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Welcome back from the international break! Hope you stocked up on coffee because tomorrow night is going to be a late one with the Philadelphia Union kicking off at 9:30 p.m. local time. While their league match with the Vancouver Whitecaps certainly has implications the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night in Nashville is arguably the bigger game. Yes, the dinner place is nice (and also cursed) but how the team manages the long travel to Vancouver followed by the quick turnaround to Nashville will be a key factor in determining the outcome of both matches.

In the email today:

1. 🐍 Success in May laid the groundwork for Philadelphia Union's current position

Way back in December when the MLS schedule was released, there were a couple of things that stood out for the Philadelphia Union: the month of May and the middle of September.

The month of May had seven league games and at least one U.S. Open Cup match that became two and the prospect of a deep run in the U.S. Open Cup meant the month of September could include a road trip to Vancouver and an Open Cup semifinal, which is the scenario the team now faces in the week ahead.

"That will be one of my months of my career," Union head coach Bradley Carnell said Wednesday. "The month of May for me will go down in the history books that kind of laid the foundation for whatever's happening now."

The Union went unbeaten in May with five wins and four draws in all competitions that included a penalty kick victory over Indy Eleven and win over Pittsburgh Riverhounds at home in Open Cup play. Road wins in Montreal, Atlanta and Toronto and a wild comeback win over LA Galaxy at home marked a month that sent a message to the fans and the league that the Union were a team that could be a real challenger.

"There's a bunch of games that I can remember on the road where we were just magnificent, sticking together as a group, grinding out, staying together, committing to each other," Carnell said. "I think that's the only way to survive on the road, especially in Vancouver."

As road trips go, traveling the nearly 3,000 miles to Vancouver is as epic as it gets for a league game anywhere in the world outside of Russia and Australia. Add in that several players are returning from international travel and the weight of nearly a full season already on their legs and Saturday night's game presents a unique challenge for a team still in the running for three major trophies.

"The travel is always challenging and tricky," Carnell said. "But, you know, we get everybody in, and all the guys seem fine."

The Whitecaps, runners up in the Concacaf Champions Cup, have slipped in the standings to 7th in the Supporters' Shield race but with two games in hand are just 8 points back of the Union so they'll be focused on defending their home turf and re-inserting themselves into the conversation for the regular season title ahead of their own cup match (Canadian Championship) against Forge FC at home Tuesday.

"We want to think just for the game of 90 minutes and how we're going to solve that obstacle and solve that problem," Carnell said. "There are a bunch of options, and we have some players who can play at multiple positions."

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2. 🚨 Antoine Hoppenot’s Smash and Grab

While current day Antoine Hoppenot will hope to help Vereinigung Erzgebirge advance in U.S. Open Cup qualifying when they take on Vidas United FC on Sunday, one of the former Philadelphia Union striker’s biggest moments during his pro career came in an away trip to Vancouver back in 2013.

The goal he scored at BC Place on July 27, 2013 was one of just 7 he scored in his tenure with the Union and it stands to this day as the lone game-winning goal the Union have scored in Vancouver. It was a pretty strike too off a back-heel pass from Aaron Wheeler.

The Union will want to repeat the feat on Saturday as they look for a second win there and a team record 8th road victory of the season.

Could it be another unsung hero like Hoppenot - he was enjoying a honeymoon at the time as a fan favorite off the bench - who delivers a magical moment in what has been a season full of them? Tune in Saturday at 9:30 p.m. on MLS Season Pass.

4. 🏟️ Social Post of the Day: Four for Four Fan

4. 🔗 Link Roundup

• From doom and gloom to whatever the opposite of it was, USMNT fans had a bit of a roller coaster of a week. Speaking of USMNT, tickets are on sale for their November match at the Soob. Maybe we can have more than 12k people this time?

• West Chester University’s women’s soccer team is off to a good start, which included a 3-0 win earlier this week over local rival and nationally ranked Jefferson. More news on the college soccer front is available on the website.

• Harriton beat Haverford High School 2-1 on Tuesday night in a hard fought battle of unbeaten Central League teams. Read more about the high school soccer season.

• CJ Olney has been recalled from his loan to Lexington SC after only making 3 appearances and logging 50 minutes for the USL Championship side.

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