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?

John Hackworth explains what the Union is looking for going into the 2012 season. "When you're retooling, you have to make sure you're managing the roster and the salary cap. We're not necessarily trying to get younger; we're trying to get better. And we're going to look at every avenue do that.

Philadelphia Union declined contract options for midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi and goalkeeper Chase Harrison, leaving each out of contract and available for election in Major League Soccer's Re-Entry Draft.

Miglioranzi, 34, is one of two remaining Union originals selected in the Expansion Draft in November 2009, along with Sebastien Le Toux.

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.

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: 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

When asked on MLSsoccer.com's Extratime podcast what he thought when Peter Nowak introduced the five man backline to the team, Danny Califf said, "To be honest, you know, I was a bit surprised. Most of the time, come playoff time, it's not the time to be experimenting and trying out new things and new personnel and things like that.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

Click here to view the embedded video.

We know, guys. Trust me. We know.

We know you played your hearts out Sunday.

We know you left everything on the field in those ridiculously exciting, maddening, painful closing minutes.

We know you had to overcome your manager's bad decisions.

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.

The Union will have a one goal differential to make up when they travel to Houston on Thursday evening in the second leg of their playoff match up. A frantic first half saw Houston score on only six minutes through Andre Hainault, only for the Union to equalize a minute later through Sebastien Le Toux.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

ESPN2 is broadcasting New York Red Bulls v LA Galaxy at 3pm, which pushes the kickoff of Sunday's Union v Houston game, which is also on ESPN2, up to 5pm. Why the start times aren't the other way around, given the fact that the Eagles are playing the Cowboys at the Linc at 8pm, the Giants are playing Miami at 1pm and the Jets have a bye, is beyond me.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

Kerith Gabriel reports at the Daily News that, with Sheanon Williams out with a concussion, "As of now, midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi is slated to fill in at right fullback." Deep breaths, people, deep breaths.

Sporting Kansas City v Philadelphia Union match previews from the Brotherly Game, the Daily Wiz, SB Nation, AP, PhillyBurbs.

Photo: Paul Rudderow

His name on a Union lineup card results in instant vitriol on this and other websites.

His face in the Philadelphia locker room produces a very different result. Following a spectacular three-goal turnaround that earned a 4-4 tie against the Revolution, Sebastien Le Toux said with a laugh, "My teammates joke around with me, especially Stefani Miglioranzi, that in the last ten games I'm going to score every game and help the team the best I can like I didn't do at the beginning of the season.

Photo: Earl Gardner

Whenever the Major League Soccer Players Union releases players' salary numbers, it's usually the rare opportunity to step back and see who's worth their salary and who's not. So that's exactly what we're going to do here, with a look at each Union player's salary and evaluation of whether they're worth it or not.

Photo: Paul Rudderow

As far as first starts go it was not what Zac MacMath would have wanted, but it was certainly not a contest he will forget anytime soon. The rookie goalkeeper will fondly remember the night the Union stormed back from 4-1 down in the second half to earn a gritty point.

Click here to view the embedded video.

New England Manager Steve Nicol put it best: "Both teams were as bad defensively as each other."

In a game that featured eight goals—two by way of penalty kicks—the Union overcame a three-goal deficit to salvage a draw at home against the Eastern Conference bottom-dwelling Revolution on Wednesday night.

Featured photo: Nicolae Stoian

Mondragon tweeted this picture and message on Tuesday: "With my 'man' James leaving the Crozer Hospital. Thanks to everyone at the hospital for their care."

Even though Philadelphia Union captain Faryd Mondragon surely wants the focus to be on tonight's game against New England and the team, the news that he is expected to miss four weeks after successfully undergoing surgery to repair the distal phalanx (great band name?

Justin Mapp was active, involved and positive. Sebastien Le Toux scored a fine open-play goal. Zac MacMath played 45 minutes of shutout ball and saved a breakaway.

And the Union still lost.

No shots, but who to blame?

An indifferent opening half-hour turned into a desperate chase for a tying goal.

(Photo: Paul Rudderow)

With a weather-induced fixture logjam in their immediate future, the Union need to start scoring goals (and earning points) quickly. Yet, the attack continues to be lacking as the Union languish near the bottom of the MLS table in almost every offensive statistical category.

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.

Carlos Valdes missing the New England match: Meh.

Carlos Valdes missing the game at Real Salt Lake? Dammit.

Due to New Englanders being scared of weather, the second scenario has come true. The options to replace Valdes are clear because, well, they are so few.

1. Drop Stefani Miglioranzi back and fill his spot with either a recovered Brian Carroll or an antsy Amobi Okugo.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

1-0 looked like it would be enough against Houston. With ten minutes to play the Philadelphia Union looked as if they were on their way to another one goal, home victory. Second goal or not, they should have made it stand and for the second game in a row they are left with a draw that felt like a loss.

When PSP runs our live commentary during away matches, we get lots of interesting comments and questions from readers. We take those comments and try to put together a list of questions that get to the heart of what Union fans want to know about the team.

Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

No time was wasted spinning Wednesday night's dismal performance from the Union against last place Chicago with this tweet going out moments after the end of the game: "With the 1-1 draw, the Union extend their road unbeaten streak to four matches and avoid their first losing streak of the season.

Peter Nowak said before Wednesday night's supremely disappointing draw with Kansas City, "We want to give other guys a little time...We can mix things up, create a different look, make other teams guess who's gonna be playing and what kind of quality. All of [the strikers] have different qualities.

There are certain basic adages that should be considered general knowledge...

Don't mess with success.

Unfortunately, Peter Nowak doesn't know that one.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Nope. Not that one either.

In the three games since the exciting 6-2 drubbing of Toronto in which the Union offense ran riot, the lineup has been altered every time.

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.

Carlos Ruiz says anything less than three points in Toronto will be an embarrassment. THAT'S the attitude I'm looking for!

MLSsoccer.com previews Saturday's game. In Goal.com's head-to-head preview, the Philly guy predicts a 2–0 win for the Union, the Toronto guy a 1–1 draw. The Friday MLS Forecast at Goal.

Leonardo scores his first MLS gol off a Beckham free kick, sealing a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia Union

In the words of @mattyhuffine's Twitter stream: "#LAGALAXY win with 10 men in what turned out to be more of a card game than a soccer match."

Right?

Or as my favorite futbol curmudgeon, Grahame Jones, put it in today's LA Times, "[R]eferee Paul Ward, .

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Alejandro Moreno discusses his departure from the Union. Clearly hurt at being let go, he is nevertheless one class act and ever the gentleman. Which you knew already after listening to the interview KYW and the PSP did with him on the Philly Soccer Show.