Image courtesy of Empire Supporters Club

The Philadelphia Union announced on Monday the signing of defender Chris Albright.

The Philadelphia native, a product of Penn Charter and FC Delco, has played in MLS for 13 years, beginning with DC United where he started his career as a forward.

Photo: Earl Gardner

Philadelphia Union

A leaked copy of Toronto FC's 2012 schedule obtained by Canadian Soccer News shows the Union traveling to BMO Field on May 26 and Sept. 15, with the Canadian team at PPL Park on July 7. This unbalanced schedule thing is gonna take some getting used to.

Forward Mario Rodriguez (above) is among a 12-player group competing in the 2012 U-19 Stuttgart Junior Cup indoor event in Stuttgart, Germany.

U.S. Soccer sent a men's team to Stuttgart, Germany, to compete in the 2012 U-19 Stuttgart Junior Cup, which is an annual indoor tournament.

Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

January is a busy month for U.S. Soccer across almost all ages, and following Jurgen Klinsmann's roster announcement for the senior camp that kicks off today in Phoenix and Tab Ramos' roster announcement for this week's Under-20 camp in Florida, two more sets of U.

Photo: Michael Long

In the latest edition of the KYW Philly Soccer Show podcast, KYW's Greg Orlandini and co-hosts Eli Pearlman-Storch and Mike Servedio of the Philly Soccer Page, talk about US Soccer's sanctioning of WPS and the Philadelphia Union's signing of Jimmy McLaughlin to a Homegrown Player contract.

With all the Development Academy coverage lately, it's exciting for us to learn that an Academy product has signed a professional contract. Kyle McLaughlin, who played two seasons at FC DELCO and just wrapped up his first season at Colgate, has become the Philadelphia Union's second ever Home Grown signing.

Photo: Earl Gardner

The Union announced on Monday the signing of 18-year-old Jimmy McLaughlin to a Home Grown Player contract.

McLaughlin, a graduate of Great Valley High in Malvern, played club soccer for FC Delco before playing this fall as a freshman at Colgate. McLaughlin started every game in hi s freshman year and was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year.

Photo: Courtesy Matt Riley/University of Delaware

Local

University of Delaware upset No. 20 ranked University of Virginia with a 1–0 double overtime win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night. Sophomore John Dineen headed the winner with 4:14 remaining the the second overtime period.

Some 78 clubs currently comprise US Soccer's Development Academy and three of those clubs—FC Delco, PA Classics and Players Development Academy—are part of the Philadelphia Union's Youth Development Affiliate program.

Evaluations of these clubs were first started by US Soccer in 2007 with the founding of the Development Academy.

Some 78 clubs currently comprise US Soccer's Development Academy and three of those clubs—FC Delco, PA Classics and Players Development Academy—are part of the Philadelphia Union's Youth Development Affiliate program.

Evaluations of these clubs were first started by US Soccer in 2007 with the founding of the Development Academy.

Match recaps from last night's game:

• Philly Soccer Page
• Philadelphia Daily News
• Philadelphia Inquirer
• Kansas City Star
• MLSSoccer.com
• Associated Press

Kansas City players are disappointed with the draw.

MLSSoccer.com says MacMath shined in goal.

Earlier this week, we brought you news of Jimmy McLaughlin, the Union's academy star who debuted with Colgate University with a goal and a Patriot League Rookie of the Week award. But McLaughlin isn't the only homegrown hopeful who began the college season on a good foot this season.

McLaughlin's former FC Delco teammates Mike Gonzalez and Ryan Dodds opened their college careers in the same conference, the Patriot League.

STARTERS
Egypt wants Bob Bradley to be their new head coach.
dN
Reports say Jesse Marsch is going to be the new head coach of the Montreal Impact. Don't know yet when he would take over, now, or after current season.
dN
Kitsap Pumas beat Laredo Heat 1-0 to win the 2011 USL PDL championship.

Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Union

Union

Some tweets:

Tim Cahill: "Wow that was Hot out there, Philly crowd were awesomeand it was a tough game. Great to be back in the Blue kit.#thankstotheEFCfans"

Phil Neville: "I'd love to play an MLS team in october/november when we r fit cause every year the standard keeps getting better and the stadiums r nice!

The U-15/16 age group wrap up their Development Academy Playoff games today, sending the top team from each of the eight groups to Milwaukee, Wis., for Finals Week. Below are the possible advancement scenarios for the eight groups:
Group 1
Seattle Sounders FC advances with win OR draw
- With Seattle Sounders loss, the winner of Empire United and Soccer Academy moves to tie breaker scenarios to determine who advances
Group 2
Dallas Texas advances with win
- If Dallas Texans lose, Concorde Fire will advance with win OR draw
- If Dallas Texans lose, Albertson SC advances with win
- If Dallas Texans draws and Albertson SC wins, the group would move to tiebreaker scenarios
- If Dallas Texans draws and Concorde Fire wins, Concorde Fire advances
Group 3
L.

When the Home Grown Hopefuls series debuted here at the Brotherly Game, its purpose was to introduce some of the young players in the Union Academy to the average fan in the hopes that one day, one of those players would become a Union Home Grown signing. During the time since HGH's inception, no player has separated himself from the rest of the pack quite like Jimmy McLaughlin.

After the Philadelphia Union's 6-2 demolition of Toronto FC on Saturday afternoon, the two teams faced off again in Reserve League action. The Union came into the game with one win and one loss so far in the season.

The teams created numerous chances on goal, but in the end the match finished scoreless.

Union

There is more information about the rumored friendly with Real Madrid, first reported by the Washington Post last Thursday. Kerith Gabriel reports in the Daily News that negotiations are underway for a possible July 23 fixture at the Linc. The problem is that the Union are scheduled to play Seattle away on that date.

On Monday, the Philadelphia Union Reserve team were handed their first loss of the season at the hands of DC United. They went down 1-0 off a goal from Brandon Barklage.

One of the bright spots from the game was the debut of yet another Home Grown Hopeful: FC Delco and Conestoga High School midfielder Mike Gonzalez.

On Sunday, May 8th, the newest winner of the national youth soccer talent competition known as Sueño MLS was crowned during the Spanish sports program Republica Deportiva. And that winner happened to hail from nearby Camden, N.J.

Birnis Adames, a Dominican-born 18-year-old who just started playing soccer four years ago, was named the winner of the talent search.

For the better part of the past year, FC DELCO midfielder Jimmy McLaughlin has been putting in more work than the average young soccer player. In addition to his club responsibilities, he has also served as captain of the Philadelphia Union's U17 and U18 teams.

This Sunday, all that work finally paid off.

Virginia Beach, Virginia - The Virginia Beach Piranhas are pleased to announce that Martin Burwell has joined the club as the new assistant coach of the PDL Piranhas. Burwell was born in New Orleans but grew up in Virginia Beach and played his high school soccer at Tallwood. He is currently the assistant coach at Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School in Virginia Beach and holds a USSF D license.

Today at 10:00 AM, the Union will open play in the new and improved 2011 edition of the MLS Reserve Division against the New York Red Bulls. The team will be coached by Brendan Burke, who is also the head coach of the Union's PDL affiliate Reading United AC.

All of the Union players are eligible to take part in tomorrow's game, but several players went the full 90 in Saturday's league win over New York and a few even went 120 minutes in the US Open Cup against DC United.

During their trip to the Connecticut area this past weekend, FC Delco and PA Classics each earned similar results, but not all were positive.

The two Union affiliates, who each participate in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, both took on Oakwood SC of Bridgeport, CT and South Central Premier of Portland, CT.

Here's a video from the latest Union U18 training session from YSC Sports. Players that I can pick out in the video include Jimmy McLaughlin (FC Delco), Ryan Dodds (FC Delco), Melvin Snoh (Penn Fusion), Benji Kennel (Penn Fusion), Connor Ryan (FC Delco), and Joe Raymond (Penn Fusion). (Via YSC Sports)

This past weekend, two of the Union's youth development affiliates faced off against one of the premier teams in the entire country. In fact, the past round of games could be thought of as something of a rivalry week for FC Delco and PA Classics.

One thing is for sure, though: it was a weekend that Delco and Classics will quickly want to forget.

For the first time since December, FC Delco, PA Classics, and Players Development Academy took the field this past weekend along with several other area clubs. It was their first action since opening the season late last year when they played three games each at the Reach 11 Complex in Arizona as part of the U.

Union

The Offsides has more on the rumors linking 32-year-old Colombian forward Tressor Moreno to the Union. But this report says Moreno has signed with Brazilian club Bahia following the failure of negotiations with the Union. (You can read a crappy translation here.)

The Brotherly Game looks at five FC Delco products who are headed to Division 1 schools.

Union

The Offsides has more on the rumors linking 32-year-old Colombian forward Tressor Moreno to the Union. But this report says Moreno has signed with Brazilian club Bahia following the failure of negotiations with the Union. (You can read a crappy translation here.)

The Brotherly Game looks at five FC Delco products who are headed to Division 1 schools.

Photo: Nicolea Stoian

The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that Haverford School and FC Delco product Jeremiah White has not been invited to travel with the Union for preseason training in Orlando.

"They basically called me 2 days before we were supposed to leave and said they don't have any more roster spots," White told the Inquirer.

George Mason (men)
Timothy Mulgrew F Virginia Great Falls SA
Verneri Valimaa W Coral Springs Florida Weston SC
George Mason (women)
Katie Montgomery D Mount Airy Maryland FC Frederick
George Washington (women)
Elizabeth Casey D Chantilly Virginia FCVirginia
Taylor Katz F Jericho New York Albertson SC
James Madison (women)
Isabel Chang CMF Clifton Virginia Bethesda SC
Ellen Forrest Virginia Richmond Strikers
Radford (men)
Kyle Beach CMF Haymarket Virginia Great Falls SA
Randy Best McLean Virginia McLean Premier Soccer
Ramzi Dridi CMF Falls Church Virginia Annandale Boys and Girls Club (ABGC)
Stephen Hudgens W Alpharetta Georgia Norcross Soccer Academy
Dan O'Keefe D Alexandria Virginia Annandale SC
Jake Weiss D Arlington Virginia DC United
VCU (men)
Jack Bates D Richmond Virginia Richmond Strikers
Devon Fisher CMF Chesapeake Virginia Beach FC (VA)
Oliver Flood D Roanoke Virginia Roanoke Star
Isaac Owusu D Sterling Virginia McLean Premier Soccer
VCU (women)
Amanda Sears GK Cypress California Irvine Strikers
Virginia (men)
Matt Brown D Charlotte North Carolina Charlotte Soccer Academy
Will Hare D Roanoke Virginia Roanoke Star
Spencer LaCivita GK Raleigh North Carolina CASL
Matthew Mills CMF Greensboro North Carolina Greensboro Youth SC
Chris Somerville F West Chester Pennsylvania FC DELCO
Kyler Sullivan D Stafford Virginia Arlington Travel SC
Ryan Zinkhan F Fredricksburg Virginia Richmond Strikers
Virginia (women)
Lia Bellizzi W Rye New York Albertson SC
Olivia Brannon D Troy Michigan Michigan Jaguars FC
Morgan Brian CMF St.

Providence College midfielder Matt Marcin was added to the final MLS Combine roster. Marcin will take part in the combine at Central Broward Regional Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. this weekend.

Marcin, along with over 70 other prospects including five players from New England colleges that were previously announced, was placed on a team for the five day combine.