Whether a seasoned die-hard or a brand new fan, everyone can benefit from a little erudition.  A knowledgeable fan base, as they say, is a winning one.    Actually, we’re not sure anyone says that.  But being entirely made up doesn’t make the phrase any less true.  It is for that reason, and in the interest of the public betterment, that we present this brief collection of Union facts, trivia, and general knowledge.  Some of it you may know.  Some you…
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  Nothing happened. For all the attempts of journalists and bloggers alike to extract a narrative from the day’s cagey and inconsequential action, the clash produced nothing that would inspire a Union fan, or disappoint one.  The restored back line, topped off by MacMath’s continued competence, revived faith in a defense that never should have faltered in the first place.  The offense was as impotent as we’ve grown used to this season.  No surprise there,…
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‘Twas a fine day to be a Union fan, and an even finer one to be a Union fan with an unsettling mustache.  The 2012 ‘Stache Bash raised hell and lots of money for the cause as SoB’s, friends, family, and a very special birthday boy Dooped themselves silly by the riverside.

For all those lucky enough to have ordered themselves one of our “Barry Bridge Bullies” tees, we have good news- they’re ready for you. But just as we were trying to jam them en masse into the mailbox in front of PUT world headquarters, a notion struck us- why not just hand them to you?  To save on shipping and therefore raise the total amount we can donate to the good folks at Camden Youth…
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In case you didn’t know, March 18th is the 2012 annual ‘Stache Bash.  This charity bash has raised veritable assloads of money for the less fortunate of our proud region in every year of the Union’s existence, and this year will be no different. There will be food, there will be fun, there will be a band named after a terrible skin condition.  Get your tickets here.  And don’t forget your ‘stache.   

  The start of a new season is always a magical time.  It’s a rebirth, a rebooting of hopes that rose and fell the year previous, a joyous gathering of fans, friends, and fanatics who find each other right where they left each other, and so give new breath to what died when the last whistle blew. Season 3′s first days will be no less happy, but they will be different.  The changes we face this month will be more drastic than…
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[Don't forget to enter for your chance to Win a Union Travel Mug from Philly Union Talk] Goals for.  Goals against.  Pass completion percentage.  Minutes, miles, years, days, months.  No sports fan can resist the temptation of cold hard stats. Maybe it’s the fantasy of being able to understand what’s basically inscrutable, to make logical sense out of a wildly unpredictable and emotional thing.  We want to make order from chaos, and so we crunch…
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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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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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As the offseason winds down and first kick approaches, let’s take a moment to remember the loved and lost: Mapp, Justin Mapp was taken from us on November 23rd, 2011.  A dynamic winger with the occasional ability to control the ball, Mapp was left unprotected and was subsequently picked up by the barely existent Montreal Impact in the MLS Expansion Draft.  Enduring a lifelong struggle with male pattern baldness, he nonetheless managed to produce for the Union,…
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