Soccer stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania
Subaru Park
|
View of Subaru Park from the
Sons of Ben
supporters section in August 2022
|
Show map of the United States
|
Former names
| PPL Park (2010?2015)
Talen Energy Stadium (2016?2019)
|
---|
Address
| 1 Stadium Drive
|
---|
Location
| Chester, Pennsylvania
, U.S.
|
---|
Coordinates
| 39°49′56″N
75°22′44″W
/
39.83222°N 75.37889°W
/
39.83222; -75.37889
|
---|
Public transit
| SEPTA
bus:
113
(at stadium)
Chester Transportation Center
:
SEPTA
bus:
37
,
109
,
113
,
114
,
117
,
118
,
119
|
---|
Owner
| Buccini/Pollin Group
|
---|
Operator
| BPG Sports
[1]
|
---|
Capacity
| 18,500 (Soccer)
26,000 (Concerts)
[2]
|
---|
Field size
| 120 × 75 yards
|
---|
Surface
| Perennial Ryegrass and Kentucky Bluegrass
|
---|
|
Broke ground
| December 1, 2008
|
---|
Opened
| June 27, 2010
[7]
|
---|
Construction cost
| $120 million
[3]
($168 million in 2023 dollars
[4]
)
|
---|
Architect
| Rossetti Architects
|
---|
Project manager
| ICON Venue Group
|
---|
Structural engineer
| Pennoni Associates Inc.
[5]
|
---|
General contractor
| T.N. Ward Company
[6]
|
---|
|
Philadelphia Union
(
MLS
) (2010?present)
Army?Navy Cup
(
NCAA
) (2012?present)
Philadelphia Union II
(
MLS Next Pro
) (2019?2020, 2022?present)
Collegiate Rugby Championship
(2011?2019)
Premier Lacrosse League
(2019?present)
|
Subaru Park
is a
soccer-specific stadium
located in
Chester
,
Pennsylvania
, located next to the
Commodore Barry Bridge
on the waterfront along the
Delaware River
. The venue is home to the
Philadelphia Union
of
Major League Soccer
.
[8]
Subaru Park was designed as an initial step for economic development on the waterfront, with additional plans calling for a riverwalk amidst other entertainment, retail, and residential projects. The stadium was constructed by T.N. Ward Company, which is based in
Ardmore
.
[9]
The project is the result of combined commitments of $30 million from
Delaware County
and $47 million from the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania
.
Subaru of America
is the stadium's naming rights sponsor.
Construction
[
edit
]
Major League Soccer
(MLS) had been interested in entering the Philadelphia market for several years, with many promises of a team by Commissioner
Don Garber
, as evidenced by his statement, "It's not a matter of if but when Philadelphia gets a team."
[10]
Initially, Major League Soccer was interested in a site in the borough of
Bristol
, about 23 miles (37 km) north of
Center City Philadelphia
.
[11]
The plans never came to fruition, however.
Rowan University
later provided plans for a soccer stadium near its
Glassboro, New Jersey
campus, but funding from the state of
New Jersey
fell through in 2006.
In late 2006, a group of investors led by longtime MLS executive Nick Sakiewicz initiated the planning for a soccer-specific stadium in Chester after the funding for the Rowan project failed to pass the New Jersey legislature. After many months of negotiations, Delaware County politicians announced their approval of funding for the stadium in October 2007.
[12]
Delaware County
owns the land and the stadium itself, while the team owns the naming rights based on their approval of a 30-year lease. The newly formed Delaware County Sports Authority pays the county's share of $30 million through taxes from the
Harrah's Chester
harness racing track and casino. An additional $80 million was contributed by private investors.
On January 31, 2008, Pennsylvania's state government unveiled a combined soccer stadium and economic revitalization package for Chester.
[13]
$25 million was allocated to the construction of the stadium, with an additional $7 million towards a two-phase project composed of 186 townhouses, 25 apartments, 335,000 square feet (31,100 m
2
) of office space, a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m
2
) convention center, more than 20,000 square feet (1,900 m
2
) of retail space, and a parking structure to house 1,350 cars. In phase two, another 200 apartments will be built, along with 100,000 square feet (9,300 m
2
) of office space and 22,000 square feet (2,000 m
2
) of retail space.
[14]
The
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) worked with the city to ensure that construction activities did not impact the nearby parking facility, which had been the site of the
Wade Dump
, a previously polluted
Superfund
site.
[15]
Soccer
[
edit
]
Construction delays led to the Philadelphia Union's decision to play their inaugural home game at
Lincoln Financial Field
instead of Subaru Park.
[16]
Their first match at the stadium was played on June 27, 2010, when they defeated
Seattle Sounders FC
3?1.
Sebastien Le Toux
scored the Union's first goal at the stadium on a crossed header. However,
Pat Noonan
of Sounders FC scored the first goal in the venue's history.
The stadium's record attendance was achieved on December 5, 2021, for the
2021 Eastern Conference Final
when the Union were defeated by
New York City FC
2?1 in front of 19,487 fans.
[17]
Due to consistently high attendance and ticket sales, in 2011 the Philadelphia Union expressed interest in expanding the capacity of the stadium. The planned expansion would occur in three phases, initially to 20,000, then to 27,000, and finally to approximately 30,000.
[18]
In 2024, the club commissioned
Gensler
to study an expansion of the stadium, which would be able to accommodate 27,000 seats on its current footprint.
[19]
Other sports
[
edit
]
Rugby union
[
edit
]
Collegiate Rugby Championship
[
edit
]
Subaru Park hosted the
Collegiate Rugby Championship
every June between 2011 and 2019.
[20]
The Collegiate Rugby Championship is the highest profile
college rugby
competition in the United States, and is broadcast live on
NBC
annually. In 2011, over 17,800 fans attended the tournament.
[22]
United States national team
[
edit
]
Subaru Park hosted its first
rugby union
international on November 9, 2013, when the
Maori All Blacks
squared off against the
United States
. A sold-out crowd of 18,500 witnessed a hard-fought match in which the visiting Maori All Blacks won 29?19.
[23]
English Premiership
[
edit
]
It was announced on May 17, 2017, that English side
Newcastle Falcons
would play their home
Premiership Rugby
game against
Saracens
at the stadium on September 16, 2017. This was the second English premiership game hosted in the US and Saracens' second visit after
London Irish
hosted them at the
Red Bull Arena
in
Harrison, New Jersey
on
March 12, 2016
.
[24]
The first college football game played at Subaru Park was the
Battle of the Blue
on November 19, 2011, in which
Delaware
beat
Villanova
to earn the trophy for the first time.
[26]
These same two teams met again on November 23, 2013, with
Villanova
beating
Delaware
35?34.
Lacrosse
[
edit
]
The stadium hosted two quarterfinal matches in the
2012 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
.
[27]
In 2013, the stadium hosted the
Major League Lacrosse
's Championship known as the
Steinfeld Cup
. In this game, the
Chesapeake Bayhawks
defeated the
Charlotte Hounds
10?9 in front of 3,892 fans. On April 24 & 26, 2015, the
2015 ACC Lacrosse Championship
was hosted at the facility.
[28]
In 2015, the stadium hosted the NCAA Division I and Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship. Maryland beat North Carolina in the DI game while SUNY Cortland beat Trinity College of Hartford in the DIII game. In 2016, the stadium again hosted the NCAA Division I and Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship, May 28 and May 29, 2016.
At the high school level, notable events included the boys' 2015
Inter-Academic League
Championship game, between
The Haverford School
, from
Pennsylvania
, and
The Hun School
of
New Jersey
. The Haverford School won the game, as well as the Inter-Ac title, capping off a perfect 23?0 season.
Ultimate
[
edit
]
Major League Ultimate
had hosted two of its annual championship games at Subaru Park. The first was on July 19, 2014, when the DC Current defeated the Vancouver Nighthawks 23?17. The stadium again hosted the championship on August 8, 2015, in which the Boston Whitecaps defeated the Seattle Rainmakers 31?17.
Drum and bugle corps
[
edit
]
Given its ability to be used as a football field, Subaru Park has recently been used as an annual site for the
Drum Corps International
Summer Competition Tour.
[29]
Other soccer uses
[
edit
]
The
United States Military Academy
at
West Point, New York
, and the
United States Naval Academy
in
Annapolis, Maryland
, have played their annual men's soccer rivalry, called the
Army?Navy Cup
at Subaru Park. The 2012 meeting marked just the third time in the 75-year history of the soccer rivalry that the schools met at a neutral location and was the first regular-season neutral site meeting, with the previous two occurring in the NCAA tournament. Philadelphia is the traditional home of the classic football rivalry and is halfway between the two schools.
[30]
3,672 turned out for the first Philadelphia matchup.
[31]
After
Hurricane Sandy
, the
2012 Big East Men's Soccer Tournament
was moved to Subaru Park from
Red Bull Arena
.
[32]
Subaru Park served as host again in 2013 for the
restructured conference's
tournament.
[33]
The stadium also hosted an international friendly between
Greece
and
Nigeria
in 2014. The match was a scoreless draw.
The
2013 College Cup
was held at Subaru Park and the tournament returned to the venue in
2017
. The first set of matches of the
2017 SheBelieves Cup
was played at the stadium, in which
France
beat
England
and the
United States
beat
Germany
.
Features
[
edit
]
When the initial architectural drawings were revealed, the stadium was to have been an oval-shaped stadium with a cantilevered roof covering all seating areas ? not unlike most European football grounds. After consulting with the nascent club's supporters, the Union's ownership group, Keystone Sports & Entertainment, re-designed a specific entrance for the
Sons of Ben
supporters group in recognition of their loyalty.
[34]
This entrance leads into a 2,000-seat section at the southeast end of the stadium reserved specifically for the group known as The River End.
[35]
Cantilevered roofs run above the Main and Bridge Stands and were designed to protect fans from the elements without obstructing the view of the Commodore Barry Bridge and the Delaware River from their seats.
[36]
The exterior facade is made up of brick and natural stone, a continuity of traditional Philadelphia architecture. Additional features include thirty luxury suites, a full-service restaurant and club above the Chester End, and a built-in concert stage in The River End (which has yet to be used).
[2]
In February 2020, as part of
Subaru of America
becoming the naming rights holder for the stadium, the Union replaced the previous video board above the Chester End with a new 3,440 sq ft (320 m
2
)
high dynamic range (HDR)
video board that was the first of its kind in an MLS soccer-specific stadium. The
LED
ribbon boards around the field and seating bowl were also upgraded. A new VIP premium area called the "Tunnel Club" opened for the 2020 season as well.
[37]
The area outside the stadium known as "Subaru Plaza" was expanded to facilitate pregame festivities and a new community garden to grow fruits and vegetables for the local community.
[38]
View of the interior of Subaru Park, from the southwest corner of the Main Stand facing the Bridge Stand and the
Commodore Barry Bridge
in 2010. To the left is the Chester End and the right The River End, which is separate from the rest of the stadium.
Logos as PPL Park and Talen Energy Stadium
On February 25, 2010, the Philadelphia Union announced that the
Allentown
-based
PPL Corporation
purchased the naming rights to its home venue for $20 million over 11 years. As part of the deal, PPL EnergyPlus provides the stadium with
sustainable energy
derived from other sources in Pennsylvania.
[39]
The
Panasonic Corporation
provides broadcast and television production systems, large-screen LED displays, security systems, and point-of-sale systems.
[40]
The stadium is unique in that no American flag is flown visible to the spectators or participants inside the facility.
On November 30, 2015,
Talen Energy
assumed naming rights and energy supply of the stadium. Talen Energy spun off as an electricity producer from PPL which in turn concentrated on transmission and distribution aspects.
[41]
On February 18, 2020,
Subaru of America
, whose headquarters are in the Philadelphia suburb
Camden, New Jersey
, was announced as the new naming rights holder for the stadium.
[42]
[43]
Awards
[
edit
]
In September 2010, Mid-Atlantic Construction Magazine named the stadium the "Sports/Recreation Project of the Year." The company grants the award to premier construction projects in the
Mid-Atlantic
region.
[44]
In February 2011, the Delaware County Planning Commission awarded the stadium the 2010 William H. Bates Memorial Award.
[45]
Since 1980, the honor is presented annually to real-estate developers that improved a Delaware County property.
Concessions
[
edit
]
Subaru Park features many of the foods commonly sold at American sports venues, and also offers traditional Philadelphia food items such
cheesesteaks
,
hoagies
, and
soft pretzels
(shaped like the Union's primary logo). Several foods are provided by local companies such as
Turkey Hill
,
[46]
Herr's Snacks
[47]
and Seasons Pizza,
[48]
while beers from local breweries such as
Victory
and
Dogfish Head
are also available.
[49]
Transportation
[
edit
]
Like the
South Philadelphia Sports Complex
, the stadium is located near
Interstate 95
. It is approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) from the
Chester Transportation Center
SEPTA
station, where shuttle service is provided from four hours prior to kickoff and from full-time until the park is empty.
Philadelphia International Airport
is 5 miles (8.0 km) away.
[2]
Proposals to improve transit service to
Highland Avenue station
on the SEPTA
Wilmington Line
or build a new station closer to the stadium are under consideration as part of the stadium's expansion plan.
[19]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Sports Management"
.
bpgroup.net
.
Archived
from the original on May 28, 2023
. Retrieved
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.
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a
b
c
"About Talen Energy Stadium"
.
philadelphiaunion.com
.
Archived
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. Retrieved
June 15,
2011
.
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.
Philadelphia Inquirer
. Archived from
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on February 27, 2010
. Retrieved
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2010
.
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McCusker, J. J.
(1997).
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(PDF)
.
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.
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(1992).
How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States
(PDF)
.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
DelcoTimes.com
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2008
.
[
dead link
]
- ^
"Major hurdle cleared for Philly expansion"
.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"Wade (ABM) Chester, PA"
.
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.
Archived
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. Retrieved
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2018
.
- ^
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.
Philadelphia Inquirer
.
Archived
from the original on August 18, 2017
. Retrieved
September 23,
2009
.
- ^
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. Archived from
the original
on October 1, 2015
. Retrieved
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2015
.
- ^
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.
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.
Archived
from the original on August 9, 2011
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
a
b
Tannenwald, Johnathan (April 19, 2024).
"The Union want to expand Subaru Park, but know it won't be easy: 'We want to be better, bigger'
"
.
Philadelphia Inquirer
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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. Philadelphia Union. Archived from
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on December 15, 2010
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
Collegiate Rugby Championship
- ^
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.
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
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.
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.
Archived
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
The Guardian
. Retrieved
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2024
.
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.
BlueHens.com
. University of Delaware. November 16, 2001. Archived from
the original
on November 23, 2011
. Retrieved
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2011
.
- ^
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.
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. Archived from
the original
on May 15, 2012
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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. Atlantic Coast Conference. April 18, 2015. Archived from
the original
on December 8, 2015.
- ^
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. yea.showare.com.
Archived
from the original on December 8, 2015
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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.
Archived
from the original on August 19, 2012
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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. navysports.com.
Archived
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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Archived
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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. Archived from
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on September 20, 2013
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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.
{{
cite news
}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
[
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"
.
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- ^
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
External links
[
edit
]
Preceded by
|
Host of the
College Cup
2013
2017
|
Succeeded by
|
|
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Primary
| Eastern Conference
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Western Conference
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Future
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Venues
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Bowls & rivalries
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Culture & lore
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People
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Seasons
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National championship seasons in bold
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Group stage
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Quarter-finals
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Semi-finals
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Third-place playoff
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Final
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Landmarks
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Government
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Education
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Industry
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Transportation
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History
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Geography
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Other
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This list is incomplete.
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