January 31, 2012 is a date that will not leave the minds of Union fans for a long time.
A day after finding out that the team captain Faryd Mondragon was going back to Colombia, the other shoe dropped—Sebastien LeToux had been sold to the Vancouver Whitecaps. While the Mondragon move was a lot easier to digest, fans were stunned to find out that the beloved Seba was moving to another MLS team. When everyone’s favorite Frenchman broke the news on Twitter, a collective groan could be heard through out the interwebs. As fans tried to grasp what happened, word came from Sons of Ben Travel Coordinator Kelly Delaney and Seba’s longtime girlfriend Kendall Quigley that there would be a farewell party thrown in Seba’s honor.
Fans traveled from all over the region to Kildare’s in West Chester to have one last chance to interact with the Union’s heart and soul. From the moment Sebastien arrived, he did what he does best: interact with the fans. Seba took time with everyone that came up to him to chat, sign autographs and pose for pictures. It wasn’t much different then what he did after every Union game at PPL Park. And it is one of the things that has made him such a huge hit with the fans. For as good as Seba was on the field, he was equally good—if not better—at making sure every man, woman, and child would leave with something more than just an exciting match.
The Sons of Ben were on hand to present Seba with the French flag that hung in the River End for the last two years and the MVP trophy that he wasn’t able to collect at the recent Help Kick Hunger event while he was over at Bolton. SoB VP Corey Furlan expressed what everyone in attendance felt and for Seba, and many in attendance, emotions got the best of them. Seba spoke to everyone as his chant rang out through Kildare’s. He loved playing in Philly, he loved the fans. He let everyone know that he would be there as long as it took to say goodbye to everyone. His dedication, grace, sportmanship, work ethic and passion has left an incredible mark on Philadelphia.
He will always be one of us.
As soon as Seba showed up, he spent time talking to children he is sure to have inspired
Never one to say no to a fan, Seba took time with everyone to chat and sign whatever they wanted
Fans came from all over to show their love for Seba and the Union.
I’m not sure what is going on here, but it sure is entertaining.
Everyone got their chance to have their photo taken with a Philadelphia legend
Kevin L. gets a photo of Seba signed featuring one of the many 2 poles he made.
Kendall Quigley & Kelly Delaney were responsible for making this farewell possible and a debt of gratitude is owed to them.
Seba’s former roommate Kyle Nakazawa came out to show support for his friend
The Corner Creeps came out along with the other Supporters Groups to bid farewell
Seba tries to keep his emotions in check as Corey Furlan shares with him what he meant to all of us
Seba shares his love for the fans and thanks everyone for the great memories in Philadelphia
The Sons of Ben present Seba with his MVP award and French flag that hung for two years in the River End
The SoB leadership stand proud with the heart and soul of the Union
Yours truly gets to stand with a man who inspires me with his class, work ethic and passion. We can all learn a thing or two from the way Sebastian Le Toux conducts himself on and off the field.
Oh Le Toux, Le Toux!
He’s Frencher than me or you
He’ll score us a goal or two (or three)
Oh Le Toux, Le Toux!
Im at work reading all this stuff. I never thought Id be heart broken over somthing like this. Consider it broke.
Thanks for the recap and pics, as alway … but to be utterly frank, this f**king sucks.
Looks like Nakazawa was sending a message with his fashion choice. Hope he does well in LA.
He’s from right outside LA, should be a good homecoming for him.
Je suis un peu verklempt.
Je suis trop
I am tearing up in my classes right now. I can not believe it. Not just that he’s leaving, but the manner in which he left.
Good work everyone! Excellent job(s) PSP!!! #1 Union site!!!
Second this!!!!!
Third
Great pics. Thanks for capturing this event. Last night was a special tribute to a wonderful player. Today, for me, is harder than yesterday.
Even on such a sad occasion, I would be remiss if I failed to point out that Kendall Quigley is HOT!!!
Wow, despite Nowak trying to run him out of town, Seba is still classy til the end. What a loss not just in talent, but in character.
This is so much like the Dero trade last year. Philly will regret it because it is a stupid on Nowak’s part. Good for us Caps fans.
How can Nowak and the front office get away with this? What consequences do they face? Are any of us really going to stop watching Union games? This is so shameful on their part and yet nothing really happens.
I cant believe how heart broken i am. Le Toux is my favorite athlete. He may not be the best player in the world or the mls for that matter but his heart and dedication is unmatched.I don’t normally feel this strongly about an athlete. Also never been more inspired by one. i work 60 hrs a week in a hot kitchen. plus 2hr gym sessions 4-5 days a week. When i see him run and play as hard as he does for the whole game week in week out i feel like i can connect with him on that. I will be wearing a Vancouver Le Toux jersey. Cant wait.
It was a great night. Thanks for pulling this together so quickly. My wife and I were so glad to be apart of this evening. Well done guys! Best wishes Le Toux!