The Philadelphia Independence passed on the world’s best female player in the WPS dispersal draft. Instead, Marta goes to the San Francisco Bay area, while the Independence took goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, who led the league in clean sheets last year. Marta may make a lot of money, but something tells me she might have filled some seats.

Philadelphia Union play their their first friendly Saturday against UNC-Wilmington, weather permitting. Are you going? If so, let us know how it goes! We’ll be shoveling snow.

Union defender Michael Orozco made the U.S. roster for the Feb. 24 friendly against El Salvador. The team is comprised mostly of MLS players.

Some PPL customers aren’t too thrilled about PPL’s planned $20 million stadium sponsorship deal with the Union because they just got smacked with electricity rate hikes. Up in the Lehigh Valley, PPL is pretty much the only game in town, when it comes to buying electricity.

News from the rivals:

Estonian midfielder Joel Lindpere signs with the New York Red Bulls. No, I’ve never heard of him either, but he apparently played for his national team. Lindpere last played for Tromso IL in Norway and is another Scandinavian import courtesy of the vikings now running the Red Bulls.

Troy Perkins was apparently this close to joining the Union – or Peter Nowak totally bluffed D.C. United into making a fat trade that helped get the Union three players. That “In Nowak We Trust” thing may be annoying, but it may also be right.

New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis had surgery on his knee Thursday. (Are the Revolution a Union rival? I’m still deciding. What do you think?)

More guns and soccer, this time from Argentina, where a 14-year-old fan died Thursday after being shot on the way back from a match.

The Portland Timbers’ stadium project gets city council approval and Portland’s soccer community celebrates with the team owner.