Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Union Supporter Group, Sons of Ben, protesting Leagues Cup

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By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher 

The Philadelphia Union will be without their support group for the upcoming Leagues Cup. The Son of Ben are protesting the tournament. 

The Leagues Cup kicks off on Friday night. The Atlanta United FC and D.C. United will be the first game of the tournament, according to the Leagues Cup schedule.

Philadelphia Union star Daniel Gazdag gestures during the round of 16-second leg match between C.F. Pachuca and the Union as part of Concacaf Champions Cup 2024
Daniel Gazdag gestures during the round of 16-second leg match between C.F. Pachuca and the Union as part of Concacaf Champions Cup 2024 (Photo by Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images)

The Union will play on Saturday. They will play fellow MLS side, Charlotte FC, at 8 pm EST at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania

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“The Sons of Ben (SoB) have been in discussions since February with other Supporter Groups (SGs) from the Independent Supporters Council (ISC) concerning the League’s decision regarding MLS teams’ participation in the US Open Cup,” the Sons of Ben Board said on their social media channels. “One of the main excuses from abandoning the historic tournament is schedule congestion. Several ISC SGs see this congestion as a direct result of the new format for Leagues Cup. The Board and Capo Pool agree with this assessment and most have personally decided to boycott the upcoming Leagues Cup.

“We know many Union STH (Season Ticket Holders) have already opted-out for the Leagues Cup game. We have explained to the Coach (Jim Curtin) and players that this is not about them and any noticeable lack of crowd at games should not be taken as an act against them. We have discussed our sentiment with the Union FO (they were already aware of the numbers that have not opted-in). The FO have raised their concerns at the recent meeting between SoB Leadership and the Union Owners and FO.”

Several MLS teams did not send their primary team to the U.S. Open Cup this year. The Union decided to send the Philadelphia Union II instead of their primary team.

The Union have at least two games in the Group Stage at Subaru Park. The team will also play a Group Stage game against Cruz Azul on Sunday, August 4th.

After that, it will be determined if they advance to the elimination stage. One year ago in the inaugural tournament, the Union advanced far into the in-season tournament.

The Union advanced to the final weekend. They defeated Monterrey in the third-place game of the 2023 tournament.

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The Sons of Ben have outlined their plans for their protest during the first game of League’s Cup. And their plans for the rest of the tournament.

“During the first game of the Leagues Cup (that is included in the STH package), the SoB will behave like it is any other game,” the SoB continued in their statement. “Following the singing of ‘Four Leaf Clover’ at 20:10, the Capo Pool and Game Day Crew will be leaving the capo stands. From that moment, through the end of the tournament, the SoB will have no official presence at Subaru Park. It is at this time that we invite any SoB or Union fans to join in. You can decide to leave the stadium, just sit in your seat, or maybe just stop singing and waving flags. You may also continue to attend and support throughout the tournament. In the following games, we invite all to watch or listen to the games from the SoB lot and Union Yards if they want to support the team but not the tournament (there will be no official tailgates).”

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Anthony Caruso III
Anthony Caruso IIIhttps://thecapitalsportsreport.com
Anthony Caruso III is the Publisher of The Capital Sports Report. He has been in the Journalism field since August 2002. Since that time, Mr. Caruso has covered many marquee events. This includes 13 Heisman Trophy ceremonies, 2 Little World Series events, and one Army-Navy College Football game.
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