Union play to 3-3 tie with Chicago

Chester, Pa. – After Wednesday night´s big win in the U.S. Open Cup, the Philadelphia Union faced Chicago Fire again in PPL Park Sunday night and played to a 3-3 deadlock.

After a sloppy first 20 minutes for the Union, in which Kennedy Igboananike scored for Chicago in the 10th minute, Philadelphia found an equalizer in the 21st minute with Fernando Aristeguieta´s header from Cristián Madiana´s corner kick.

Fabinho made the score 2-1 in the 31st minute scoring a stunning goal from Maidana’s second assist of the evening.

The Fire tied the game in the 54th minute, and both teams battled to take the lead. Sebastien Le Toux scored his 51st goal in MLS play in the 90th minute giving the Union the 3-2 lead. Maidana´s third assist set Le Toux up on the left side of the area and the Frenchman drove a hard shot into the bottom right hand corner of the goal.

The Fire equalized in the second minute of added time with Igboananike´s second goal of the night.

With the three assists, Maidana broke the club record for most assists in a single season with 14. Le Toux previously held the record with 12 assists in the 2013 season.  Maidana is now the first in the league for assists in the 2015 season.

The Union will play again this Saturday, Aug. 22, to face the Montreal Impact at 8:00 p.m. in Saputo stadium.

Union trade for D Creavalle

CHESTER, Pa.  – The Philadelphia Union have acquired defender Warren Creavalle from Toronto FC in exchange for a second round draft pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.


Creavalle, 24, was originally the No. 37 pick in the '12 SuperDraft by the Houston Dynamo. He made 54 appearances for Houston in three years before getting traded to Toronto FC for the No. 1 spot in the MLS allocation rankings on July 23 of last year.

Since joining Toronto, Creavalle has played in 24 games, making 15 starts, while scoring two goals. In his MLS career, he has five career goals in 78 appearances.

“Warren’s versatility will be a great addition to our group,” Union technical director Chris Albright said. “He’s a young player who has played a lot of games in our league and we look forward to him contributing immediately.”

In '15, Creavalle played and started each of Toronto’s first four games at right back. In all, he’s made 14 appearances with eight starts this season. He scored the game-winning goal against San Jose Earthquakes on May 30 during a 3-1 win and Toronto has gone 7-5-2 in games he’s played. The versatile fullback also has experience playing defensive midfielder.

In college, Creavalle appeared in 73 career games and recorded eight goals and 10 assists. He played two years at Furman University before transferring to the University of Central Florida. At UCF, he was a Third-Team All-American selection in 2010 and was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list heading into his senior season.

Union ship Williams to Houston

CHESTER - The Philadelphia Union have shipped defender Sheanon Williamsto and an international spot to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for general allocation money and future considerations.

Williams, 25, was the longest-tenured member of the Union, joining the team during its 2010 expansion campaign. He arrived on Aug. 31 of that season and started in eight games at just 20 years old.

From then on the now-veteran was almost a permanent fixture in the lineup, starting 92 games from 2011-2013, including both of the club’s playoff games in 2011. In 2015, he had played in 17 games, starting 15 of them. He is particularly known for his powerful throw-ins which often set up legitimate scoring opportunities for Philadelphia.

“Sheanon has represented the club well during his time here and we wish him the best of luck in Houston,” Union technical director Chris Albright said. “However, this allows us the flexibility to make additional moves both short and long term.”

Union drop friendly to AFC Bournemouth

CHESTER - English Premier League side AFC Bournemouth dominated the Philadelphia Union en route to a 4-1 win in an international friendly at PPL Park Tuesday. A

AFC Bournemouth scored the first goal of the game in the 20th minute as Joshua King sent the ball into the top corner passed Union goalkeeper John McCarthy. The second Bournemouth goal followed six minutes later from Callum Wilson's strike.

The Union tried to make it a game in the 35th minute with Richie Marquez´s header from Sheanon Williams' cross but Bournemouth regained its two goal lead in the 62nd minute after Marc Pugh capitalized on Tokelo Rantie's assist.

The final goal came in the 85th minute after Fred fouled Marc Pugh in the box. Tokelo Rantie scored his first goal of the night as he sent the penalty into the top left-hand corner of the goal.

The Union return to MLS action on Saturday in Toronto.

Union extend loan on Aristeguieta

CHESTER, Pa. – The Philadelphia Union have picked up the option to extend Fernando Aristeguieta on loan from FC Nantes.

The 23-year-old Venezuelan international forward joined the club on a half-year loan prior to the beginning of the 2015 MLS Regular Season and will now be with Philadelphia until at least the end of the calendar year. He will remain on the club as a Designated Player. Per club and league policy, additional details were not disclosed.

“Fernando is a player we believe in and we’re happy to keep him as a part of our group,” Union technical director Chris Albright said. “We look forward to him getting back on the field and contributing as we push for the playoffs.”

Aristeguieta has played and started in 11 games this season, scoring three goals. He started in each of the club’s first five matches in 2015, as well as seven out of the first eight, but has since been derailed with injuries. In addition to a broken hand that the forward played through, he has recently been battling a left ankle contusion that has sidelined him since a 3-0 win over Columbus Crew SC on June 3.

At Nantes, Aristeguieta made 45 appearances and scored nine goals after joining the club in January 2013. He helped the club secure promotion immediately in 2013 by scoring seven goals in seven appearances during the second half of the season. The following season, playing in Ligue 1, Aristeguieta made 28 appearances and scored two goals.

Prior to joining Nantes, Aristeguieta played for Caracas from 2009-13. There, he made 71 appearances and scored 31 goals for the club, finishing in the top five in scoring in Venezuela’s Primeria Division each of his last two seasons. His final season for Caracas in 2012-13, at just 20 years old, Aristeguieta scored 14 goals, second best in the league. He then made the move to Nantes.

At the international level, Aristeguieta has made 12 appearances and scored one goal for Venezuela. His lone goal came against El Salvador on Aug. 7, 2011 in Washington, D.C. Most recently, Aristeguieta made the preliminary roster for the 2015 Copa America Tournament, but was one of the final cuts. He last featured for Venezuela in 2014 for their World Cup Qualifying campaign, making five appearances for La Vinotinto, including a start against Colombia on March 26, 2013.

Union to play Red Bulls in U.S. Open Cup quarters

CHESTER, Pa. – The Philadelphia Union will play New York Red Bulls on Tuesday, July 21, at Red Bull Arena in the quarterfinals of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The match is set to kick-off at 4 p.m. due to the International Champions Cup taking place at Red Bull Arena later that night.

“We are happy that it’s been decided to play this match on the originally designated U.S. Soccer date of July 21, but are very disappointed about the 4 p.m. kick off for our fans that were planning to travel,” Union CEO and Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz said. “We have worked cooperatively with U.S. Soccer to obtain a block of tickets and will be providing round-trip bus transportation to any Union fans that wish to attend the game. There is a limited supply of 500 tickets that will be made available on a first-come, first-serve basis.”

The Union reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup for the third in time in four years by defeating Rochester Rhinos 0-0 (3-1) in the Fourth Round, and D.C. United, 2-1, in the Round of 16. It’s the first time the Red Bulls have reached the quarterfinals since 2011 and they did so by defeating a pair of NASL teams, Atlanta Silverbacks 3-0 in the Fourth Round, and New York Cosmos 4-1 in the Round of 16.

U.S. Soccer also announced the three other quarterfinal fixtures last week. Chicago Fire will host Orlando City SC on Wednesday, July 22. The winner of that game will travel to play the winner of the Union-Red Bulls match in the semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, Real Salt Lake will host L.A. Galaxy on Tuesday, July 14 and Sporting Kansas City will host Houston Dynamo on Tuesday, July 21.

The semifinals are then slated for Aug. 11-12, with the final coming on either Sept. 29 or 30.

The Union will be providing bus transportation for the first 500 fans interested in traveling to Harrison, N.J. for the match. The road trip, which includes round trip bus transportation, a game ticket and light food and beverage  will be $10 and can be purchased through www.philadelphiaunion.com/promo.

Union advance in U.S. Open Cup

Chester, Pa. – Despite playing a man down, the Philadelphia Union recovered from a one-goal deficit to top their Eastern Conference rivals D.C. United 2-1 in the Round of 16 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tuesday night.

The Union went down a man early in the first half as forward C.J. Sapong was shown a straight red card in the 24th minute.

D.C. United capitalized shortly afterwards with a strike from Jairo Arrieta in the 27th minute.

Eric Ayuk equalized in the 56th minute, scoring from Sheanon Williams´ cross. The winning goal came in the 79th minute, with Fabinho scoring a spectacular goal from Cristián Maidana´s assist.

With the win, the Union move to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup with the next game set for July 21 or 22.

Union salvage a point in downpour at PPL Park

Maurice Edu

By John McMullen
jmcmullen@phanaticmag.com

Chester, PA (The Phanatic Magazine) - Maurice Edu scored the equalizer late in the second half as the Union escaped with a point against Montreal at a rainy PPL Park on Saturday night.

Holding a precarious 2-1 advantage thanks to former Union star Jack McInerney, Montreal faltered in the 75th minute when Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush stopped Fabinho's blast from distance but failed to corral the rebound with Edu on the doorstep.

The defender calmly slipped it by Bush for his first goal of the season in what turned out to be a 2-2 final.

"We needed a goal." Edu said. "We were all trying to get on the end of the set piece. It came out to Fabi, who did well to take a good shot and keep it on frame. I was just trying to follow up and pray that the goalie would make a mistake, which he did. He made the save and then it came out and I was there in the right place at the right time. It’s a credit to Fabi keeping that play alive."


Philadelphia (5-10-4, 19 points) nearly won it in the 83rd minute when Richie Marquez's header found the net but it was waived off when the Union were ruled offsides.

"A wild, game end to end," Union coach Jim Curtin said. "I thought we started the game well in the first 20-25 minutes. I thought we were good. We hit he goal, they came at us a little bit." 

The majority of the match was played in a hard, driving rain on the Delaware River.

"Were the conditions crazy? Yeah, absolutely and the field might not look like it from up high but the wind was incredibly strong in the first half, it kind of faded in the second half," Curtin said. "It was in our face in the first half. We didn’t get a chance to go with it because the weather changed a bit. Certainly a strange game in terms of weather."

Philadelphia took the early advantage in the eighth minute when Chaco Maidana's entry pass found C.J. Sapong, who tapped it back to the waiting Erik Ayuk and the youngster blasted it past Bush, finding the top-right corner.

The Impact (5-6-3, 18 points) evened things in the 28th minute when Union netminder Brian Sylvestre's defense let him down. Ignacio Piatti maneuvered in the middle of the pitch with little resistance from center backs Edu and Marquez. The extra space was all Piatti needed as he hit a curling ball from
the top of the box that easily beat Sylvestre on his left side.

"Piatti started to find space between our mid field and back line, obviously he’s a special player," Curtin said. "To see him now in our first game against them, he’s very good. He gets the goal for them kind of from nothing. He was the first shot they had on goal."

McInerney, one of the best goal scorers in Union history, put Montreal on top in the 70th minute when he easily circumvented Marquez to deposit one behind Sylvestre despite the fact the Impact was playing a man down after Patrice Bernier was sent off with his second yellow card in the 67th minute.

That advantage was wasted by the Union after Edu tied it, though, because Ayuk was sent off in the 77th minute with his second yellow card.

"There were obviously some great moments (with Ayuk), the goal," Curtin said. "He’s got to be smart playing on a yellow card, I thought we had a lot of momentum at that stage once we tie it up and had about 20 minutes to really press the game and create chances which we were doing all night. I saw the stats that they had 38 clearances inside the 18 so difficult that we didn’t get the goal but at the same time we dodged a bullet or two at the end."

Montreal's best chance to take the three points came in the 78th when Piatti found himself in front with a wide open net but slipped on the wet pitch and couldn't get it off.

Union Dues:

-Montreal, which had only scored four goals in seven road games coming in, has never won at PPL Park in MLS play, and is now 0-2-3 in Chester.

- The Union's substitutions were Andrew Wenger for Zach Pfeffer in the 57th minute, Fred for Brian Carroll in the 72nd and Sheanon Williams for Maidana in the 81st.

-The dismal forecast forced the Union to postpone their annual fireworks show to July 11 after the scheduled game that night against the Portland Timbers.

-Sapong had scored in four straight matches, tying the club record originally set by McInerney in 2012. McInerney, meanwhile, entered in the 60th minute as a substitution and is tied for the Impact's team lead with four goals this season.

-Veteran Union goal scorer Sebastien Le Toux remained sidelined for the third consecutive match with a knee sprain while MF Michael Lahoud (thigh), F Fernando Aristeguieta (leg), F Conor Casey (thigh) and D Steven Vitoria (hamstring) were also out.

-Williams was not in the starting lineup despite playing one of his best games of the season on Wednesday against Seattle. Raymon Gaddis replaced Williams which came off as rotating for the sake of rotating by Jim Curtin.

Williams stars as Union edge Seattle

Union and Sounders battle at PPL Park

By John McMullen
jmcmullen@phanaticmag.com

Chester, PA (The Phanatic Magazine) - A night's worth of frustration evaporated in one brilliant sequence Wednesday as Sheanon Williams lofted a beautiful entry pass which found the head of C.J. Sapong in the 70th minute to lift the Philadelphia Union to a 1-0 win over Seattle at PPL Park.

"The amount of headballs that C.J. wins is somewhat incredible. He’s a monster so you just loft it up and let him go get it," Williams said.

It was the team-leading sixth goal of the season for Sapong as the Union avoided what has become a rather tired cliche for Philadelphia's MLS side, the squandering of multiple opportunities en route to losing matches they've dominated.

The triumph was also a bit of revenge for Philly, which suffered a heartbreaking loss in the 2014 US Open Cup title game the last time the Sounders visited PPL Park, a setback many believe sent the Union into their current spiral which has resulted in their dismal 5-10-3 record (18 points).

Philadelphia goalkeeper Bryan Sylvestre did not see a shot on goal until the 83rd minute as he recorded his fourth clean sheet of the season as the Union bounced back from one of their most lopsided losses in the club's history, a 5-1 road setback to the Los Angeles Galaxy. His counterpart, Sounders netminder Stefan Frei was spectacular in a losing cause for Seattle (9-6-2).

" Important bounce back from what was an awful performance in LA," Philadelphia coach Jim Curtin said. "I think the guys put a lot into the game, were we perfect on the night, absolutely not, but the guys stuck with it you know, Sheanon puts a good ball in and C J makes a big plan at a time where we needed one."


The Union dominated the first half with three legitimate scoring opportunities.

Things started to heat up in the 18th minute when Sapong, Philly's top sniper, found himself in space at the top of the box but fired a shot just wide of the near post.

The Sounders, who were playing a very young lineup, really felt the pressure moments later when three consecutive corner kicks and a great throw-in by Williams had Seattle wilting. Williams' toss in the 28th minute found Maurice Edu, who put it home but the goal was waived off due to a foul on Andrew Wenger.

In the 32nd minute Edu had an even better chance on the Union's first penalty kick of the season garnered when Seattle's Dylan Remick caught Wenger in the face with a high kick in a scrum caused by yet another terrific Williams throw-in. Edu, a defender, telegraphed his attempt, however, and Frei made the diving save before popping up and snaring the rebound.

Overall the Union had a 53 to 47 percent possession advantage in the first 45-plus minutes, a 5-0 edge in corner kicks and the only two shots on net.

The near misses continued in the final frame when Cristian Mariana's blast from distance in the 56th minute just missed the top left corner. Moments later a Wenger cross in the 59th found the net and Frei steered it away.

In the 62nd a streaking Sapong played a great ball to sub Eric Ayuk, who slid for it and nearly put it home.

The barrage finally got to Frei in the 70th and this Union were able to hold a more aggressive Seattle team off in the waning moments.

"That’s playing together enough and finally getting the timing right," Sapong said of his game-winner. "I think we’ve been looking for it all season and it finally clicked."

"I thought we did alright," Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said. "I thought we played a lot of young players, in essence. A lot of youth out there so we wanted to play well defensively. Stefan Frei kept us in the game with the penalty kick save. I thought we did alright defensively. We were too loose on the goal, obviously, and then we had some chances at the other end but the final passes, the final play, makes it difficult so with all the players that were missing."


Union Dues:

-Williams throw-ins continue to be one of the Union's best offensive weapon. The defender is the Brett Favre of MLS, capable of distance and accuracy no other player in the league can match.

-Veteran goal scorer Sebastien Le Toux never misses on penalty kicks but wasn't even dressed for the second consecutive match due to injury. Edu is regarded as the Union's best overall player but choosing him to take the PK over a proven finisher like Sapong was a big mistake by Jim Curtin.

-Seattle has never won at PPL Park in MLS play, falling to 0-2-2 in Chester.

-This was the only league meeting scheduled for the two distant foes this season.

-Attendance was 18,072, just shy of a sellout.

Catic returns from loan

Chester, Pa. – Philadelphia Union forward Dzenan Catic has returned to the team after his loan ended with the Carolina RailHawks. 

Catic was loaned out on May 8 in exchange for goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre. While in Carolina, he played in four games and started one.

Catic was originally signed by the Union after being selected as the  No. 31 pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. Prior to joining Philadelphia, Catic played at Davenport University in Michigan and was voted the 2014 NAIA Player of the Year after scoring 39 goals and handing out 11 assists en route to leading his team to a national championship.

Galaxy dominate Union 5-1

Carson, Ca. – The Los Angeles Galaxy dominated the Union en route to an easy 5-1 win at StubHub Center Saturday Night.

Baggio Husidic opened the scoring for the Galaxy in the 23rd minute with Juninho, Gyasi Zardes, Stefan Stefan Ishazaki and Sebastian Lletget later adding to the tally.

C.J. Sapong scored his fifth goal of the season and for the Union in the 58th minute. Philadelphia is now 1-6-1 all-time against LA, with the only victory occurring in 2012.

With the loss, the Union fall to ninth place in Eastern Conference with 15 points out of 17 games.

The Union return to action on Wednesday, June 24 at 7 p.m. ET against the Seattle Sounders in PPL Park.

Time change for Union in USOC

Chester, Pa. -  The Round of 16 U.S. Open Cup game between the Philadelphia Union and D.C. United on June 30 has been moved up one-half hour to 7 p.m., the club announced Friday.       
     
The Union advanced after defeating the USL's Rochester Rhinos 3-1 in a penalty-kick shootout during the Fourth Round of the U.S. Open Cup on June 16.  D.C. United, meanwhile, defeated the USL's Pittsburgh Riverhounds 3-1 in overtime on June 17. 
     
The New York Red Bulls and the New York Cosmos, whom were also in the Eastern group with the Union and D.C. United, will face each other on July 1 at 7:30 p.m.
     
The winners of the those two games will play in the quarterfinals on July 21 or 22.

Sons of Ben the Movie premieres at The Trocadero tonight

Sons of Ben: The Movie, a documentary film which tells the story of the Sons of Ben, the Philadelphia Union supporters group, and its quest to bring an MLS franchise to Philadelphia will premiere Wednesday night at The Trocadero.

While chasing its dream, which ultimately came true in the form of the Union in 2010, the Sons of Ben expanded their mission and dedicated themselves to helping improve the community of Chester.

Union announce U camp out at PPL Park

Chester, Pa.– Philadelphia Union fans will have the opportunity to camp out on the field at PPL Park after the July 11 game against the Portland Timbers as part of the U Camp Out series, the club announced earlier this week.

After the 7 p.m. game against the Portland Timbers on Saturday, July 11, fans will bring their sleeping bags and tents down to the field and set up camp. At 9:30 p.m. a movie will be shown on the video board and for one night, fans can sleep on the field.

The next morning, the Philadelphia Union Strength and Conditioning Coach Kevin Miller will go through a light morning warm up, preparing campers for the day ahead. After the warm-up, campers will enjoy a continental breakfast.

"The Philadelphia Union is excited to bring the fans closer to PPL Park for the U Camp Out,” Philadelphia Union CEO and Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz said. “We are looking forward to extending the excitement from the game against the Portland Timbers into a night-long event at PPL Park.”

To ensure the safety of campers, an EMS crew as well as overnight security guards will be onsite both inside and outside the stadium. For campers under the age of 18, chaperones are required.

Tickets are available for the July 11 U Camp Out at www.philadelphiaunion.com or via telephone at 877-21-Union. Season ticket members can purchase a U Camp Out ticket for $15 per person. The general public can purchase a package for $45 dollars, which includes a ticket for the game against Portland and a ticket for the camp out.

Union squander opportunity against NYCFC

By John McMullen
jmcmullen@phanaticmag.com

Chester, PA (The Phanatic Magazine) - The schedule looked favorable on paper for the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night but New York City FC stunned the local MLS side by rallying for a 2-1 win.

It was the just the second victory of the season for NYCFC (2-7-5, 11 points, which halted an 11-match winless streak.

"Obviously I’m really pleased with the guys efforts and the result. It’s like a breath of fresh air around here and I hope that these points will mean something to our confidence level because I feel like we’ve really had some guys that have struggled with confidence for a few weeks now." NY head coach Jason Kreis said. "Those are the positives but we still have a long way to improve and I think that everyone on the locker room here knows it."

The Union (4-9-3, 15 pts) started the scoring in the 46th minute when Sebastien Le Toux's corner kick found the feet of C.J. Sapong, who beat New York goalkeeper Josh Saunders on the far side for his team-leading fourth marker of the season.

"It kind of just dropped at my feet in the right spot and left me with not too much to do really," Sapong said. "Just put it in the net and I was fortunate enough to get it on goal and it went in." 

The Union's advantage didn't last long, though, as NY's Thomas McNamara unleashed a brilliant, bending strike from distance that found the top right corner behind Union netminder Brian Sylvestre in the 53rd minute.

"It was a turnover at midfield where he picked it up 45-50 yards from goal, started to run with it and at a certain point you need to step up," Union coach Jim Curtin said. "McNamara hits a great shot in the end but at the same time we talked about playing a team whose backs where against the wall."

Saunders was the story from there, keeping the Bronx expansion team in things with two nice saves, in the 78th minute on a Le Toux try that looked like it was all but behind him and again a minute later when substitution Zach Pfeffer put another shot on target.

Despite dominating play for the majority of the second half, the Union saw any chance of points slip away in the 87th minute after New York's Patrick Mullins took a simple throw-in, wheeled around and put a shot on goal that was deflected and got by Sylvestre.

In five minutes of stoppage time Philadelphia was unable to get the equalizer and any momentum after winning three of its previous four was lost as Curtin's club suffered a home setback to perhaps the worst team in MLS.


The Union had many more opportunities throughout as evidenced by their 31 open-play crosses, including 17 in the second half, to just seven for NYCFC. Overall, Philadelphia put seven shots on target against Saunders and New York had five shots on goal.






NYCFC did have a slight edge in possession with a 52 to 48 percent margin.

"After a run of good performances, this was a good game but one where we’re disappointed to leave with no points," Curtin said. "It’s an empty feeling right for the guys but I think we pushed the game well and had good moments ...  I just looked at the stats and I think we had 31 crosses which shows the quality of the final ball was lacking a bit. Whether the timing of our runs was a little off or our service let us down. We were never able to take a real stranglehold of the game."


Union Dues:

-The Union finished the 2015 season 1-1-1 against their newly-minted rival. The prior meetings between the two sides came over a five-day span in April. Vincent Nogueira scored well into the second-half stoppage time on April 11 at PPL Park to lift the Union to a dramatic 2-1 win. Five days later in Yankee Stadium, Sapong netted a late equalizer to secure a 1-1 draw and salvage a point for Philadelphia.

-Sapong was back in the starting lineup in place of Fernando Aristeguieta, who was forced to leave Wednesday's win over Columbus late in the first half with a left shin contusion.

-Sylvestre, who is on loan from the Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League, is now 3-3 as the Union's goalkeeper. Philadelphia's other netminders -- Rais Mbolhi and John McCarthy -- are a combined 1-6-3.

-Ex-Union MF Andrew Jacobson, who played for the club in 2010,  started for NYCFC

-Attendance was 18,517, a sellout.

Union whitewash Columbus 3-0

Union F CJ Sapong

By John McMullen
jmcmullen@phanaticmag.com

Chester, PA (The Phanatic Magazine) - C.J. Sapong didn't get the start but he was the first to finish, as he helped lift the suddenly streaking Philadelphia Union to a 3-0 win over Columbus Crew SC at PPL Park on Wednesday.

Sapong entered the match in the 37th minute as an injury replacement for Philadelphia's top goal scorer coming in, Fernando Aristeguieta, and it didn't take long for the Virginia native to make an impact.

Cristian Maidana left a nifty pass for Sebastien Le Toux in the box, who in turn sent a cross toward the net which found a diving Sapong for the goal in the 41st minute.

"(It was) similar to my last goal in New York, just making a run in the box and the last time Fabinho played a great ball, this time it was Sebastien Le Toux, and I was just there to finish it off," Sapong said.

It was the third marker of the year for Sapong, who was acquired from Sporting Kansas City in the offseason for the 10th overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft and is perhaps the Union's most talented goal scorer.

Sapong actually matched Aristeguieta for the team lead in goals despite launching 22 fewer shots and playing roughly 500 minutes less so far this season due in large part to a DUI incident last month which triggered an assessment under the MLS' Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program.

Philadelphia, which won for the third time in four tries, stopped a four-game skid against Columbus (4-5-4, 16 points) and improved to 4-8-3 (15 points) on the season, while matching a season-high with the three goals.

"I’m happy for the guys to get a comfortable win at home," Union head coach Jim Curtin said. "I wanted to keep a shutout and I was still nervous in the 80th minute up three goals against this team because of what’s happened in the past so I never felt comfortable till the final whistle. I think that the last 10 minutes of the game was the hardest I’ve ever coached in terms of yelling and keeping the guys going." 

After Sapong set the tone the Union really put things away in the 52nd minute thanks to a key mistake by Crew 'keeper Steve Clark, who ran up his box to start a Columbus rush but hesitated and tried to bring the ball back into his body. It squirted free and on the doorstep of Vincent Nogueira, who simply
chipped it over Clark's head for a 2-0 Union advantage.

Defender Sheanon Williams kept the pressure on from there in the 58th minute with a great run down the right side, avoiding a Crew player before slipping a pass to a collapsing Le Toux for his second goal of the season.

"I mean really, I’ll put it all on my fitness," Williams said when asked about his assist. "I’ve been working hard to get fit, I felt like that was really holding me back and to help this team win, I needed to look at myself and get myself better. I’ve been doing extra with a bunch of guys after practice, and you know, have the energy to run up the line and keep going and play a good ball, composed to Le Toux. All it is is doing a little bit of extra fitness after practice and that’s it, its that easy. "

Lengthy Union goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre recorded his third clean sheet in his last four efforts, making two saves. Overall Philadelphia put five targets on goal and lead in possession with a 57-to-43 percent margin.

"Philly did a very good job of controlling the match," Columbus coach Gregg Berhalter said. "They were first to every ball and they dictated the tempo and it was a good performance by them." 


Union Dues:

-The Union improved to 4-9-1 all-time against Columbus with all the victories coming here at PPL Park.

-Philadelphia was blitzed by the Crew earlier this season in Columbus by a 4-1 margin. The two sides will finish their three-match season series on Sept. 12 here in Chester.

-Le Toux, who has the two goals and three helpers in 2015, is the Union's all-time leader in both categories with 42 and 42.

-Sylvestre, who is on loan from the Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League,  has now played five matches, the same as disgruntled GK Rais Mbolhi and the injured John McCarthy, and has performed much better than both despite having the lesser pedigree.

-Attendance was 15,374

Union to host Bournemouth at PPL Park

Chester, Pa. – The Philadelphia Union will host AFC Bournemouth for an international friendly on July 14 at PPL Park.

Bournemouth won the Football League Championship, the second-highest tier in 2014-15, and was promoted to the English Premier League for the 2015-16 season.

“What an amazing story AFC Bournemouth is and we are truly excited to welcome a club that has overcome such long odds to achieve a great amount of success in such a short period of time,” Union CEO and Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz said. “Bournemouth epitomizes what hard work and dedication can accomplish and personally, I couldn’t be happier to continue a great relationship with their club. On behalf of our entire organization, we are honored to host AFC Bournemouth and celebrate our new found relationship with a great match at PPL Park on July 14.”

Founded in 1899, Bournemouth has spent most of their history in the third tier of English Football until recently. In just the last five years, the club has incredibly risen from League Two, the fourth tier of English Football, all the way to the premiership for this upcoming season. Last season, the club scored a remarkable 98 goals in 46 league games en route to winning the Championship on the final day of the season with a record of 26-12-8.

“I cannot think of a more fitting location than Philadelphia, the birthplace of the United States of America, to play our first ever overseas match as an Barclay’s Premier League club,” chairman Jeff Mostyn said. “I sincerely hope that the fixture at PPL Park on July 14 will be the start of a long and successful relationship between our two clubs.”

Bournemouth will train in Philly at the NovaCare Complex from July 7-15.

Union's C.J. Sapong cleared to return

Chester, Pa.  – Philadelphia Union forward C.J. Sapong has been cleared to return to play by MLS and has re-joined the Union for practice, the club announced Thursday.

He will be available to participate in game action - effective immediately. Sapong had been sidelined after being arrested in Philadelphia earlier this month and charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence.

“In compliance with MLS rules, C.J. has willingly participated in the necessary steps to get to this point,” Union technical director Chris Albright said. “We look forward to having C.J. back in the team and will continue to support him, as we're confident in his commitment both on and off the field.”

Sapong was acquired from Sporting Kansas City last December via trade. The forward has appeared in six games and started in three during the 2015 season. He scored the game-tying goal against NYCFC on April 16 at Yankee Stadium and assisted on Eric Ayuk´s goal against Columbus Crew SC.

Union CEO apologizes to his fans

Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz

CHESTER, Pa - Philadelphia Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz released an open letter to his fans after the Sons of Ben's staged a "Union fans deserve better" rally before Sunday's win over D.C. United, the club's first in seven matches and second this season.

"We agree wholeheartedly with the Sons of Ben and we share the frustrations of all fans to the start of the season," Sakiewicz wrote. "We are committed to assisting (team manager) Jim Curtain and his staff in every way so we can get the team back on the right track."

Sakiewicz also confirmed that Rene Meulensteen's consultancy with the club would end this month and the search for a Head of Soccer Operations is ongoing.

"We have several ongoing conversations at the present time and we are working to get that person in place once we agree upon who we believe the best candidate is to help us achieve our goals," he said.

Currently the Union are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference table and were ranked 18th of 20 MLS teams in ESPN's most recent power poll.

"All of us here are committed to winning on the field," Sakiewicz penned. "Our ultimate goal is to bring a championship to you, the very best fans in Major League Soccer. We will continue to work tirelessly to achieve that goal and will never give up that top priority to get there."

Union stop skid against first-place D.C. United

Union GK Brian Sylvestre - courtesy of the Philadelphia Union

Chester, Pa  - Zach Pfeffer's stoppage time goal lifted the struggling Philadelphia Union over Eastern Conference leaders D.C. United at PPL Park Sunday night.

The Union,  making due with their fourth goalkeeper in what has been a disastrous season so far, controlled the action throughout and held possession for 55 percent of the match.

That possession was key as the Union defense did not allow D.C. United (6-2-3, 21 points) to put any shots on netminder Brian Sylvestre, who recorded a clean sheet a day after Philadelphia (2-7-3, 9 points) extended his short-term loan from the Carolina RailHawks for eight weeks.

This was the second outing for Sylvestre, 22, who made his MLS debut for the Union on May 9 against Vancouver Whitecaps FC and made seven saves, a season-high for the club.

Pfeffer scored the late winner off Fabinho's pass in the third minute of stoppage time securing just the Union's second victory of the 2015 MLS season.