It was a 2 hour drive from the Poconos to PPL Park, the hallowed place a certain unreasonable facsimile of a pseudo-soccer journalist was hell-bent on getting to before 7 o’clock.  Having just enjoyed the Pennsylvania countryside in somewhat unconventional fashion, my tired, bleeding, freezing, and only recently electrocuted little self kept the pedal to the medal, kept conscious only by the knowledge that the Union had finally found a little form.  This would be my reward, this my comfort. I…
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In a record-breakingly packed PPL, the U nabbed a point from a Beckham-less Galaxy, in what was probably the most thrilling 15 minutes of the season so far.

The Union drop their first three points of the season, and in doing so expose their most consequential weaknesses. Let’s hope the first real test was an impetus to improve and not a sign of things to come.

So….question:  is it cool to be supportive of opposing team members for whom you have admiration?  Is it ok to even admire someone on another team?  Obviously I’m not talking about cheering for an enemy during the run of play- if the greatest, classiest footballing phenom in the world were charging toward’s the Union’s goal, I’d wanna see him get flattened like a Lorenzo’s pizza at 2 AM, admiration notwithstanding. The reason we pose the…
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So, the Union lost to LA.  1-0.  There’s neither shame nor surprise in this. What was pleasant to see is that the Union lost like men.  Of course they’ve always done that; almost every loss they’ve incurred happened despite their characteristic doggedness and resolve.  But THIS time, not only did the U lose with heart- they lost with dignity. They lost like professionals, not like an expansion team with growing pains.  They didn’t lose because…
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The hits keep on coming. Manchester United defender and first black English permanent national captain Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out of competition.  The blow to the Lions comes by way of a knee ligament, apparently injured during training in South Africa.  Steven Gerrard will captain the squad in Rio’s stead, as the latter joins David Beckham on the sidelines to nurse their respective wounds and cheer on the team that will doubtless be the lesser…
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Philadelphia Union @ LA Galaxy 10:30 pm Home Depot Center – Carson, California The LA Galaxy are the best team in the MLS right now, and the stats back that up.  The Galaxy have given up the fewest amount of goals per game.  They are conceding at a rate of less than one goal per game (0.20 goals per).  LA also has THE in form striker of the league in Edson Buddle. While Buddle may be getting…
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Alright, Union.  Saturday you’re playing LA.  Yes, that LA, the best team in the MLS right now.  Yes, the ones who get their goals from league-leading scoremeister Edson Buddle, and their swagger from gracefully aging bendmeister Dave Beckham AND Premier League-worthy Landon Donovan.  They’re kinda good. But that is no reason to approach them humbly.  Since day one, against Seattle (compared to whom everyone is just so sure we’ll never measure up as an expansion…
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Photo By Shady_sp As you may have heard, the Philadelphia Union’s next MLS Regular Season game vs the Los Angeles Galaxy will not feature David Beckham. Beckham, who ruptured his achilles last month while playing on loan to AC Milan, was hoping to be back playing for the Galaxy by now, but further complications have kept him on the sidelines. According to the surgeon who operated on Beckham, David would be out for at least…
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