Union's home playoff game to kick off at 5:00 p.m.
The Philadelphia Union's home playoff game against the Houston Dynamo will kick off at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday.
Union's home playoff game to kick off at 5:00 p.m.
Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com
The Philadelphia Union's home playoff game against the Houston Dynamo will kick off at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday.
The start time was finally confirmed tonight thanks to the New York Red Bulls' 2-0 win at FC Dallas in the first of two wild card games in the MLS Cup playoffs.
New York will now face the Los Angeles Galaxy in what is sure to be a much-hyped playoff series between Major League Soccer's two biggest markets - and most expensive payrolls.
The Red Bulls' home leg of the series will kick off at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, right before the Union-Dynamo game at PPL Park. Both games will be televised on ESPN2.
This will shorten the amount of time Union fans have to get out of PPL Park so they can watch the Eagles-Cowboys game. It will also cause the Red Bulls' only playoff home game to overlap with a 1 p.m. New York Giants home game.
It would be quite rational of Major League Soccer to decide to flip the kickoff times, and make things easier for fans in both markets. As of now, though, this is how things stand.
You can see the entire MLS Cup Playoffs schedule, with all the latest kickoff time and TV broadcast information, here.
I hope they don't flip the times - I have to coach a soccer game at 1:30 (1 hour of game time). I was worried about making it to PPL by a 4pm kickoff, but there's no way I'd make a 3pm kickoff. So yeah, for purely selfish reasons, 5pm is awesome!— Zherog- I do hope they do flip the times. I have an important commitment at 7 PM on Sunday. As a founding member and loyal supporter, I'd hate to miss the match. — MBrassloff
- Don Garber and ESPN must have blinders on. The Union should be playing at 3 and the Red Bulls at 5 (actually 5:30 or 6 would be better) because the schedule as it stands will create traffic nightmares in North Jersey and Philadelphia because of Sunday NFL games.
The Giants are hosting the Dolphins at 1. That game will likely end at 4:30, just a half-hour before the Red Bulls game ends.
Meanwhile Union fans will be leaving Chester at 7 just as Eagles fans are on their way to Lincoln Financial Field for the game against the Cowboys.
A 3 p.m. start for the Union would mean less traffic before and after that game, while a 5 p.m. or later start for the Red Bulls might mean some traffic going to the game, but none leaving. And many Red Bulls fans use public transit to get to their games.— lmscdad
Reach Jonathan at jtannenwald@phillynews.com or 215-854-2330.
