Union posed to make a run at the postseason

By John McMullen

Philadelphia (The Phanatic Magazine) - The Philadelphia Union are set to embark upon their second MLS season on Saturday in Houston with a new face at the game's most important position, goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon.

The Union were very competitive in their inaugural season but just couldn't hold up on the back end, where netminders Chris Seitz and Brad Knighton and a questionable group of defenders combined to give Peter Nowak less than desirable results.

In the end, Philadelphia finished 8-15-7 and missed out on the playoffs by 15 points but were a big time success off the field,  averaging over 19,000 fans per game at its new soccer-specific stadium, PPL Park.

Seitz was especially shaky last year, often giving up very soft goals thanks to his questionable instincts and communication skills. The scrappy Knighton took over for Seitz late in the season and was an upgrade but doesn't have the physical skills to flourish with a large amount of playing time.

Mondragon, a 39-year-old Colombian international, is expected to provide the  consistency and leadership the team lacked from its backstops a year ago and will be backed up by Thorne Holder and first round draft pick Zac MacMath, a former University of Maryland star.

"It is great to have an experienced player, such as Faryd, show his desire and commitment to become a member of the Philadelphia Union family," Union Nowak said. "We believe he will be a valuable mentor to our younger players."

Offensively, Philadelphia will be trying to found another consistent threat to compliment All-Star striker Sebastian Le Toux, who had an MVP caliber season in his first season in Chester, registering 14 goals and 11 assists in 2010.

Former MLS MVP Carlos Ruiz, another offseason acquisition, should have enough left in the tank to make the Union more dangerous while second-year pro Danny Mwanga, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 MLS Draft, has all the skill in the world, netting seven goals as a rookie, but must become more of a two-way player to earn Nowak's trust.

"It's a great opportunity for me to come back to Major League Soccer," Ruiz said. "[My goal is to] try to show from the beginning why I'm here, try to work very hard and be an example with my teammates. I'm a very aggressive forward. The passion I feel for this game, I don't think other players feel it like me. I always try to win, no matter what. If it's practice or if it's a game, I always want to win."

Another youngster, the 18-year-old and Jack McInerney also showed a ton of offensive potential with three goals in limited action last year.

The Union also brought in ex-Columbus midfielder Brian Carroll and Colombian center back Carlos Valdes, a player intimately familiar with Mondragon's game.

"Carlos is a player with immense upside who we believe will come in and contribute immediately," Union CEO and operating partner Nick Sakiewicz said. "His familiarity with Faryd will benefit our entire backline, and we expect both new acquisitions to assimilate seamlessly with the rest of our club."

The biggest loss for Philadelphia figures to be defender Michael Orozco-Fiscal, who's loan deal was not renewed by the Union. Only fellow defender Jordan Harvey played more minutes for the Union last year and Orozco-Fiscal was steady if not spectacular on the backline for a team that struggled defensively. The promise of young Sheanon Williams late last season likely made Philly comfortable enough to jettison Orozco-Fiscal.

Also gone are veteran forwards Alejandro Moreno and Fred, who combined for six goals, last season.