Photo: Ryan Griffith
PSP kicks off our weeklong Philadelphia Union season preview today by asking for your views on the team. We have all sorts of questions, and we know you have all sorts of things to say.
Hit the polls below, and please elaborate on your views in the Comments section below. We really want to hear/read what you have to say.
Read the other posts of the season preview here.
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My other: More likely than before to watch on TV instead of going in person
Same here. May go on a sunny day to please the wife.
that was me last season. by the end i was only watching the condensed MLS Live match.
this season even less dedicated interest. still no official #10 means a no deal for me. didn’t purchase MLS. might DVR and watch when i’ve the time.
FWIW: There will be no MLS Live this season. Apparently it will be free for the first few weeks, then you will have to subscribe to the new ESPN streaming option. no details on what that will look like, as far as I know.
bummer.
DirecTV has the MLS package for circa $90.
Exactly!
From 5 year founding season ticket holder to not even watching 1 game last season. So it can only go up from here. I am interested and will watch/attend a few games this year due to the 2 new signings in midfield. Like to watch quality soccer and we may be that this year. Doubtful though for the collective defense and striker positions. Willing to give them a chance bc I am always pulling for them to break through to the other side of quality soccer.
This is funny to me, but you need to make an update. This question won’t let you answer:
Do you think the Union will ever become a top club under Jay Sugarman’s leadership?
Try it now! Just fixed that. Thanks for the note.
Some of these are assuming Borek Dockal will be on the team. Any news?
Yeah, my answers would vary widely depending on how that turns out.
Seems like it’s not a done deal but like 99.9% done. Sounds like there is just government work visas to get through in which we are just waiting for them to be processed. Dude’s not sitting on the bench for a preseason game if he doesn’t think it’s a done deal.
Posted this on the daily roundup too but since it is on the subject…
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https://twitter.com/sportsdoctormd/status/968139924963758080
I answered assuming Dockal is on the team. I waffled a bit between a B and C for an offseason grade…. Getting Dockal and Accam is a pretty nice haul for this team, but on a scale to nearly every other club, it’s hard to argue it’s anything better than just average. C.
I moved up to a B. I factored in how much of an upgrade Accam is, but I also am impressed at the apparent commitment to the youth this season. Starting Trusty is huge. Letting Fontana man the 10 for a game or 2 while Dockal gets his feet is so much better than contorting Bedoya or Medjuanin into a spot they don’t fit. Plus, Real really looked confident, albeit a preseason scrimmage.
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I’m oddly and wildly optimistic this year (blame the Eagles/Sixers/Flyers), but this could be the year the commitment to youth pays off.
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The formula for successful teams around the world is build from within and buy pieces to fill in the gaps or enhance areas. Granted, we’re not in the same universe as “successful teams around the world,” but graded on a Union curve, I thought a B (or B-) was warranted.
I went with D. sure, they might get their man in Dockal but if we’re in a 4-8 game hole to start the season, then why be so generous? the “make it up as we go along” start last season gives me little to no confidence for this season’s start. too late in my eyes to say this was a success. it may pay out next season. maybe get lucky and make the last spot if the chemistry is right but they’re not contending this season.
The schedule sets up well as possible to give Dockal time to work himself into the lineup. It also lets the young guys get a taste of the league without facing an onslaught of the power teams/players right away.
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The downside is, if they blow those games, we’re screwed.
Pragmatist, you’re describing my outlook this time last season. I thought we were looking good for a 5th or 6th place finish. My outlook now is very much “show me.” This team could contend, but it’s going to need every man out there, every match to have a quality day. It’s a tall order.
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Chris, It’s hard to know if Dockal was Plan A or Plan C. This club is dead silent about nearly everything (excepting new kits and tattoo officers). To me the club is better now than last year but likely not keeping up with inflation in terms of overall league quality.
Pete, I think you were right last year. But it was hard to predict that would be that catastrophically bad on the road. If they had managed a league-average road record, they would have had the 5-6 seed in the playoffs.
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But, yeah, there is a certain Groundhog Day feeling right now. That’s ok, I’ll step up take another fish slap of reality to the face in a few months.
I gave a D for turning in their work late. If all of this (sad that we view 2 moves as “all of this”) was accomplished by Mid-January, heck even early February then they would earn their C.
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Every year we are yanking some poor journeyman from a corner of the world and plopping them on our squad with a week or two to adjust, and then the U tosses them to be subjugated to the pressures of Philly Soccer.
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It would be permissible if this was the final icing on the cake of a flurry of moves, but we have made 1….1…..1 other move all offseason after clearing at least $1M from our books.
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Yes the two acquisitions seem to be quality (and we should expect that), but it is two moves out of a fairly universally expected target list of 4 (CB,LB,W,#10)…so the hard math says 2 out of 4 is 50% to goal….Let’s hedge that, because its the union and we should never expect to get everything we want, and say if we got 3 off the list, we would be happy….that is a 67%…a D in most schools teetering on F.
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If you hand in a 2/3 finished book report, but it is a mighty fine partially completed book report, in the last two weeks of school in June but it was due in early April, I doubt the teacher will award you full credit.
The questions being asked say so much more about this team than any answers do…
Who is the player you are most looking forward to watching this year? Jack Elliott
And I didn’t factor in Dockal cuz he isn’t officially signed yet.
As far as who to watch…I picked other. Its really the young guys as a whole. See if they step up,get back to playing well. And how they adjust and improve through the season. So really watching the youth movement. The older guys should preform ,at minimum , up to expectations.
My most valuable player vote is Auston Trusty.
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Yes, I am further out on the limb than that chicken squirrel chattering behind me, but what the hey!
I think Bedoya needs to step up and bring the team together. More than any other my expectations for him are huge. You have youth, guys new to MLS, and guys new to union. He needs to get it done.
Player I’m most looking forward to seeing is Anthony Fontana. Even if it’s only for a couple of games early on, some open cup games, and the midweek trip to Seattle, I think he’s the long term future of the team and I’m looking forward to seeing him.
Shoutout to the one koolaid drinker who thinks he Union win the East. Keep suspending that disbelief brother!
Player most looking forward to watching…. Jack Elliott, to build on his impressive season last year.
An interesting question would be: If you were a season ticket holder did you renew? Yes, no, only partial
Or more generally: how many games have you purchased tickets for this season?
With Dockal and assuming guys are healthy, this team is in the 5-6 spot. But again like all things Union, the margin for error is so razor thin, that should anything unexpected happen, they’ll be in a really tough spot to deal with it. Realistically, I think they’ll finish 6th… or just miss out in 7th. As always we need to revisit this around Memorial Day and see what we have. In the East there is maybe 3 teams that’s are 100% ahead of time the Union: Toronto, Atlanta, and “your third team here”… so there’s no reason the U can’t finish in a playoff spot
Season Ticket holder since year one. This will be my last. No number 10 for years. But at least its only $7.00 for a water and $12.00 for a domestic beer… Think they could write the check.