Soccer stars will play in charity exhibition game for Ukraine aid at Subaru Park
DaMarcus Beasley, Jermaine Jones and Maurice Edu are among the big names scheduled to take part.
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Updated Sept. 16: The game has been canceled and changed to an event the same day at the Ukrainian American Sports Center in North Wales. Click here for details.
Over two dozen of the biggest names from American soccer’s recent past will return to the field at Subaru Park later this month for an exhibition game to raise aid funds for Ukraine.
DaMarcus Beasley, Jermaine Jones and Maurice Edu are among the headliners for the event, titled Legends For Peace. Organizers have backing from Philadelphia’s Parks and Recreation department and Convention and Visitors Bureau, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer, and the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The game will be played on Sunday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m., with a pregame ceremony before kickoff. Tickets are $20 for general admission sections and $35 for reserved seats, plus fees. They are available via LegendsForPeace.org and the Union’s website.
Union alumni beyond Edu scheduled to take part in the charity game are Aurélien Collin, Charlie Davies, Fred, Ilsinho, Michael Lahoud, Sébastien Le Toux, Oguchi Onyewu, Chris Pontius, Chris Seitz, and Bakary Soumaré.
Other former U.S. national team players on the marquee include Jimmy Conrad, Eddie Johnson, Lori Lindsey and Ben Olsen. Heather Mitts will be in attendance, but not playing.
And there will be some well-known MLS veterans in Dwayne De Rosario, Alecko Eskandarian (who was a Union assistant coach in 2012), Kyle Martino, Heath Pearce, Rodney Wallace, and Bradley Wright-Phillips. The full list of participants runs to 34 as of now.
”It’s an incredible cause,” Edu told The Inquirer. “We all know what’s going on in the world right now, and to be able to be a part of an event like this, you always jump at the chance to give back in a meaningful way. And if the only ask of you is to play a game, how could you say no?”
All proceeds will be split across three organizations: the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, Good360, and the Global Empowerment Mission.
”I haven’t been back to Philly in a while,” Edu said. “Getting a chance to play in that stadium again, and seeing the passionate fans who I truly enjoyed playing in front of — I always enjoyed their passion for the game, their passion for the city. Hopefully that is on full display again as we play this game.”
The Union will not have an MLS game that weekend because it’s a FIFA national team window for men’s soccer. But it will be a busy weekend in Chester, as the Union will pass the time with an exhibition game (separate from the fund raiser) against Mexico’s Pachuca on Sept. 24 at 6 p.m.