Opinion

  It’s that time of year again, Union fans.  As of now, our controversial roster is pretty much what it’s gonna be.  Following an offseason of unusual turnover, heart-rending surprises, vicious debate, and a deluge of tweets fit for no man’s daughters, we’ve got ourselves a team.  For better or worse, Union 3.0 has arrived. Now we’ve gotta figure out what to do with it.  Undoubtedly, Nowak & Co. are huddling in one of their favorite undisclosed locations, poring…
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Like any fucked-up emo mullet, the Union features a reserved business-like rear and an unpredictable, sexy façade. Even with the loss of our well-endowed AARP’er (goalie Faryd Mondragon) and the likely introduction of a new starter (left back and LMFAO-reject Porfirio Lopez), the defense will be ready to build on their success last year. A unit that held opponents to an Eastern Conference-low 1.06 goals per game returns its revelatory center back pairing (Carlos Valdes…
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It’s that time of year again, Union fans.  As of now, our controversial roster is pretty much what it’s gonna be.  Following an offseason of unusual turnover, heart-rending surprises, vicious debate, and a deluge of tweets fit for no man’s daughters, we’ve got ourselves a team.  For better or worse, Union 3.0 has arrived. Now we’ve gotta figure out what to do with it.  Undoubtedly, Nowak & Co. are huddling in one of their favorite undisclosed locations, poring over…
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The beginning of any season poses questions. In the case of the Union, the talk is centered on two things: the surprising exit of Sebastian Le Toux and the younger-by-the-minute makeup of the team. Moves have been made and a process has been set in motion. But what many see as a terrible weakness might wind up being our greatest asset. Even with all the talk of the Union’s youth movement, I still don’t think…
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It’s that time of year again, Union fans.  As of now, our controversial roster is pretty much what it’s gonna be.  Following an offseason of unusual turnover, heart-rending surprises, vicious debate, and a deluge of tweets fit for no man’s daughters, we’ve got ourselves a team.  For better or worse, Union 3.0 has arrived. Now we’ve gotta figure out what to do with it.  Undoubtedly, Nowak & Co. are huddling in one of their favorite undisclosed locations, poring over…
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As I laid abed recently, weary from the day’s blogging, I heard a voice. Since I’d taken all my medications (and a few other people’s too, for good measure), I figured it had to be an external one. I could only assume it was my dearest wife, with whom I share a bed, a life, and an incorrigible devotion to the Philadelphia Union.  Having recognized her voice, I immediately went through my usual mental checklist of…
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Tumultuous.  Turbulent.  Turgid. Two of those adjectives can be used to describe this whirlwind of an offseason.  The other may look  like cheap alliteration, but it refers to the visceral, testosterone-laden anger at the Front Office that has left many a fan sporting an undeniable rage-boner. The question isn’t whether or not those actually exist, but whether or not they’re warranted.  The names Mondragon, Mwanga, Nakazawa, Paunovic, Adu, Daniel, Gomez, Khalfan, Lopez, Martinez, Torres - not to mention Houapeu, Richter, Langley, Hoffman, Jordan, Gaddis and…
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Dear PUT Readers, I’ve made a huge mistake. My article yesterday was impassioned and impulsive. I failed to allow the story to fully develop, thus forming a one-sided view of the Sebastien Le Toux trade. Late last night, I read an exclusive interview with Le Toux by Chris Vito of the Delaware County Daily Times. My sympathy towards the Front Office dissipated considerably. Le Toux was begging for an extension. “Just give me a contract…
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As the Union break camp en route to the 2012 season, we were able to get an early look at one of the Union’s new Central American signings before he reported to preseason training.  Panamanian midfielder Gabriel Gomez played a big part in Wednesday’s US-Panama friendly which ended 1-0 in favor of the US. It is hard to know everything about a player based on 90 minutes of soccer, and I certainly won’t claim to…
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Sebastien Le Toux scored 20 goals and tallied 25 assists during his two years with the Philadelphia Union. He contributed to 57% of all Union goals scored in MLS play. He played in 5,580 of a possible 5,760 Union minutes, missing two games due to a knee injury. Soccer matches last ninety minutes. In other words, he was never subbed out of an MLS match as a Union player. Seba holds the team record in…
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