In partnership with

Happy Friday, Union fans. It’s been a week. Daniel Gazdag is gone, Ian Glavinovich is recovering from surgery and the Union head to the Big Apple to play on a baseball diamond, hopefully with Kai Wagner back to start in left field.

In the email today:

1. ⚡️ Dani to the Crew

When MLS introduced a new cash sale system in the offseason, my immediate reaction was to look at the roster and see what two players (the league limit) would get sold off for cash. Jack McGlynn was the obvious first choice but I admittedly did not have Daniel Gazdag on my Bingo card.

Though it’s clearer now that Gazdag is less of a fit in Bradley Carnell’s 4-2-2-2 formation than he was in Jim Curtin’s 4-4-2, selling off your club’s all-time leading goal-scorer 7 games in the season is still a massive shock.

It’s a surprising move that comes with similar reactions from within the fanbase - from the sky is falling again and this is the worst thing ever to the more pragmatic spin of it being good business. No matter the reaction or how it will pan out long term, the Union have lost an MVP-caliber player for the rest of the 2025 season and will need to quickly regroup.

The opening of a designated player slot and the reported $4 million cash also means there’s another shoe to drop and how that pans out will likely be the final say on the move.

Gazdag’s legacy is pretty firmly cemented but his move fits in with the philosophy of the team going forward. While it would be better for Gazdag to be returning to Europe than to the Columbus Crew, it opens up opportunity for a future acquisition and in the mean time more minutes for Indiana Vassilev and competition within the team from Cavan Sullivan, Jeremy Rafanello, David Vazquez and CJ Olney.

Future forecasting of course isn’t the answer to the urgency of making the playoffs this season - and losing Gazdag with an insanely crowded May coming soon won’t help that - but it’s a reminder not to get too attached to any player once they get into their late 20s and contract talks are happening. Gazdag rightfully wanted more money on a new deal and, like Jack Elliott and others before him, that’s not really in the cards or the player budget for a team that wants to supplement smart international transfers with players sellable players promoted from within.

Receive Honest News Today

Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.

Sign up today!

2. 🐍 Union II pick up first win with Atlanta United 2 Blowout

Five different players scored as Philadelphia Union II picked up their first win of the season in blowout 5-1 fashion over Atlanta United 2.

Stas Korzeniowski opened his professional scoring account with a goal in the 21st minute off an assist from David Vazquez and just as it looked like they’d carry the 1-0 lead into halftime, CJ Olney curled a ball into the box that Neil Pierre headed home in stoppage time to make it 2-0.

Already down two goals, Atlanta United 2 were dealt another blow when they went down to 10 men in the 56th minute when Dominik Chong Qui was sent off with a second yellow after Markus Anderson stole the ball and was taken down by the Atlanta defender.

Up a man, Olney took advantage and made it 3-0 in the 70th minute off an assist from Eddy Davis. Minutes later, Kellan LeBlanc drew a foul in the box and Nick Pariano converted from the spot to make it 4-0. LeBlanc added a fifth goal in the 76th minute off another Davis assist and Ramzi Qawasmy was hard done on a foul call in the box that led to an Atlanta United 2 penalty.

3. 🚬 Social Post of the Day: This Week

4. 💧 Water Cooler: Gazdag Reaction

5. 🔗 Link Roundup

• Quentin Hall takes a look at a future in Chester without Gazdag.

• A scoreless draw doesn’t stop Todd Lewis from making a Goals Breakdown video.

• The One Team We Agree On caught up with former Union II head coach Marlon LeBlanc.

• Matteo Ventresca looked back at the scoreless draw.

• Tomorrow is a big day in Philly college soccer. The women play their tournament at Penn Park with games starting at 10 a.m. and the final at 1 p.m. and the men play their Philly Soccer 6 Cup at 7 p.m. at WSFS Bank Sportsplex.

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.