The Philadelphia Union completed the long-rumored signing of Colombian forward Lionard Pajoy
from Itagui Ditaires on Wednesday, adding a piece that can help fill the scoring void left behind
by the departed Sebastien Le Toux. Pajoy has received his P-1 visa, according to a team release,
and will be joining the club soon for preseason preparations.
After an offseason full of major moves, promise and tangible signs of improvement, the Portland
Timbers were hit with a sizeable dose of bad news Friday.
Colombian striker Jose Adolfo Valencia, signed as a Young Designated Player back in December,
requires knee surgery to repair damaged cartilage in his left knee and is going to be out for
anywhere from the next 6-to-12 months.
Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com
The Los Angeles Galaxy and Philadelphia Union both made their fair share of headlines this week,
so it is only appropriate that they combined for another one.
Los Angeles acquired central midfielder Kyle Nakazawa and a second-round pick in the 2013 MLS
SuperDraft from Philadelphia Wednesday in exchange for an international roster spot.
Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com
By AVI CREDITOR
The Philadelphia Union have a plan, and they're sticking to it.
The club purchased the full rights to 20-year-old Colombian midfielder Roger Torres from America
de Cali, which had been loaning him to the Union for the last two seasons.
Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com
If Sebastien Le Toux makes an appearance at PPL Park this summer for his second MLS All-Star
Game, he won't be representing the home team. He'll be doing it as a member of the Vancouver
Whitecaps.
The Philadelphia Union officially announced that they have dealt Le Toux to the Whitecaps,
acquiring an undisclosed sum of allocation money in exchange for its leading scorer and 2010 MLS
All-Star.
Philadelphia Union fans have endured a roller coaster off-season, first with Sebastien LeToux's
trial at Bolton, then Monday's sudden departure of goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon. Now it appears that
after initially thinking LeToux would wind up staying with the Union, the French striker looks set
to depart.
The man who played as big a part as any in making the Philadelphia Union a playoff team is now
headed home.
Philadelphia and goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon mutually agreed to the Colombian's release Monday,
clearing the way for the 40-year-old to end his career in his native country.
Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
The Philadelphia Union's preseason is starting to become more notable not for who is in camp but
for the attackers who are spending time in England.
According to his agent, Richard Motzkin, third-year forward Danny Mwanga is training with Aston
Villa for the next 10 days.
By CALEB SONNELAND
Citing "personal reasons," FC Dallas has temporarily lost Jackson Gonçalves, as the club
loaned the 23-year-old back to Cruzeiro in his native land of Brazil.
Though the midfielder proved to be a large factor last season for FC Dallas, coach Schellas
Hyndman believes the situation can be "mutually beneficial.
The Bolton Wanderers are desperate to avoid relegation this season, and they are hitting the
Major League Soccer talent pool hard to try and avoid the drop.
With Tim Ream already lined up for a move to Bolton (upon receipt of a UK work permit), the
Trotters are now preparing a transfer move for Philadelphia Union star Sebastien LeToux.
photo by Bill Barrett/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
On the verge of losing one of its top defenders, the New York Red Bulls have locked up another
for the foreseeable future.
The Red Bulls signed centerback Stephen Keel to a new contract, the club announced on
Wednesday.
Freddy Adu is hoping to make 2012 the biggest year of his career, and he will be kicking off
that year in Spain.
Adu is on his way to Spain, where he will train with La Liga side Rayo Vallecano. The training
stint will run through the first week of January.
Rayo Vallecano made a play for Adu's services in the summer before Adu settled on MLS, and will
now get a chance to have a closer look at the attacking midfielder.
By CALEB SONNELAND
The Philadelphia Union continue their busy offseason by adding Costa Rican defender Porfirio
Lopez from Chinese side Dalian Haichang.
Lopez, a 26-year-old left back, was most recently on loan at Costa Rican side Alajuelense, where
he was a part of the team's back-to-back Apertura and Clausura championship teams.
The Philadelphia Union went into the offseason with a variety of needs, not the least of which
was some defensive depth. Their first step toward adding that depth has led to the signing of a
versatile player who should be familiar to U.S. national team fans.
The Union is set to sign Panamaian national team midfielder Gabriel Gomez, multiple reports in
Philadelphia revealed on Thursday morning.
Photo by Bill Barrett/ISIphotos.com
Omar Bravo's time in MLS is up.
Sporting Kansas City and top-flight Mexican club Cruz Azul agreed to a deal that will see the
Designated Player return to his native country after one season in MLS. No terms of the deal were
disclosed.
The Philadelphia Union added a young, promising attacking piece on Wednesday by acquiring
21-year-old Costa Rican forward Josue Martinez from CD Saprissa.
Martinez brings a strong pedigree and attacking flair to the Union, where he joins a strikeforce
that boasts other up-and-comers Danny Mwanga and Jack McInerney in addition to stalwart Sebastien
Le Toux.
The opening weekend of the 2012 MLS season will feature a Canadian derby.
The Vancouver Whitecaps will host the Montreal Impact at BC Place on March 10 as part of MLS
First Kick, the league announced on Tuesday, as bits and pieces of next season's schedule begin to
be released.
Steve Bruce's tenure at Sunderland has come to an abrupt end.
The Premier League club fired Bruce from his post as manager on Wednesday, cutting his time at
the Stadium of Light short in his third season since joining the club from Wigan Athletic -- the
19th-place club to whom Sunderland lost at home last weekend.
Immediately following the Montreal Impact's expansion draft, MLS conducted its waiver draft, and
only one selection was made.
The Philadelphia Union used their spot in the order to nab former Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder
Nizar Khalfan. An energetic, athletic winger, the Tanzanian international scored a goal and
assisted on four others this past season with Vancouver.
Photo by David Bernal/ISIphotos.com
It appears that Frank Rost's time in Major League Soccer has come and gone.
Hans Backe told the New York Post Tuesday that he expects New York's midseason acquisition and
Designated Player goalkeeper to return to Germany, leaving the Red Bulls with an unresolved
situation in goal yet again.
Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
With their MLS seasons over after losses in the conference semifinals on Thursday, a handful of
up-and-coming players in the U.S. Under-23 and Under-20 pools will get their chance to make their
mark ahead of this spring's Olympic qualifiers.
By JOEY SAMUEL
Coming into the second leg of their Eastern Conference semifinal clash with the Philadelphia
Union, the Houston Dynamo knew all they needed to do to advance was to keep a clean sheet.
They did that and more Thursday night, as Brian Ching got on the end of yet another Brad Davis
free kick and the Dynamo defended brilliantly to seal a 1-0 win and a spot in the Eastern
Conference final.
The Houston Dynamo play their final match at Robertson Stadium before moving to their new
stadium in 2012, and if they want to christen that new stadium with an MLS Cup trophy, they will
need to hold off the Philadelphia Union in their Eastern Conference semifinal second leg (8:30pm,
Fox Soccer Channel).
Photo by Brad Smith/ISIphotos.com
By THOMAS FLOYD
The first legs of the conference semifinals over the weekend created four very unenviable hills
to climb.
The Los Angeles Galaxy, the Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City all head home to protect
leads while Real Salt Lake, the only winning team taking to the road, has the comfort of a
three-goal cushion.
The Philadelphia Union will play the first playoff game in their team's brief MLS history today
as they take on the Houston Dynamo at PPL Park (5pm, ESPN2).
The Dynamo finished the regular season on a strong run to grab the No. 2 seed in the Eastern
Conference playoffs, but take on a Union side that has been very tough to beat at home.
This MLS season was chock-full with highlight-reel goals from start to finish, making for one of
the most, if not the most, entertaining seasons to date.
Whether it was the likes of Eric Hassli's volley in Seattle or Darlington Nagbe's volley in
Portland, the individual skill displayed by some players this season was outstanding.
The New York Red Bulls only needed a tie on Thursday night to secure their place in the 2011 MLS
playoffs, but they stepped up despite missing their best player and delivered a victory and some
hope for a dream ending to a largely disappointing season.
Playing without star striker Thierry Henry, the Red Bulls rode an own goal forced by Dane
Richards and disciplined defending on their way to a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union at Red
Bull Arena.
The final Major League Soccer playoff berth is on the line tonight as I-95 rivals New York Red
Bulls and Philadelphia Union clash at Red Bull Arena tonight (8pm, ESPN2).
The task is a clear one for the Red Bulls. Win or draw tonight and New York qualifies for the
playoffs.
Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
By THOMAS FLOYD
All eyes will be on Harrison, N.J., tonight for the New York Red Bulls' critical meeting with
the Philadelphia Union.
A Red Bulls win or draw will clinch the final playoff berth for New York and eliminate the
Portland Timbers and Chicago Fire.
By KEITH HICKEY
With their franchise's MLS playoff debut approaching, members of the Philadelphia Union are
getting ready what will be, for most of them, their first taste of the MLS postseason.
Of the 27 players on the Union's roster, 15 are 23 years old or younger.
By JOEY SAMUEL
CHESTER, Pa. - It wasn't pretty, and it certainly wasn't impressive. But it was good enough, at
least for now.
Behind a goal from Sebastien Le Toux, the Philadelphia Union tied Toronto FC, 1-1, in front of a
record crowd at PPL Park.
Photo by Andrew Katsampes/ISIphotos.com
By THOMAS FLOYD
The MLS playoff race sure is heating up.
With just a handful of matches remaining, nine teams are still competing for six available
postseason berths. A slate of influential weekend fixtures kicks off Friday with a critical clash
in the wild-card race between the Houston Dynamo and Portland Timbers.
Photo by Jose L. Argueta/ISIphotos.com
By THOMAS FLOYD
Much has been made in recent weeks of the games in hand at D.C. United's disposal. But as the
club has learned, those extra matches aren't particularly helpful if you lose them.
In what coach Ben Olsen called an "unacceptable performance," United fell 2-1 Wednesday at the
Vancouver Whitecaps, dropping crucial points against the league's worst team.
For much of the first half of Saturday night's Seattle-Philadelphia match it looked as though
the short-handed Sounders would still find a way to knock off the visiting Union at CenturyLink
Field. Unfortunately for the reigning U.S. Open Cup champions, they squandered too many quality
scoring chances, giving Philadelphia continued life.
Photo by Brad Smith/ISIphotos.com
By THOMAS FLOYD
If you had spoken with D.C. United coach Ben Olsen this past offseason and told him centerback
Ethan White, a 20-year-old Homegrown Player, would start 19 matches his rookie year, he "probably
wouldn't have believed you.
Photo by Andrew Katsampes/ISIphotos.com
After following up his breakout 2010 campaign with a surprisingly slow start from a goals
standpoint, Sebastien Le Toux is finding his attacking form at the perfect time for the
Philadelphia Union.
Le Toux scored seven goals in six matches in September, including two-goal efforts against New
England and D.
There were 22 players selected ahead of Michael Farfan in the 2011 MLS Draft. For the second
straight week, the Philadelphia Union midfielder/defender showed many of those teams that passed on
him just what a mistake they made.
Farfan's brilliant game-winning goal against D.
BY JONATHAN VERA
CARSON, Calif. – The Philadelphia Union were just a few seconds of regulation and a few
minutes of overtime from regaining the hold on first place they lost during the summer, but before
they could even celebrate it, Juan Pablo Angel stepped in to spoil the party.
The Philadelphia Union stand a win away from first place in the Eastern Conference, but Chivas
USA will be trying to stop that while also keeping their own faint playoff hopes alive today at
Home Depot Center.
The Union can jump ahead of Sporting KC into first place with a victory today, but will need to
do better than they have on the road this year, where they've posted a 3-6-5 mark.
Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com
By THOMAS FLOYD
Saturday's showdown between the Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas may be a rematch of last year's
MLS Cup, but neither team has looked anything like a title contender lately.
Dallas is 0-6-1 in its past seven matches in all competitions, while Colorado has gone 0-5-1 in
six games.
