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.

Ever read those posts on SI.com, Fox Soccer, or ESPN.com with the "five thoughts about ..." and then, well, lo and behold, they offer you five random thoughts about a topic?

Yeah, I always thought they were mailing it in too, too rushed or whatever to come up with a lede, coherent structure for the column, etc.

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

Today is Roster Freeze Day in MLS and at 5pm the final Philadelphia Union roster for the remainder of the season must be submitted to the league. Will there be any surprises?

How did some of the Union players react to the shambles that was the 2–2 draw between Columbus and Houston on Wednesday night?

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

With the prospect of no Carlos Valdes in the back line to face Real Salt Lake, last week we looked at the defender statistics for the Philadelphia Union through the first 24 games of the season. In doing so, the numbers confirmed what was already a generally held opinion: the Union defense has suffered since the departure of Jordan Harvey.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

The question of consistent selection with the Union starting lineups has vexed the team's supporters from the start of the season. Except for the defensive starters. The defensive starters have been comfortingly predictable, apart from three occasions involving illness or suspension—one of which happened to overlap with a transfer that came out of nowhere and resulted in a new back four.

The Union went down two goals in the first half of Wednesday night's friendly against Harrisburg City Islanders before answering with five second half goals to finish 5–3. Tweets from fans at the game say that Peter Nowak made the starting XI—MacMath; Williams, Miglioranzi, Califf, G. Farfan; Okugo, Adu, Daniel, Le Toux; Paunovic, Mwanga—run laps after the first half.

USWNT post-match quotes following Wednesday's Women's World Cup 3–1 semifinal win over France.

The Shin Guardian has a thing or two the men's game could learn from the women's game.

The Inquirer and Forbes follows buzz generated by the USWNT at the Women's World Cup.

Abby Wambach's header against Brazil beat out Eric Hassli's wonder strike for the Best Play ESPY award.

A lot of weekend stories on PSP. In case you missed them: We interviewed Jordan Harvey, asked for your thoughts on the Union tie, gave our mid-season grades, and tried to figure out exactly what allocation money is good for.

USA USA USA

101greatgoals.com has a ton of great links to highlights from the USA's incredible win over Brazil in the Women's World Cup quarterfinals.

Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

Friday was a day of big news on Twitter.

First came this tweet from Kerith Gabriel, Union beat reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News: "Just learned Ruiz didn't make the flight to Cali. Paunovic either but he was listed as doubtful anyway."

Next, questions about the Union backline, already rampant following the trade of Jordan Harvey on Thursday, only became more rife when the club tweeted, "Defender @carlosvaldes5 will miss tomorrow night's match vs.

PSP: So how has the transition been? What are your early thoughts on this new stage in your career?

Jordan Harvey: It was a great time in Philly. I had a super experience. Right now, I met up with the team here last night and had a chance to meet everyone. It seems like a great group of guys and I'm excited for the next step in my career.

The Philadelphia Union have been very good defensively. But their success has masked a real lack of proven depth on the back line. Both Farfan brothers and Keon Daniel have deputized on the outside while Sheanon Williams had to slide into the middle when Califf couldn't go in Portland.

The depth issue is why reaction to the Jordan Harvey trade has been a strange mix of "whatev," "how could they," and "he wasn't great but he was a real left back.

Photo: Paul Rudderow

From @Jordan Harvey: "After a LONG day it was nice to sit down and read all of your messages. Thank you @PhilaUnion fans for all the amazing memories. @SonsofBen"

From @JordanCHarvey: "Bummed to be leaving such great fans, but everything happens for a reason, right?

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Game time: Saturday, 10:30pm

TV: Comcast SportsNet

Going into this Saturday's showdown between the Union and Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium in San Jose, the big news surrounds starters that will be missing for both sides.

We're 17 games into Philadelphia Union's first season, and the team is a point out of first place with two games in hand.

Surprised? Not us. PSP predicted the Union would have 29 points at this stage of the season over a month before a game was played. Careful scrolling on our page today because we are hot.

Jordan Harvey will add some toughness to the Whitecaps backline. (Getty Images)

This could very well be one of the oddest trades I've seen. The Philadelphia Union have traded defender Jordan Harvey to the Vancouver Whitecaps for allocation money.

Harvey had been a key player for the Union, making 16 starts for a defense that had yielded the second fewest goals in the league.

It used to Harvey All the Time.

Now it is Harvey No More.

The Union announced on Thursday afternoon that Jordan Harvey has been traded to Vancouver for allocation money.

Harvey joined the Union in the 2010 Expansion Draft from the Colorado Rapids, where he began his MLS career in 2008.

Logo from optasports.com

I tend to consider tactics and Major League Soccer like an unabridged dictionary in a fourth grade classroom. While the study and employment of tactics within MLS happens, there is less tactical sophistication in MLS than in the more established leagues of the world.

Peter Nowak says of what to expect of the Union lineup over the next couple of games: "We will shuffle the deck. It's been a couple of months we've been playing 14 guys. It's time for the others to step up. Gabriel Farfan is coming back, Stefani (Miglioranzi) played the first half in Vancouver.

KYW's Greg Orlandini and the PSP's writer Adam Cann talk with Philadelphia Union fullback Jordan Harvey in this week's edition of the Philly Soccer Show.

Harvey is among the team leaders in minutes played, and has been a defensive stalwart since joining the team in its first season last year.

The Philadelphia Union tied their home match against the Real Salt Lake by the score of 1–1 at the PPL Park. Here are some photos from Saturday's game. (Click on the photo for a full-size photo.)

The Sons of Ben getting ready for the start of the match between the Union and Real

Sebastien Le Toux goes up against Nat Borchers

Faryd Mondragon and many of the fans were not happy with that call or many others

Keeper Faryd Mondragon celebrates after Keon Daniel's goal

Danny Mwanga walks the ball into the eighteen before passing it off to Sebastien Le Toux

Sebastien Le Toux takes the shot but finds the crossbar instead of the net

Jordan Harvey with a solid first half

Peter Nowak was not happy going into the locker room only leading by one at the half

Nick Rimando was kept busy for most of the match

The beating heart of the Sons of Ben

Justin Mapp with a couple of nice runs down the sidelines

Sheanon Williams with another strong match

Carlos Valdes moving on goal

Roger Torres played well off the bench

Jack McInerney gets taken down in the box but no call is made

Danny Califf was everywhere and had another strong match

Photo essay by Paul Rudderow

Continuing coverage of CandyGate (which conveniently involves both candy and an airport gate)! It appears that the candy was king size and that the Union players used them to trap Conor Casey in an airport supply closet. Then Pablo Mastroeni tweeted a picture of the candy, but took it down and claimed that Danny Califf hacked into his twitter account (although he later admitted this and Saturday's penalty were both terrible deceptions).

Photo: Courtesy Philadelphia Union

Who needs a happy thought for a Monday morning?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Peter Nowak on the Union's 1–1 draw with Colorado: "We were a little disappointed not to get three points. But you cannot be too greedy coming here.

Photo: Courtesy of Philadelphia Union and Donald Montague

On Saturday night, despite the loud presence of a Sons of Ben contingent, the Union finished the domestic leg of their preseason on a down note with a 1–0 loss to Orlando City SC. For Orlando—of the USL Pro League, the third division in the American soccer pyramid—it was both their first match and first win since the club was announced in October of 2010.

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Before the Union won the rights to Chris Agorsor they announced that Eduardo Coudet had been waived, thus ending weeks of speculation about his status with the club. The addition of Agorsor combined with the subtraction of Coudet means that the club's roster remains at 25 players.

New season. New faces. New roles. New tactics. As we move ever closer to the start of the 2011 season, the PSP takes a look possible tactical formations the Union might employ. Today, Eli looks at going for the gusto with a 4-3-3 with two defensive midfielders anchoring a swarming 4-man attack.

New season. New faces. New roles. New tactics. As we move ever loser to the start of the 2011 season, the PSP takes a look possible tactical formations the Union might employ. Today, Adam argues that last season's 4-2-2-2 ought to become a 4-1-3-2 formation to take advantage of the team's wealth of defensive minded midfielders.

With the Jorge Perlaza move to the Union rumors seemingly to foundering over an apparent contract dispute that may or may not be resolved, a report this morning from Nuevo Estadio says that Perlaza is waiting for a work permit to play in MLS "for a handsome figure." (You can read a crappy translation here.