Philadelphia Union Welcome Soccer Fans Back As Coronavirus Restrictions Loosened
CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) -- In-person cheers and boos are back. The Philadelphia Union welcomed soccer fans back Sunday as restrictions have further loosened on outdoor gatherings in Pennsylvania.
Even the rain couldn't diminish the excitement that so many fans felt being inside the stadium for the first time this season. Even at a fraction of capacity, the fans really brought the energy.
The cardboard fans at Subaru Park finally got some company, as the Philadelphia Union welcomed back its most die-hard supporters in-person Sunday night.
"The second you open up, we're back in," said Union fan Brett MacMinn of Haddon Township, who is also a member of the Phillies' Phandemic Krew.
"He loves soccer, he loves sports, so we're really excited," said Lauren Cree of her 5-year-old son Grayson. "We're season ticket holders and he's so excited to be back."
,Under Gov. Tom Wolf's loosened restrictions for allowing fans at sporting events, 2,775 people total or 15% of the stadium's capacity, were in attendance for the match against the Montreal Impact.
Union President Tim McDermott told Eyewitness News Friday that the organization went to great lengths to ensure everyone's safety.
"You walk through a magnetometer, that you'll get your temperature read, and then when you're on the concourse, the concourse has stanchions, so they're basically two one-way paths to avoid people kind of crossing in front of each other," he said.
"This is good for the city, just to let the city know, like, hey, we're doing this in a safe manner. The Union is doing a great job of doing this," said Oscar Alvarado of Audobon, New Jersey.
One thing the team couldn't control was the weather, but no one seemed to mind.
"We're definitely excited to celebrate, we got our raincoats, so rain or shine, we were going to come out anyway," said Jeisy Mitre of Atlantic City, New Jersey, who attended the game with her husband and two daughters.
The Union rewarded fans with a 2-1 win over the Impact to continue what is now a six-game home winning streak.
"Everyone obviously wants their team to do well. Everyone wants to see their team win," MacMinn said. "They could be 0-4 and we're still going to support them. Now that they're doing great, it's just a little bit of icing on the cake."