadelphia Union team, which plays in Major League Soccer, has its home games.

The stadium was built to help bring more development and fun activities to the area near the river. Plans include adding a river walk and places to shop, eat, and even live. A company called T.N. Ward Company built the stadium.

The building of Subaru Park needed a lot of money, with $30 million coming from Delaware County and $47 million from the state of Pennsylvania. A car company called Subaru of America bought the right to have the stadium named after them, though in some games it is called Philadelphia Stadium because of rules about advertising.

Construction

Major League Soccer wanted to bring a team to the Philadelphia area for many years. At first, they looked at a site in Bristol, but those plans didn't work out. Later, Rowan University suggested a stadium near its campus in Glassboro, New Jersey, but funding wasn't approved.

Finally, in late 2006, plans began for a soccer stadium in Chester. After negotiations, Delaware County approved funding in October 2007. The county owns the land and stadium, while the team has the naming rights for 30 years. Part of the money came from taxes at Harrah's Chester.

In January 2008, Pennsylvania announced a plan to build the stadium and help improve Chester. This included money for townhouses, apartments, office space, a convention center, retail space, and a large parking structure. More buildings were planned for a later phase too.

The Environmental Protection Agency helped make sure building the stadium didn’t harm a nearby area that had been cleaned up from old pollution.

Soccer

Because of construction delays, the Philadelphia Union played their first home game at Lincoln Financial Field instead of Subaru Park. Their first match at Subaru Park was on June 27, 2010, and they won 3–1 against Seattle Sounders FC. Sébastien Le Toux scored the team's first goal there with a crossed header, but Pat Noonan from Seattle scored the first goal ever at the stadium.

The most people ever gathered at the stadium was on December 5, 2021, for the 2021 Eastern Conference Final. That day, the Union lost 2–1 to New York City FC with 19,487 fans watching.

Because so many fans kept showing up, the Philadelphia Union wanted to make the stadium bigger. They planned to grow the seating step by step—to 20,000, then 27,000, and finally about 30,000. In 2024, they asked Gensler to look into making the stadium hold 27,000 seats in the space it already has.

Rugby union

Collegiate Rugby Championship

Main article: Collegiate Rugby Championship

Subaru Park was the home of the Collegiate Rugby Championship each June from 2011 to 2019. This tournament is the biggest college rugby event in the United States and is shown live on NBC every year. In 2011, more than 17,800 fans came to watch.

English Premiership

On May 17, 2017, it was announced that the English team Newcastle Falcons would play a home Premiership Rugby match against Saracens at the stadium on September 16, 2017. This was only the second time an English premiership game was held in the US. Saracens had played before in the US when London Irish hosted them at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey on March 12, 2016.

United States national team

See also: 2013 Māori All Blacks tour of North America

Subaru Park held its first rugby union international match on November 9, 2013. That day, the Maori All Blacks played against the United States. A full house of 18,500 fans watched as the Maori All Blacks won the close game 29–19.

Other sports

College football

The first college football game at Subaru Park was the Battle of the Blue on November 19, 2011. In this game, Delaware beat Villanova. The two teams met again on November 23, 2013, this time with Villanova winning 35–34.

Lacrosse

Subaru Park has hosted many lacrosse games. In 2012, it held quarterfinal matches for the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship. In 2013, it hosted the Major League Lacrosse Championship, the Steinfeld Cup, where the Chesapeake Bayhawks narrowly beat the Charlotte Hounds. In 2015 and 2016, the stadium hosted championship games for both NCAA Division I and Division III Women's Lacrosse.

Ultimate

Subaru Park has also been a venue for Ultimate games. In 2014, the DC Current beat the Vancouver Nighthawks in the Major League Ultimate championship. The following year, the Boston Whitecaps won against the Seattle Rainmakers in another championship game held there.

Other soccer uses

The stadium has been used for many special soccer events. The United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy have played their annual men's soccer game, called the Army–Navy Cup, at Subaru Park. After Hurricane Sandy, the 2012 Big East Men's Soccer Tournament was moved to Subaru Park. The stadium also hosted an international friendly in 2014 between Greece and Nigeria, which ended in a tie. The 2013 College Cup was held here, and it returned in 2017. The first matches of the 2017 SheBelieves Cup were also played at Subaru Park, with France beating England and the United States beating Germany.

Drum and bugle corps

Because Subaru Park can be used as a football field, it has become a regular location for the Drum Corps International Summer Competition Tour.

Features

When the plans for the stadium were first shown, it was supposed to be oval-shaped with a special roof covering all the seats, much like many soccer stadiums in Europe. After talking with fans, the owners added a special entrance for a group of loyal supporters called the Sons of Ben. This entrance leads to a special area with 2,000 seats just for them, called The River End.

The stadium has roofs above the main seating areas to keep fans comfortable while still giving great views of the Commodore Barry Bridge and the Delaware River. The outside of the stadium uses brick and natural stone, matching the traditional style of buildings in Philadelphia. The stadium also includes special rooms for events, a restaurant, and a stage for concerts, though the stage hasn’t been used yet.

In February 2020, Subaru became the naming rights holder for the stadium, and the team added a large, new video screen above one end of the field. This was the first of its kind in a Major League Soccer stadium. They also improved the lights around the field and added a new special area called the "Tunnel Club" for the 2020 season. Outside the stadium, they expanded an area called "Subaru Plaza" for fans to gather before games and added a community garden to grow food for the local area.

Sponsors

The Philadelphia Union announced that the Allentown-based PPL Corporation bought the naming rights to their home stadium in 2010 for $20 million over 11 years. PPL EnergyPlus also helps the stadium use sustainable energy from other sources in Pennsylvania.

Later, Talen Energy took over the naming rights and energy supply in 2015. Finally, in 2020, Subaru of America, based in nearby Camden, New Jersey, became the new naming rights holder for the stadium. The Panasonic Corporation provides many of the technology systems for the stadium.

Awards

In September 2010, Mid-Atlantic Construction Magazine named the stadium the "Sports/Recreation Project of the Year." This award is given to top construction projects in the Mid-Atlantic region. In February 2011, the Delaware County Planning Commission gave the stadium the 2010 William H. Bates Memorial Award. Since 1980, this award has been given each year to developers who made improvements to property in Delaware County.

Concessions

Subaru Park has many tasty foods you might find at other sports games, plus some special treats from Philadelphia like cheesesteaks, hoagies, and soft pretzels that look like the team's logo. Some of the food comes from local places such as Turkey Hill, Herr's, and Seasons Pizza. You can also enjoy beers from nearby breweries like Victory and Dogfish Head.

Transportation

Like the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, Subaru Park is close to Interstate 95. It is about 1 mile from the Chester Transit Center SEPTA station. Shuttle buses run from the station a few hours before games start and stay until everyone leaves the park. The Philadelphia International Airport is also nearby, just 5 miles away. There are ideas to make it easier to get to the stadium by train, either by improving service at the Highland Avenue station on the SEPTA Wilmington Line or building a new station even closer.