Philadelphia Union 101
On February 28, 2008, Major League Soccer announced that Philadelphia had been awarded the league’s 16th team, and that professional soccer would return to the Philadelphia area in 2010.
Led by the ownership group of Keystone Sports and Entertainment, LLC, the club operated under the name MLS Philadelphia 2010 for most of 2008 and the early portion of 2009. The combination of extensive grassroots support spearheaded by the Sons of Ben and a public/private partnership between Philadelphia Union, the State of Pennsylvania, Delaware County and the City of Chester enabled the construction of a state-of-the-art soccer stadium and convinced MLS that the Philadelphia region deserved a soccer team.
After three decades without a team, it's understandable that Philadelphia’s rich and successful soccer history may be unfamiliar to many fans. Make no mistake, however; while the City of Brotherly Love may be a newcomer to MLS, the region’s professional soccer history is second to none.
On March 25th, 2010, Philadelphia played its first ever match, a 2-0 loss to Seattle Sounders FC. On April 10th, 2010, the club's Inaugural Home Opener, Philadelphia notched the first victory in team history beating D.C. United 3-2 in front of 34,870 fans.
Name
Philadelphia Union alludes to the Union of the Thirteen Colonies, of which Philadelphia was the first capital. The club’s name and crest incorporate Philadelphia’s rich colonial history and vital role in the creation of our nation – the Union. The team's name was chosen following a 'Fan Vote' held between January 19, 2009 and February 6, 2009.
Crest and Colors
The light blue in the middle of the badge is derived from the civic flag of Philadelphia and is a tribute to the Sons of Ben supporters club.
The team's primary crest is circular, symbolizing unity. The thirteen gold stars displayed along the base of the crest represent the original Thirteen Colonies, while the shield's contour derives from the Philadelphia coat of arms. The rattlesnake featured in the center of the shield pays homage to a political cartoon by Benjamin Franklin that was featured in multiple editions of the Pennsylvania Gazette in the 1750s. The rattlesnake became a national symbol during the American Revolution, representing the danger of disunity, and was featured on the Gadsden flag. Union's secondary logo also features the rattlesnake, along with the motto "JUNGITE aut PERITE", a Latin phrase meaning "JOIN or DIE", which was displayed by Franklin in his cartoons along with the rattlesnake.
Stadium
We have a beautiful water front stadium located on the Delaware river right outside of Philadelphia in Chester. She seats 18,500.
Our players tunnel is located under the supporters section (seats 2,000). Better know as "The River End". It has been said by visiting teams it is intimidating coming out from there.
Supporters
The Sons of Ben are our supporters. They reside at The River End. Founded January 2007 they began advocating for Major League Soccer to award Philadelphia an expansion team. They are credited with convincing the league that the area already had an established fanbase for soccer. They are crazy, loud, and entertaining at the games.
Their logo incorporates various components alluding to Philadelphia's history and the achievements of Benjamin Franklin. The oar and the scythe represent the city's nautical and agricultural roots. Franklin invented bifocals, while the key, lightning bolts and lozenge-shaped kite symbolize his exploration into the nature of electricity. The crack in Franklin's skull resembles that of the historic Liberty Bell.
The Manager
Piotr (Peter) Nowak. He was Polish soccer player and a former assistant coach of the USMNT under Brad "Papa Bear" Bradley. Has also coached DC United.
TheTeam
Goal Keepers
#1 Chris Seitz. He has been in the most out of the two. Has some great saves but sometimes slips up.
#18 Brad Knighton. He is my favourite out of our goalies. From what I have seen of him, which isn't much, he is better of the two. He has yet to play during the regular season. Nowak needs to put him in.
Defenders
#2 Jordan Harvey
#3 Juan Diego González Alzate. Don't know much about this guy but he is our new player. I have high hopes that he can help us out. God knows our defense sucks.
#4 Danny Califf. He is our captain. Nicknamed Cap'n Crunch. Notable for his sideburns. He shaved his mohawk as an act of contrition after receiving a red card for taking someone down in a game against Toronto. He has also played for the USMNT at every level from U-17 appearing in 20 matches for the full national team.
#12 Toni Ståhl
#16 Michael Orozco Fiscal
#26 Cristian Arrieta
Forwards
#9 Sebastien Le Toux. Don't get me started on this guy. I could go on for hours. He is my favourite player. His name is fun to say. I don't know where Union would be without him. He has scored 9 goals this season. He just recently won MLS Goal of the week. He bent it better than Beckham. Check it.
#10 Danny Mwanga. He is young and our second top scorer. First overall pick in the 2010 MLS Draft. Early in the season made goals in stoppage time in three consecutive games temporarily giving him the nickname "Last Minute Mwanga."
#15 Alejandro Moreno
#19 Jack McInerney. He is the baby of the team. Has loads of potential. I cannot wait to see more of him. First goal was against LA Galaxy, and that says a lot.
Midfielders
#6 Stefani Migiloranzi
#7 Fred.
#8 Andrew Jacobson
#11 Shea Salinas. Also known as Speed Salinas. This boy is fast.
#13 Kyle Nakazawa
#14 Amobi Okugo
#17 JT Noone
#20 Roger Torres
#21 Eduardo “Chacho” Coudet. May recognize this one from Argentina’s premier league. After being on trial for a few games, he signed with the Union late last month.
#22 Justin Mapp. Just acquired from the Chicago Fire which was a surprise to him.
#23 Nick Zimmerman
While this team has been somewhat inconsistent, it is understandable for their first year. Overall they aren't doing too bad. There is a lot of promising talent and a fantastic fanbase supporting them. The management is working hard to build a strong team that is not only skillful but is also full of members with great character. I recommend listening to this interview with CEO Nick Sakiewicz to get an understanding of what this team is about.
Related websites:
http://philadelphiaunion.com
http://sonsofben.com
http://phillyuniontalk.com (I enjoy this one personally. Their articles are witty and funny.)
http://www.phillysongs.net/
http://phillysoccerpage.com
I would like to thank my great friend Anna (
temporary_x ) for helping me out with this post and getting me into this team!Mods we need a Philly Union tag please!
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