Our 3-part series breaks down the 2012 Union roster by position. Today, the D. Tell us where we're
wrong.
Photo: Nick Waters
Philadelphia Union
Porfirio Lopez describes what he will bring to the Union: "Having a winning mentality is the
most important thing in soccer. I'm going to try to bring my experiences and positive attitude into
the group. Without a doubt, winning championships is the priority.
In which one blogger's wife probes the relationship between players and fans.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
Philadelphia Union
Several Union players talk about preseason training at YSC SPorts last week. The team landed in
Orlando on Sunday.
Danny Califf, acknowledging that only he and Brian Carroll are the only players remaining on the
Union who are older than 27, tells MLSsoccer.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
Philadelphia Union
Several Union players talk about preseason training at YSC SPorts last week. The team landed in
Orlando on Sunday.
Danny Califf, acknowledging that only he and Brian Carroll are the only players remaining on the
Union who are older than 27, tells MLSsoccer.
I hate to start these things on a down note, but today I feel I have too. As most know,
Wednesday in Port Said Egypt a riot broke out at a Egyptian Premier League match. At the least 74
people lost their lives midweek and hundreds were injured after a match between Al-Masry and
Al-Ahly.
Former USMNT boss and current Egyptian National Team coach Bob Bradley watched the events unfold
on TV as he was getting ready to attend another match that day.
Photo: Nicolae Stoian
In an interview on MLSsoccer.com's ExtraTime Radio podcast, Sebastien Le Toux tells Union fans
who are angry that he was sold to Vancouver that it is important that they continue to support the
Union: "To have you in the stands—it is always great to play in front of you and all of the guys
who played with me are wonderful players and they need you.
Photo: Nicolae Stoian from 2011
The offseason can be crazy in the business that is soccer and sometimes it can be all too
easy to forget that in the end, it's really about the game. If you are looking for some inspiration
to help you get your soccer head back on straight, go to the Ritz East tonight to see the
Philadelphia premier of Laduma.
Why our new Panamanian friend can take us places we've only dreamed of. Sponsored by Rosetta Stone.
Some quick news notes:
• Oh Boy, Oh Boyd!
holla'Portland...
Kris Boyd he of the recent excursion to Dynamo country is not earmarked for Stumptown USA, the
Portland Timbers. Boyd will join as a designated player.
The flip from Boyd to Cooper will be contrasting for P-Town fans as Boyd's game more closely
dovetails with Diego Chara's a little bit of nastiness and a whole lot of go-go-go.
[Editor's note: For a write up of what happened at last year's Team
Dinner, click here. It's a great cause and an incredibly fun event.]
The Kyle Nakazawa organized Team Dinner will have its second annual charity event in late April,
with tickets being open to the general public starting at 4 pm today.
SB Nation Soccer held its second annual live MLS Mock SuperDraft Sunday night, with the results
being published online Monday. The first round was a flurry of action, despite blog managers not
being allowed to trade picks, or players, during the mock event. Drafting for the Philadelphia
Union, I selected Enzo Martinez, Aaron Maund and Hunter Jumper with the Union's three picks in the
two rounds of the mock SuperDraft.
Featured image: Earl Gardner
2011 was a great year for Philly soccer fans. The Philadelphia Union made it to the playoffs in
just their second season. For the second year in a row, and their second year of existence, the
Philadelphia Independence made it to the WPS Finals. Nearly 58,000 turned out to see the Union play
Real Madrid at the Linc, where the USMNT would host Mexico only a few weeks later (even if the home
support was outnumbered by the support for the visitors at both games).
Featured image: Paul Rudderow
Editor's note: At the end of the 2010 season, we posted a series of season reviews of every
Philadelphia Union player. Over the next several weeks PSP continues with a review of the 2011
season.
I saved Migs for my last player review of the season because really, what else is there to
say?
If you didn't see the Chelsea v Fulham match yesterday, it was a 1-1 tie. Amobi Okugo sums it up
well on the twitter.
The Red Bulls continue to insist they will embrace another MLS team in the Big Apple. It's going
to be lonely playing in front of 1,500 people in Harrison in 2014.
Alex Morgan is one of Scott French's best stories of 2011.
Editor's note: At the end of the 2010 season, we posted a series of season reviews of every
Philadelphia Union player. Over the next several weeks PSP continues with a review of the 2011
season.
While much has been said about the arrival of Faryd Mondragon and its effect on the stability of
the Union's defense, the arrival of Carlos Valdes has been just important.
Kerith Gabriel, of the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com, is reporting that the
Philadelphia Union have come to an agreement with Gabriel Gomez. An announcement should come
sometime next week, according to his article.
A team source confirmed to Gabriel that a Presna.com article proclaiming talks between the Union
and Gomez had reached the finalizing stage was correct.
Photo: Nicolae Stoian
Editor's note: At the end of the 2010 season, we posted a series of season reviews of every
Philadelphia Union player. Over the next several weeks PSP continues with a review of the 2011
season.
Gabriel Farfan was the "get one (almost) free" part that came after "buy one," and he turned out
to be quite a steal for Philadelphia Union.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
Editor's note: At the end of the 2010 season, we posted a series of season reviews of every
Philadelphia Union player. Over the next several weeks PSP continues with a review of the 2011
season.
After an uneven 2010 season, Danny Califf was a player reborn in the Union's second season.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
Editor's note: At the end of the 2010 season, we posted a series of season reviews of every
Philadelphia Union player. Over the next several weeks PSP continues with a review of the 2011
season.
After an uneven 2010 season, Danny Califf was a player reborn in the Union's second season.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
Editor's note: At the end of the 2010 season, we posted a series of season reviews of every
Philadelphia Union player. Over the next several weeks PSP continues with a review of the 2011
season.
Jordan Harvey is a Union original. Acquired from Colorado in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft,
Harvey featured in 46 of the Union's 47 matches before being dealt to the Vancouver Whitecaps for
allocation money on July 7, 2011.
The Philadelphia will travel to Oregon to face the Portland Timbers on March 12, part of the
opening week of the 2012 MLS season.
The games is one of four opening week MLS games that will be featured on national television
(the Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact game is nationally televised in Canda).
Just four guys. Having a bunch of skyward moments together.What's a Major League Soccer player to
do now that it's the off-season? Well if Jurgen's not sending you abroad then you've got some time
to kill.
For the Philadelphia Union's Danny Califf and Sebastian Le Toux it was hanging out with the other
football's Eagles and their punter and kicker for "Eagle's Confidential".
Featured image: Paul Rudderow
When I was gathering the season stats for all of the Philadelphia Union players to share with
the PSP writers for our forthcoming 2011 season review series I realized no passing stats were
available, either for the club or for individual players. Actually, that's not precisely true; you
can find passing percentages for the team on a game-by-game basis by clicking on the Stat tab for
each game's MatchCenter page at MLSsoccer.
Yesterday, during the l-o-n-g wait for the announcement of the MLS teams' protected lists, I
tweeted that I expected the Philadelphia Union to protect the following players: Faryd Mondragon,
Danny Califf, Carlos Valdes, Sheanon Williams, Gabriel Farfan, Sebastien LeToux, Brian Carroll,
Roger Torres, Danny Mwanga, Michael Farfan, and Freddy Adu.
Photo: Earl Gardner
Not to sound too surprised, but when the Union released their Protected List for Wednesday's
Expansion Draft, I joined in the shouts of delight that reverberated around the greater
Philadelphia area. The Union got this list exactly right. All of the veterans who helped lead this
team are safe.
(Photo: Nicolae Stoian)
Editor's note: Last year, we posted a series of "Raves" about some of our favorite
Philadelphia players. They need not be the team's best players, but they're guys and gals we like.
Over the next two weeks, we continue the series again with some of the PSP contributors favorite
players of 2011.
(Photo: Nicolae Stoian)
Editor's note: Last year, we posted a series of "Raves" about some of our favorite
Philadelphia players. They need not be the team's best players, but they're guys and gals we like.
Over the next two weeks, we continue the series again with some of the PSP contributors favorite
players of 2011.
The following are the official protected and unprotected player lists for the Philadelphia Union
for the upcoming 2011 MLS Expansion Draft. The draft takes place at 2 pm on Wednesday afternoon,
with the Montreal Impact selecting ten players from the 18 current MLS teams. Once a team has a
player selected, that team is exempt from the remaining rounds of the Expansion Draft.
The following is a breakdown of the rules of the 2012 MLS Expansion
Draft, rule-by-rule based upon how each rule affects the Philadelphia Union's protection list
choices. The Montreal Impact, a now former North American Soccer League team, will draft 10 players
from various MLS teams.
• MLS Clubs may protect 11 players between their On-budget and their Off-budget Roster.
(Photo: Earl Gardner)
On Wednesday, we took a look at who should be protected in the 2011 Expansion Draft by the
Philadelphia Union based on the player ratings we do after each game. We now look at who earned Man
of the Match—the highest rated player in each game— honors in 2011.
(Photo: Earl Gardner)
On Wednesday, we took a look at who should be protected in the 2011 Expansion Draft by the
Philadelphia Union based on the player ratings we do after each game. We now look at who earned Man
of the Match—the highest rated player in each game— honors in 2011.
Photo: Paul Rudderow
After every Union match, The Philly Soccer Page publishes its exclusive player ratings. Moments
later, our wonderful readers follow up with expansive debate.
With the expansion draft looming, let's see if the PSP's ratings can predict who the Union will
and should protect.
Photo: Paul Rudderow
After every Union match, The Philly Soccer Page publishes its exclusive player ratings. Moments
later, our wonderful readers follow up with expansive debate.
With the expansion draft looming, let's see if the PSP's ratings can predict who the Union will
and should protect.
Another MLS Cup, another expansion draft.
For most clubs around the league, that's what the year's final match really means. The day after
Sunday's championship game, MLS teams must submit to the league office the list of eleven players
they plan to protect in the Nov. 23 expansion draft.
The draft's rules are largely the same as last year, tweaked a bit to account for the Montreal
Impact drafting alone, whereas last year's draft had two expansion teams.
Photo: Paul Rudderow
As noted in a recent post on the Philadelphia Union website, "Over the course of 34 games, opposing
teams averaged a mere 3.05 shots on goal this season, an all-time league record."
Over the course of the 2011 season, the Union held opponents to zero shots on goal twice, one
shot on goal 5 times, two shots on goal six times and three shots on goal 11 times.
Photo: Paul Rudderow
As noted in a recent post on the Philadelphia Union website, "Over the course of 34 games, opposing
teams averaged a mere 3.05 shots on goal this season, an all-time league record."
Over the course of the 2011 season, the Union held opponents to zero shots on goal twice, one
shot on goal 5 times, two shots on goal six times and three shots on goal 11 times.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
Union
Danny Califf and Sebastien Le Toux both agree that the hope among the players is that there will
not be as much player movement in the closed season. Le Toux said, "I hope with the good result we
got this year, we'll get most of the guys back and move on and continue.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
Union
Danny Califf and Sebastien Le Toux both agree that the hope among the players is that there will
not be as much player movement in the closed season. Le Toux said, "I hope with the good result we
got this year, we'll get most of the guys back and move on and continue.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
Union
Wednesday's press conference contained much talk about the future of the club. Here are some
talking points, beginning with Peter Nowak on:
Consistent lineups: "It's not that we are saying everything is fine. All we are saying is that
having a starting lineup consistent, 11 guys, maybe two substitutions or three guys, you cannot win
the championship with 13 guys.
