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2 executives hired for Philadelphia’s Major League Soccer team

The new Philadelphia Major League Soccer team announced the hiring of its first two front-office executives today, naming a veteran local coach and a finance authority to help run the club.

The new Philadelphia Major League Soccer team announced the hiring of its first two front-office executives today, naming a veteran local coach and a finance authority to help run the club.

Rob Smith, president of the elite youth soccer club FC Delco and the varsity girls coach at Downingtown High School West, becomes director of operations. Dave Debusschere, a former auditor and business adviser at PricewaterhouseCoopers, is the new chief financial officer.

Both start work on June 2 and report to team CEO and co-owner Nick Sakiewicz.

"We said from day one that this organization would be world-class in every way," Sakiewicz said. "Rob Smith and Dave Debusschere are key pieces."

The as-yet-unnamed team is to begin play in 2010 at a 18,500-seat stadium to be built in Chester. The club said today that nonrefundable deposits for season tickets have reached 4,500, about 24 percent of stadium capacity. The club plans to hold a name-the-team campaign this fall.