Let’s start with this: My daughter and I went to a World Cup match in Philly. Parked in
Haddonfield. Took two trains to the stadium. The trip, both ways, took less than an hour
each time — and cost about 10 bucks.
It’s a big win for Philly. But it’s the only one way in which the site scored higher than the
Meadowlands.
New Jersey had a better atmosphere outside the stadium — and in it. That’s my take
after seeing one match in Philly and three in East Rutherford.
Just for fun, I’ll break down the experience.
The trip: The trip in from Haddonfield cost us a $5 ticket on PATCO and $2.90 for a ride
on SEPTA. Getting back was even cheaper. The SEPTA train was free. Seriously, free.
They opened the turnstiles to expedite the process.
Seat to seat (as in, from the stands for the final seconds of the match, to inside our car
in N.J.) took about an hour. Incredible. Now, full disclosure, I get press parking at
MetLife. So, I can’t comment on NJ Transit service (though I loved it last summer during
the Club World Cup), but I can’t see how it tops Philly. It gets the first goal.
Score: Philly 1, New Jersey 0:
The atmosphere outside the stadium: We walked out of the SEPTA station expected
a street fair, plenty of vendors and lots of loud music. It was duller than dull. The guess
is that all outside vendors were chased away (fair, there’s big money here). But there was no substitute. Philly had parking on site and allowed for tailgating, but there was
little of either. And the FanFest inside the gates, fell flat.
MetLife was a different scene. Yes, you had to wait to get inside the gates, but at least
they were giving away free water outside of it. And there were scores of volunteers to
help. Inside, the FanFest area was exponentially better.
Then there’s this: American Dream. We had to walk a mile to find a neighborhood pizza
shop in Philly. (Food good; atmosphere non-existent). You only have to walk across the
pedestrian bridge to find a party at American Dream that we figure was better than any
venue anywhere.
Give N.J. a goal for the FanFest and another for American Dream.
Score: New Jersey 2, Philly 1
The food, merch: Surprisingly, we felt the food in Philly was a little more expensive.
Not by much and there certainly was plenty of it. The biggest complaint came on the
merch.
Me — and hundreds of others — were ready willing and able to overspend to get a hat,
shirt, jersey, etc. Why we were forced to wait in lines of more than an hour to do so
made no sense. And certainly cost organizers revenue. In Philly, we saw a number of
young families just give up and walk away.
Having only 2-3 shops on a side of a stadium (many with lines forced to wait in the
blazing sun) made no sense. A popup stand that just sold a few items would have done
big business. There should have been plenty on the concourses. This was a big miss at
both venues.
In soccer terms, we’ll say each side gave up an own goal.
Score: New Jersey 3, Philly 2
The atmosphere during the match: The Linc is nice. It certainly feels like it would be a
great place for an Eagles game. But it’s not as big as MetLife — and it’s not enclosed all
around.
The open-air sections add to aesthetics of the Linc, but the closed nature of MetLife —
and the cavernous feel of the place — added the volume. The crowd noise after a goal,
even a near-miss, was night-and-day better in MetLife.
Then there’s the Norway factor. Just having the rows of rowing fans in MetLife was
huge. As was the singing efforts of the supporters of England and Sweden. France, the best draw Philly got, may have the best team, but they don’t match up to other groups in
terms of fan fun. MetLife gets a clinching goal here.
Score: New Jersey 4, Philly 2
In conclusion: There you have it, a decisive victory for MetLife Stadium.
To be sure, Philly should have one helluva party when it hosts a match on the Fourth of
July. But all things considered, I’d rather be in New Jersey.
