By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Oct 14, 2022) US Soccer Players - If FC Cincinnati's visit to Philadelphia to take on the Union in the Eastern Conference semifinals was a popcorn flick penned by a screenwriter at a big studio, the student-teacher trope would be central to the story. The match-up of the 5th-seed and the conference's top team provides two different student-teacher dynamics. That's . . .
Considering all of the factors for Coach of the Year in MLS
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Oct 5, 2022) US Soccer Players - The choice for the 2022 Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Award in Major League Soccer may seem obvious. It's just that the choice is not always the same, depending on who you happen to ask. The 2022 MLS season delivered exceptional campaigns by a handful of teams. Some of those met or slightly exceeded expectations. Some far . . .
The Philadelphia Union is showing how to balance a roster in 2022
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Oct 3, 2022) US Soccer Players – The battle for the Supporters' Shield for much of the season has pitted Los Angeles FC against the Philadelphia Union. LAFC won it on Sunday thanks to a dramatic 2-1 win against the Portland Timbers, buoyed by its star-studded roster. Across the country, the Union, a side without the same level of international stars, relies on a . . .
Maurice Edu on the Eastern Conference and Toronto’s changes
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (July 29, 2022) US Soccer Players - Two-thirds through the regular season schedule, a pair of elite teams have emerged in the quest for 1st-place in the Eastern Conference and a shot at the Supporters' Shield. The standings tell the tale: At the top of the East sit the Philadelphia Union and New York City FC, by any measure the two best teams in the . . .
The Union and NYCFC build an MLS rivalry
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (June 29, 2022) US Soccer Players - Major League Soccer loves a good rivalry. Check that. MLS loves any rivalry, even ones that might not be immediately apparent. MLS decided long ago that pushing rivalry was a winning marketing strategy. Rivalry can come from nearly anything, but geography is the most common variable at play. Put a couple of teams on a soccer field . . .
Figuring out how to score goals in MLS
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (June 24, 2022) US Soccer Players - With more than half the regular season still to play and the secondary transfer window set to open on July 7, every club in MLS still believes it has a shot at glory. This is Major League Soccer. There's no reason to think that things can't change, and quickly. The question of how to get better is ever-present, even for the . . .
Philadelphia’s start speaks to what the club does right
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 15, 2022) US Soccer Players - The Philadelphia Union stands alone going into the seventh full weekend of the 2022 MLS season. Jim Curtin's Eastern Conference outfit is the lone remaining unbeaten team heading into a weekend match-up with Toronto FC at BMO Field on Saturday. Philadelphia's success is most often attributed to its smart, team-focused approach . . .
The Philadelphia Union may already be that team
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 25, 2022) US Soccer Players - Is the Philadelphia Union the best team in Major League Soccer? The club certainly has an argument in the early stages of the 2022 MLS season. Through four weeks, the Union sits atop the standings in the Eastern Conference with an unbeaten record and a +5 goal differential. Only LAFC and Real Salt Lake can match the Union for . . .
The next phase of the Philadelphia Union project
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Feb 24, 2022) US Soccer Players - As season openers loom, coaches and fan bases around MLS tend to engage in roster arithmetic. How much talent and productivity is gone? What reinforcements have arrived? What missing pieces must still be added to the equation? Usually, the sight of both a club's leading scorer, as well as its second-leading assist-getter, . . .
Pat Noonan gets the head coaching job at FC Cincinnati
The soccer news starts with a new coach for FC Cincinnati. Philadelphia Union assistant Pat Noonan takes the job with the club looking to rebuild after another last-place finish. He had been with Philadelphia since the 2018 season and previously worked as an assistant with Bruce Arena at the LA Galaxy and USMNT. "We are proud to introduce Pat as the new head coach of FC Cincinnati," Cincinnati . . .
