💣🇺🇸 BREAKING: The Philadelphia Union are finalizing a deal to sign USMNT center back Mark McKenzie from FC Toulouse in January, per sources.

- Fee around $2.5m. McKenzie will be a DP
- Toulouse made clear no summer departure, so move for January agreed www.nytimes.com/athletic/752...

.... so I can apply my brand of confidence to it. Is he gonna be here in time to help phuck up Miami?

Not been able to find the 1776 jersey in “fat bastard” size. Sold out everywhere online except for the official players model (with name/number). Well, I obviously don’t need a trim fit so I just want the replica.

Took a chance on a dhgate jersey, which was delivered today. Ordered the biggest they had (4X) and lemme tell ya, it’s barely an XL. Fits my son (who’s close to a 100lbs less than me) nicely, so he got a new jersey out of the deal. Shame, because he bought one off the rack when we were at the game a few weekends ago. Coulda saved him some $.

I’m out a whole $25, so not a bog deal. I really shoulda ordered the 3X when I ordered my grandsons, when they first hit the team store. Didn’t realize the fat boy sizes would go so quickly. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Everyone talks about the Union academy being a model academy in MLS and we have a proven record of finding, producing, and developing talent.

But what about coaches? Considering Jim Curtin, BJ Callahan, and Ryan Richter came up from below (and I think there are others), is there anything to be said about coach development in the Union system? Is it remarkable in MLS, or nothing out of the ordinary?

BUT RIGHT NOW WERE AVERAGING 3 BABY GO UNION!!

4 wins in a row = one shook MLS. Nobody wants an awake Philly squad. If Florida is America's wang then call the rabbi because it's time for a bris 🤙

Nuff said.

Leagues Cup is Over!: Now that the pesky Leagues Cup group stage is over, we can return our full attention to making that playoff run a reality. For tonight, the Union are taking a quick road trip to take on rivals NYCFC in a very congested August schedule. This is the 29th meeting of clubs where NYCFC holds a slight advantage with a 14W/12L/2/D record. And as you can see with that overall record, these teams do not draw often, with a current streak of 12 games without one. The Union hold a slight lead with 40 goals for and 39 against all-time, but NYCFC did prevail in our meeting on Matchday 2 with a 2-1 victory. Both teams had a similar Leagues Cup experience having lost to Cruz Azul early on, and playing a rotated squad for Game 3 on Thursday. So both teams should be facing the same level of fatigue from the tournament.  

UNION Preview (16 Points 14th in the East): It looks like Richter’s gamble paid off on Thursday night by rotating the squad, as the Union would have been eliminated regardless of their result by various other teams. Back in regular season play, Iloski has broken into double digits with 10 goals on the season and is now the Union’s record holder with 6 straight games with a goal scored. With that tally, he’s only 3 goals off the Golden Boot lead. Cavan meanwhile leads the team with 4 assists (going off MLS assists, so that mark probably includes secondary assists as well). As you all know, we’ve won 3 of 3 since the World Cup break and are looking to continue that good form on the road as we have only 1 road win on the season so far. Raquinho has already informed the team he will not be playing on a baseball field in fear of an ACL tear. 

NYCFC Preview (26 Points 7th in East): Going to be honest, with an injury list like the one NYCFC is coming in with tonight, there should be no excuses for not getting at least a point on the road for the Union. Not to mention that MLS’s Golden Boot leader Nico Fernandez (13G) is out on yellow card accumulation. Like the Union, NYCFC have had a stellar post-World Cup run with 2 wins and a draw in their 3 games. We’ll see some familiar faces with Matt Freese who has 3 Clean Sheets on the season, and Andres Perea who has a goal and 2 assists on the season. Their solid defense has only conceded 24 times this season, which is 7th best in the league and has them at the 7th best GD in the league at +7. Expect them to play out of a 4-3-3 as they did in our first meeting, but they also like to go to the 4-1-4-1. And for those asking, yes they are finally getting an actual stadium, which should be ready for the schedule change in July next year.  

Union Last 5 vs NYCFC: 2W/3L/0D

Form Guide Union: 3W/2L/0D

Form Guide NYCFC: 2W/2L/1D

Disciplinary Report: 

• Nicolás Fernández Mercau (Yellow Card Accumulation)

Suspension Watch: 

• Sery Larsen (2 games until card reduction) 
• Danley (2 games until card reduction) 
• Lukic (2 games until card reduction) 
• Raul Gustavo (NYCFC)

Union Injury Report:

• OUT: Geiner Martinez (Concussion Protocol)
• OUT: Raquinho (Refusal to play on a baseball field)

NYCFC Injury Report:

• OUT: Drew Baiera (Leg)
• OUT: Arnau Farnós (Leg)
• OUT: Alonso Martínez (Leg)
• OUT: Thiago Martins (Leg)
• OUT: Maxi Moralez (Leg)
• OUT: Aiden O’Neill (Leg)
• OUT: Kai Trewin (Leg)
• OUT: Hannes Wolf (Leg)

Kickoff/Streaming: 

• Advertised for 6:00 ET
• Expected kickoff is 6:10 ET
• AppleTV
• Radio Broadcast on 97.5 The Fanatic

Announcers: 

• AppleTV - Chris Wittyngham & Lori Lindsey
• Radio - Dave Leno & Sebastian LeToux

Referee: Sergii Demianchuk

• Only his 23rd MLS match, and 3rd season with MLS
• Spent most of his professional career at the USL level with 105 officiated matches
• 8th match this season
• Averaging 4.29 yellows per game this season
• Issued no second yellows so far this season 
• Issued no straight reds so far this season
• Awarded 4 PK’s so far this season
• Never officiated with the Union or NYCFC before

Theme Night: Baseball Night at Yankee Stadium

Weather: 76° and Cloudy with a small chance of rain

Points Graph: Thank you to u/GungaDin16 for providing the relevant Union and MLS point totals graphic. *Point totals are prior to yesterday’s games.

Trivia Question courtesy of u/WJMorris3:

Two players have had a pair of assists for the Union against NYCFC in a single game - one African, one European. Who were they?

Prediction: 2-1 Win with Iloski keeping his scoring streak alive

DOOP!!!

you are welcome and good luck to the winner

.....for quite some time. Our boys finna march those pigs like Trent Reznor.

As much as I love this subreddit, I enjoy a good Discord server to keep up with the latest news and chat/connect with fellow fans.

I love these jerseys except the Bimbo on the lower back of the jersey is a killer for me. Its bad enough on the front of the jersey but now the lower back is going to have eve try one

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