Happy Wednesday, Union fans. After a busy week of news last week, it’s been a relatively quiet start to the week with Atlanta United coming to Chester on the weekend. After a blistering start to the season the Union have come back to earth and are now one designated player short with Gazdag off to Columbus. His departure has brought questions, particularly around the attack he has led since arriving in 2021.

In the email today:

1. ⚡️ Union Attack Sputters

From practically scoring when they want to barely scoring at all, the Philadelphia Union offense has sputtered since they opened the season with 10 goals in their first three games.

The latest outing on the condensed baseball diamond of Citi Field extended their goal-scoring drought to 190 minutes and the last player to get on the scoresheet for the team (Daniel Gazdag) is now in Columbus.

Despite being shut out in two straight games, the Union are still third in the league behind Orlando and Chicago in goals scored (Orlando has also put back-to-back zeros on the board) and are fourth in xG behind San Jose, Vancouver and Minnesota with a 14.5 overall and a per 90 minutes average of 1.81. Vancouver currently leads the Supporters’ Shield standings.

The Union are also third in the league in shots and shots on target so they are creating opportunities but not finding the back of the net. They outshot NYC 16-11 (3-2 on target) after outshooting Orlando City 21-6 (4-3 on target).

Union head coach Bradley Carnell noted post-game that the field played a role and that they weren’t clinical enough when the chances did come.

“We'll keep on grinding, keep on doing our thing,” Carnell said.

Saturday’s match is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Subaru Park. Atlanta United will come in with a 2-3-3 record, two points behind the Union in 11th place.

2. 🏆 Saint Joe's Crowned Philly Soccer 6 Cup Champions

While spring seasons in college soccer are short and results typically don’t carry a lot of weight, the inaugural Philly Soccer 6 Cup was much more than a friendly competition between local programs.

A gritty hard fought final resulted in a penalty shootout win for Saint Joseph’s over La Salle and a first trophy for new head coach Tim Mulqueen. A seasoned professional who played at Saint Joe’s in the late ‘80s, Mulqueen capped off the first three months of his tenure with some hardware.

One of three games played at WSFS Bank Sportsplex, the championship game was one of three penalty shootouts. Drexel beat Rider in penalties after a scoreless 90 minutes for third place and Villanova outlasted Temple on penalties following a 1-1 draw to claim fifth.

The hero of the night for Saint Joseph’s was Harrisburg native Carter Fitzgerald, who came into the penalty shootout midway after the starting goalkeeper was sent off with a red card and led the Hawks to a shootout win over Drexel and a spot in the final, where he made another big stop to secure the victory.

Photo Gallery

3. 🏳️ Social Post of the Day: Great Business

4. 💧 Water Cooler: Gazdag Reaction Results/Player Ratings

Weigh in on the performances from the NYCFC loss in our Player Ratings Poll.

5. 🔗 Link Roundup

• Owen Boyle has his latest DOOPing Overseas Column.

• Both the Union U18 and U16 teams have advanced in Generation adidas Cup play, joining three other academies with both teams moving on to the knockout competition of the competition.

• The Philly Soccer 6 women’s programs held a one-day event at Penn Park on Saturday but there was no final or champion crowned on the day.

• Quentin Hall recapped the 1-0 loss to NYCFC.

Thanks for reading! Have an item or suggestion for the newsletter? Want to become a sponsor? Email [email protected].

Want to support this newsletter? Upgrade your account 
for $1 per month or $10 per year.