Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

With the signing of Lionard Pajoy, the Union may just be nearing the end of their offseason transactions (at least for outfield players). In a set of three installments, PSP's Eli Pearlman-Storch outlines the most likely formations for the Union in 2012 and how the roster, as currently composed, is suited to play in each.

Le Toux spotted with Tim Ream at Bolton's win over Liverpool on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Kyle Scott and crossingbroad.com

A report from The Bolton News on Friday quotes Wanderers' manager Owen Coyle on Sebastien Le Toux, "I've had some decent reports on him. He's very industrious, hard working and looks a very good team player, which is what I'm all about.

Featured image: Nicolae Stoian

The next edition of the Philly Soccer Show podcast, scheduled to be recorded tonight, will feature USMNT U-23 coach Caleb Porter and the Philadelphia Union's top pick in Thursday's SuperDraft, Chandler Hoffman.

Sunderland blog the Roker Report tells fellow SB Nation affiliate the Brotherly Game that team manager Martin O'Neill responded to a reporter's question about rumors of a possible Michael Farfan loan by saying people should not read too much "into these things.

Freddy Adu spoke to Arch Bell of ESPN.com and, in a column published Monday, expressed an interest in returning to Europe immediately.

The money quote from Adu is here: "It would be an amazing opportunity to be able to stay here at Rayo [Vallecano]."

"I definitely miss playing in Europe," Adu continued, "I always said that when I went back to MLS, I wanted stability, and that I wouldn't go back until I could play for a top-five league.

Photo courtesy of Duke University

Pennsylvania native Andrew Wenger won the Hermann Trophy Friday as the best player in men's college soccer. The former Reading United and Duke University star is expected to be a top-3 pick in this month's MLS college draft. Stanford's Teresa Noyola won the women's award.

Photo: Earl Gardner

MLS is scheduled to release the 2012 schedule today at 2pm. We'll post the Union schedule as soon as it is available.

Who will the Union play in their home opener? After using some logic based on what schedule details are already known (the Union open the season at Portland on March 12, play in Chicago on March 24, play in Toronto on May 26 and September 15 while playing host to Toronto on July 7), The Goalkeeper writes, "I would not be surprised if it is against the New York Red Bulls, the Houston Dynamo or David Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy.

The Union's Central American pipeline continued to flow with the announcement this morning of the signing of 26-year-old Costa Rican left back Porfirio Lopez, one day after the announcement of the signing of Panamanian midfielder Gabriel Gomez and two weeks after the signing of Costa Rican forward Josue Martinez.

Featured image: Earl Gardner

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.

Some players get passed over because teams don't think they have the size or the speed to make it at the next level.

File Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

In Thursday's press conference, Peter Nowak reiterated a theme that he has stressed since the end of the season: he is looking to create competition among positions within the squad. "The more guys we have in [camp] being involved with the team and the team-mentality is better and will help us to have better results.

(Photo: Paul Rudderow)

Editor's note: At the end of the 2010 season, we posted a series of "Raves" about 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 writers' and contributors' favorite players of 2011.

Le Toux's turkey cupcake. (Photo: Courtesy of Sebastien Le Toux)

A Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from all of us at the Philly Soccer Page. Here are a few more holiday messages from the Philly soccer community:

Sebastien Le Toux: "Happy turkey day everybody!

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Y0u can watch a live stream of today's Expansion Draft the French Canadian way from 3pm on the Montreal Impact website. (It's supposed to be on the MLS site too but, as of this writing, they haven't put the link up yet.)

Montreal Impact head coach Jesse Marsch is among those who noticed Freddy Adu was left unprotected by the Philadelphia Union ahead of today's Expansion Draft.

Photo: Courtesy MLS Soccer

LA Galaxy defeated Houston Dynamo 1–0 to win the MLS Cup. Landon Donovan scored the lone goal and was named MVP. Player ratings are here.

All teams must submit their protected list to the league for Tuesday's Expansion Draft by 5pm today.

The league made two big announcements on Sunday, one concerning the shift to a conference-based schedule, the about changes to the playoff format aimed a rewarding those teams with better regular season records.

Ahead of last week's end of the season press conference, we posted a piece that looked at all of the different midfield lineups the Union fielded in 2011 (there were 26 of them). MLSsoccer.com published a piece yesterday with quotes from Nowak defending his use of so many different lineups and formations.

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Justin Mapp reflects on the 2011 season,

"I think I've been on some pretty good teams. This Union team was maybe as rewarding as any season because of how much we improved and got better in a short amount of time. We made the playoffs and that was a huge step for the franchise.

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.

The Union has become well-known for its innovative use of social networking tools. The latest bit of cleverness is this: when their Facebook page gets 92,012 likes, they will unveil the new designs for the first and second kit. You can 'like' the Union by clicking here. As of this writing, there are only 6,500 'likes' to go.

Sebastien Le Toux has won the Fair Play Award for the second year in a row. Bien fait!

Le Toux said of the award, "It may not be the most prestigious prize that people are asking about, but I'm very happy to get [this award] this year. It means I am always respectful on the field so I'm glad that the league and the referees know that.

Danny Califf said of the Union's long-ball tactics against Houston, "It played right into their hands. They have a couple of big center backs, and all of them, aside from Corey Ashe, are big, and along with their midfielders they eat that up."

CSN Philly completely sidesteps the issue of Peter Nowak's selection and tactical decisions by saying that, in losing to Houston, the Union were beaten by a better team.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Faryd Mondragon said, "If we play the way we know how to play, we can beat anyone."

Sebastien Le Toux on Houston: "We know we can beat them."

And, as Marc Narducci reports, Danny Califf knows it can be done. Califf was on the LA Galaxy team that, in the 2003, beat San Jose 2–0 in the first leg, was up 2–0 in the second half, and lost 2–5 in extra time.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

PHILADELPHIA UNION OUT: GK Thorne Holder (concussion); FW Levi Houapeu (L ankle strain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Michael Farfan (R foot contusion); FW Veljko Paunovic (R hamstring strain); PROBABLE: MF Justin Mapp (L quad strain)

HOUSTON DYNAMO OUT: FW Cam Weaver (R hip)

The Union are hopeful Paunovic will be ready to go on Thursday.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

There is no other way to look at it: it is halftime, and the Union are down one goal.

Carlos Valdes: "We have one more game. This is not over yet...DOOP"

Sebastien Le Toux: "Thanks for the great support tonight! You are the best! We still have 90 minutes to beat them.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

Union manager Peter Nowak downplayed the Union's prior win over Houston. And he's right. That was a long time ago, and Houston is a different and better team now, as PSP pointed out earlier this week.

The Inqy says Sheanon Williams and Gabriel Farfan will be key in tomorrow's match against the Dynamo.

(Photo: Nicolae Stoian)

Our break down of the Philadelphia Union/Houston Dynamo playoff matchup continues. PSP's roving correspondent Adam Cann lays out the big questions and Eli Pearlman-Storch answers them. Today's topic, the Dynamo midfield versus the Union midfield.

(Photo: Nicolae Stoian)

It is ironic that the Union face a team from the Lone Star state in their first ever playoff match, because when the they take the field this Sunday at PPL Park, it is the Union that must come out as the gunslingers.

Having reached their target of a playoff appearance in their second year in existence, technically, the rest is gravy.

(Photo: Nicolae Stoian)

Our break down of the Philadelphia Union/Houston Dynamo playoff matchup continues. PSP's roving correspondent Adam Cann lays out the big questions and Eli Pearlman-Storch answers them. Today's topic, the Dynamo offense versus the Union defense.

Not there to finish

The Dynamo strike force accounted for only 17 of the team's 45 goals in 2011, and no forward had more than five.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

Philadelphia Union manager Peter Nowak can prove Sunday just how good a manager he really is.

It will happen when the starting lineup is announced.

Outsiders may think Nowak's a potential coach of the year, but those who follow the Union closely know he's been a better executive than a chooser of starting lineups.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

Houston's 3–1 win over LA Galaxy on Sunday night means the Philadelphia Union finish third place in the Eastern Conference behind Kansas City in first and Houston in second. The Union will host Houston at PPL Park on Sunday, October 30 in the first game of a two-game Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series.

Photograph: Nicolae Stoian

Mama said there'd be days like this.

It was an embarrassing loss. One embarrassing loss. Of course the timing was terrible and everyone, players, coaches and fans, would have preferred a different result and performance, but in the end it was one game.

Photo courtesy of MLSsoccer.com

Peter Nowak: "Did you guys see the replay [of the free kick goal that was ruled offside] or not yet? I saw it, the frame. The ball is off Séba's foot already by two or three yards...All I can say is that we live in a country where you can criticize everybody, including the President and the federal government.

Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

In this week's power rankings roundup, the Union fall two spots to fifth at MLS Soccer.com. At ESPN, they move up one spot to fifth. They drop one spot to fourth at the Seattle Times. At Goal.com, the Union fall two spots to eighth.

Sheanon Williams, profiled on the Union website, was named to Goal.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

With nothing left to play for in the 2011 MLS season, Toronto represented a fairly unpredictable opponent. Aron Winter could have used Saturday's match at PPL Park to continue the development of his new system and go for broke, attempting to play spoiler and steal a road victory.

If the playoffs started today, the Philadelphia Union would be the second seed in the Eastern Conference, level on 48 points with Kansas City but with an inferior win-loss-draw record. Kansas City defeated New York 2–0 on Saturday to draw level with the Union, which means New York has the last wild card spot with 43 points going into Thursday's game with the Union.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sebastien Le Toux's first half strike was not enough to see the Philadelphia Union through to victory in their final home game of the regular season as Toronto FC's Ryan Johnson ruined the party for the hosts with a 57th minute equalizer.

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Playoff tickets are now on sale!

Kerith Gabriel reports in the Daily News that Faryd Mondragon, who is a finalist for Soccer America's Goalkeeper of the Year, will start against Toronto. "I am not used to being out, so it felt like forever," Mondragon said.

The Union are feeling pumped up after their win in Seattle. Sheanon Williams says, "Right now, we're just thinking about first place. The guys really want to be in first place. If we're in first place, then guess what? We're in the playoffs. So that should be our first goal." Mr. Williams, I like the way you think and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

The last time the Philadelphia Union played in Seattle it was their debut game as an expansion team, a game that ended as a 2–0 loss. When asked after Saturday night's 2–0 victory over Seattle what had changed in the 18 months since then, Peter Nowak replied bluntly, "The result changed. That's more important than anything.

Kerith Gabriel reports that "a member of the technical staff told the Daily News" that Zac MacMath will be in goal against Seattle.

The Union will have traveled 10,000 miles in a week between the Chivas USA game and the Seattle game. Peter Nowak says, "You cannot fool your body.

Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

True, nothing can take the shine off an exciting victory over a regional rival like a 3000 mile plane flight, but with so much on the line, it was hard to imagine the Union would not find the energy needed to match Chivas USA. Against a team who knows how to score goals and push numbers forward, the Union's best defense was to keep the home side off the attack with tidy ball possession and potent attack of their own.