Garber said Philadelphia had long been a desired location for an MLS franchise.
"Major League Soccer wanted a club in Philadelphia since it started, and it has taken 15 years to be able to get to this point," he said. "They have an ownership group and management that is very focused, and they understand the business and have a lot of experience."
One of Garber's goals is to boost the league's television ratings, and he said he believed a team in Philadelphia would help.
"Philadelphia is the fourth-largest market in the country, and we weren't in that market, and it's hard when you can't have those people connect with a club to drive TV ratings and add excitement," Garber said.
He said he was not surprised by the support the Union had received.
"Philadelphia is a sports market, and people love their teams in that community, and it's also a soccer market," Garber said. "It is one of the birthplaces of the sport in our country, and when you connect the dots with all those things, we think that it will lead to success."
Homecoming
Union forward Danny Mwanga, the No. 1 pick in the MLS SuperDraft, had a big cheering section. The 18-year-old played at Oregon State, which he said is about a three-hour ride from Seattle.
"This is like a dream come true," Mwanga said Wednesday. "I always wanted to play professional soccer."
He started at midfield.
Local ties
Sounders midfielder Stephen King, a two-time Inquirer South Jersey player of the year from Shawnee High, was not active for the game. King played 10 games last year for Seattle, starting three.
"It's tough, but you just have to keep working," King said.
Sounders rookie Michael Seamon, a forward from Villanova, has not joined the team because he is finishing school, team officials said.
