Philly Soccer Page Info

The state of PSP heading into 2019

     Note: PSP is taking a holiday break, so content will be lighter than usual until Jan. 7. 

This was an interesting year for PSP.

We watched some good soccer. The Philadelphia Union broke their fans’ hearts all over again, albeit in a new way. The Union’s sporting director, Earnie Stewart, left for the same job with the U.S. Men’s National Team, where he prompted all the same reactions he engendered from Union fans with his deliberate, opaque approach to running a team. A couple of local kids, Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie, made good on the big stage as teenagers, and now they’re on their way to their first U.S. national team camp. Jim Curtin was a finalist for MLS coach of the year. Borek Dockal came, impressed, and left. Bethlehem Steel made the playoffs, then cut most of their squad again, as they do most years. We don’t know how Brendan Burke succeeds under these conditions. He’s a magician.

We saw some friends and key contributors depart PSP. Most notably, PSP original and good friend Adam Cann left for a job with the Philadelphia Union, where he now writes and does tactical analysis at PhiladelphiaUnion.com. You should keep reading him. He’s the best analyst of close tactics writing about American soccer.

Our readers continued to support us financially, keeping the site ad free and allowing us to stop paying out of our pockets to run it. PSP remains independent, free, and volunteer run, a labor of love that continues because of the community of readers supporting it. Thank you.

The 700 is closing. Yes, the Northern Liberties bar where PSP was named, the place that oozes so much soccer street cred that its aura continues to influence PSP to this day. The full story behind the closure is even sadder.

PSP’s staff remains fantastic. They do all their work on the side, and they keep at it even when life does what life does. One PSP contributor just welcomed his first daughter into the world. Another got married. One just passed the bar and is now a full-fledged lawyer. Still another is doing his damnedest to help his wife beat cancer (again).

We’re now heading into our 10th year, and we hope to continue to provide smart, independent coverage of Philadelphia-area soccer for as long as you’re reading.

So thanks for reading PSP for another year, everyone. We wouldn’t do it without you. Happy new year.

9 Comments

  1. Congratulations on a great accomplishment, creating and growing something so special to so many. PSP has been a daily read for me for many years!

  2. Congratulations on 10 years, and for creating and growing something special to so many of us. PSP has been a daily read for me for many years. Happy new year!

  3. keep it going, team.
    i love supporting this site. it’s cheaper than therapy.

  4. Thank you. Days are long and boring without you. Keep up the great work!

  5. Thank you, everybody.
    .
    This is our own special corner of the internet. I remember being on the long regional rail ride down to Chester early in the Union’s existence. My friend and I were discussing the team intently and a guy in a neighboring seat leaned over and handed us a business card promoting the blog. I don’t remember him saying anything and I don’t remember saying anything to him. We took it, looked it over, and nodded back at the guy. It was like we were being invited into some secret club.
    .
    It probably didn’t happen like that. Whoever it was (not going to try to guess which writer) probably said something cordial and we probably said something cordial back but it’s more fun to think of it how I described it above. It’s really hard to believe the club and this blog are going on ten years. I love it all. The tireless work of the writers, the [un]informed dialogue, the ranting, and the undying hope we rekindle each year is what makes this a special place. I can’t imagine there’s anything else out there like PSP for any other MLS side.
    .
    To the admins and other regulars: I said a couple really regrettable things on here this past year and I’m sorry for that. Won’t happen again.
    .
    Happy New Year, everybody. Maybe this is the year I’ll grow up. Maybe this is the year our Union will too.

  6. Thanks Dan and everyone at PSP. You genuinely are the highlight of my day. I anticipate nothing more than 9 to 10 a.m. I hate the weekends for not having PSP content. Thank you all for giving me so much.
    .
    To my fellow crowd members, our discussions, debates, and pissing contests have been great fun. As the Truth says above, I’m sure I’ve stepped out of line this year (likely more than once), and I offer my apologies. Thank you for taking the time to engage and debate, it was truly enjoyable.
    .
    To everyone, I wish you happiness, good health, and prosperity. May the Union win a playoff game next year.

  7. I say it all the time: we Philadelphians sure as hell don’t have the best team in MLS, but we have the best website.

  8. So let’s convene in a new bar in 2019. There has to be a good soccer bar where it is easy to park and easy to get to. For me it would be the Crossbar in Havertown. Always had issues parking near 900 so did not frequent it too much. Actually was yesterday at Tir Na Nog watching Chelsea play another miserable game and that bar could also be an option since it is near the rail road and often not too crowded.

    Happy new year to all of you!

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