A More Philly Union

The curtain rises on the Union's 15th MLS season as the Boys in Blue travel to Costa Rica to face off against Saprissa in the first of a two-game series in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Then the Union are back home to welcome the Chicago Fire in the much anticipated home opener.  Meanwhile at the AMPU studios, Paul and E deliver a silver-medal "C-less" performance this week as they discuss Carranza'...

The start of the new season is a mere ten days away!  The Union are wrapping up their pre-season in Florida with an oddly scheduled match against FC Cincinnati and an upcoming final match against Caleb Porter's New England Revolution.  Meanwhile, back in the frozen tundra that is Pennsylvania, Paul, C, and E recap player news, ponder the soon-to-be-released season 15 Union kit, and discuss the mys...

ALEJANDRO BEDOYA IS BACK! Meanwhile, the AMPU crew workshops a spinoff podcast for C, while Paul and E nerd out. Also: ALEJANDRO BEDOYA IS BACK! Find us here and say hello: Website:  www.amorephillyunion.com Email:  pod@amorephillyunion.com YouTube: amorephillyunion Instagram: amorephillyunion Threads: amorephillyunion X (formerly known as Twitter): amorephillyu Check out our Spotify playlist!  ht...

The run-up to the regular season continues and while the Union continue their pre-season training and fixtures, the AMPU crew break new ground with their first ever podcast interview.  Paul, C, and E welcome Alyssa Radu from the Philadelphia Union Foundation as she shares all the amazing things that this wonderful organization is doing for Chester, Philly, and beyond.  It's an episode filled with...

The preseason is officially underway both for the Philadelphia Union and the AMPU crew!  The Union experiment with lineups as they scrimmage against CR Flamengo and Austin FC, while the AMPU continue to tweak the podcast as they try out another new preamble.  Also, Paul, C, and E give kudos to Trevor the Intern, suggest a secret Union plot to infiltrate the league with sleeper agents, and workshop...

The pre-season picks up a little momentum as the Union get ready to face their first practice games in the coming week.  Meanwhile, Paul, C and E commemorate Andre Blake's ten years with the team, discuss their favorite Union alumni, and introduce Trevor the Intern. Also, our apologies to Sweden. Find us here and say hello: Website:  www.amorephillyunion.com Email:  pod@amorephillyunion.com YouTub...

Welcome to Season 2! The AMPU crew is back from the holiday break and ready to launch their second season!  With no games to report on yet, Paul, C, and E recap team news from over the break, from weddings to the Super Draft.  There's also a Sun Tzu - Ron Swanson connection during the discussion of CONCACAF Champions Cup, and Scoops makes a clutch play by delivering some exciting live breaking new...

The AMPU crew celebrates their first season finale with their first holiday special!  Join Paul, C, and E as they recount many memorable moments from this past season, both for the Philadelphia Union and A More Philly Union podcast.  Also, did you know there was an MLS Cup final last weekend?  Yeah, us, too.  But don't worry, we got you covered.  This final episode of our first season is packed wi...

With St. Nicholas Day serving as an appropriate backdrop for this week's episode, the AMPU crew discuss the good and bad of the roster changes for the Union, the Eastern and Western Conference Finals, and why we'll all be wearing yellow on Saturday.  Then in keeping with the holiday spirits, Paul, C, and E sing the praises of the anthemic Fairytale of Philadelphia and continue with QOTW as they pi...

The turkey and sides provide little consolation this week as Paul, C, and E reflect on the Union's heartbreaking last-minute loss to FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference semi-final, delve into the spirit of rules and officiating in games, and ponder the Sophie's Choice of player transfers. But there is also some proverbial sunshine and chocolates as the AMPU crew discuss Curtin's support of his...

It's a Thanksgiving Special this week as Paul, C, and E talk about the upcoming semi-final match against FC Cincinnati, discuss possible game strategies and formations, and give updates on individual player's fitness and milestones (Happy Birthday, Andre Blake!) But with little soccer news to discuss, things quickly take a holiday-related and festive turn as the AMPU crew dive deep into culinary w...

It's a quiet week for the Union as they continue preparations to face Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals...next week.  Similarly the AMPU crew have a light schedule as they recap the current Playoff bracket and discuss the International break.  But Paul, C, and E take a big turn down memory lane as they share their personal soccer histories, highlight the learning tools that are fant...

The Union continue to navigate the long, winding, and discontinuous Playoff schedule as they travel north to face off against the New England Revolution in Game 2 of the three-game, first round series.  Similarly, the AMPU crew break new ground with one part of the trio recording live from the road while Paul, C, and E discuss the Red Card Strike Zone, St. Louis City's second season, and the ranki...

It feels like we've been here before as the Union host New England in the first game of a best-of-three series in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.  (That sentence seems to run on for almost as long as this season feels.)  The AMPU crew sees some positive familiarities: tactical lineups, scoring, and on-field hustle.  But they see some other not-so-positive familiarities, too: injured playe...

Frustration and fatigue are on the menu for the AMPU crew this week as they look back on the last regular season game as well as the overall arc of the season itself.  And this reflection leads the gang down a path bogged in frustration with refs' calls, shaky lineups, overcrowded fixtures, and ever-changing and poorly designed playoff schedules.  But as usual, levity still manages to weave its wa...

The off-week provides some respite for the Union and the AMPU crew, but does little to dispel the lingering clouds of uncertainty as the final game of the regular season approaches.  The gang considers some of the big questions: Will the Union hold on to 3rd place?  Is there any chance of new contracts for Bedoya and Wagner? Can Spam effectively be used to improve our brand?  Also, Paul and E test...

Returning from an unintentional break, Paul, C, and E have their hands full with a healthy backlog of games and team news to discuss.  As the Union gear up to play their last game of the regular season and prepare for the coming playoffs, the AMPU crew reflects on the possible final appearances of Bedoya and Wagner, pitches a unique podcast idea involving Glesnes and airplanes, and describes what...

The Union host both LA FC and Dallas FC this week and, against all sage advice, Paul and E fly tandem without the steady guidance of C.  Discussions include: not doing homework, hiring acting coaches to the team staff, and the debut of the Delco Tourism Council. And, yes, that was Gazdag's goal that was disallowed. Find us here and say hello: Website: www.amorephillyunion.com Email: pod@amorephill...

The Union produce mirror-image results as they face off against opponents with near mirror-image names: FC Cincinnati and Charlotte FC. And while the results of these two games may look the same, the events that transpire on the field are practical inverses of each other: failure and success, loss and redemption. And amongst all the parallels and paradoxes, the AMPU crew marvel at Gazdag's zen-lik...

The international break provides a welcome respite this week, both for the Union as well as Paul, C, and E.  As a result, the AMPU crew discusses potential player moves, the health of the team, and how the Union are positioned for the final stretch of the regular season.  Also, German medical treatments are considered, hats are tipped to St. Louis, and Ray Gaddis is equated to Tom Hanks. Like a go...

The Union see red this week as they travel north to take on Toronto FC and then return to Subaru Park to face off against NYRB.  Meanwhile, the AMPU crew reflect on the stories of loss and redemption, unappetizing fashion choices, and effective timing of goals. Choose happiness! Find us here and say hello: Website: www.amorephillyunion.com YouTube: amorephillyunion Instagram: amorephillyunion Thre...

The Union mount up and hit the road as they take on DC United.  Back at the ranch, the AMPU crew celebrate the return of the Triangle of Death, discuss new and broken club records, and workshop a sitcom starring Andre Blake and Sébastien Le Toux. And check out the Growing Up Union podcast! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growing-up-union/id1636694808 Whoopi-ty-aye-yay! Find us here and say h...

Awakening from the surreal conclusion of Leagues Cup, the Union learn some painful but valuable lessons as they return to the waking world of the regular MLS season.  Meanwhile, the AMPU crew put into practice the axiom "Pain shared is pain divided, joy shared is joy multiplied" as they recount the Union's Leagues Cup run.  And with the recent seismic forces reverberating through the league, Paul,...

It feels like the center of gravity of the soccer universe has moved through Philadelphia this week, disturbing familiar patterns and leaving an indelible mark in its path.  The Union acquire some new scars and the AMPU crew is a bit scattered, literally and figuratively.  And as a result, we push forward with this mini-sode, a symbolic baby step on the road back to victory. Find us here: Website:...

It's all about statistics this week as the Union continue to push the boundaries of probability in the Leagues Cup.  Meanwhile, the AMPU crew consider installing a Messi Jar, ponder the karmic dice that come with the stutter-step, and evaluate how the USWNT stacks up against the rest of the world. Also: is Cheez Whiz really dairy? Find us here: Website: www.amorephillyunion.com YouTube: amorephill...