⚽️ Seattle Sounders Part Deux

+ David Vazquez First Team Signing Announced

Photo by Carl Gulbish

Twenty-one days later the Philadelphia Union and Seattle Sounders will retake the field at Subaru Park tonight to continue a game that was suspended by heavy rain on an unplayable pitch in the sixth minute. In a season that has already had several twists and turns this will be one of the more unique matches in team history.

In the email today:

1. 🌤️ Seattle Sounders Part Deux
2. 👕 David Vazquez First Team Signing Announced
3. 🧹 Tweet of the Day: Unfinished Business
4. 💧Water Cooler: Le Toux Record Breaker Results
5. 🔗 Link Roundup

1. 🌤️ Seattle Sounders Part Deux

Whether you are taking the superstitious route of wearing the exact same clothes and eating an identical meal before play between the Philadelphia Union and Seattle Sounders resumes tonight or not there will be a few wrinkles to tonight’s action at Subaru Park.

The match will start in the 6th minute and the lineups will mostly be the same. The Union will be missing Markus Anderson (out with a quad injury) and could be also without Andre Blake (knee) and Damion Lowe (ankle). Matt Real is also no longer with the team so he’ll be replaced in the 20 by Julian Carranza while Leon Flach is expected to replace Anderson on the game-day roster.

If Lowe isn’t able to go Jakob Glesnes would slot in but if Blake isn’t able to go it would mean burning Union II goalkeeper Andrew Rick’s fourth and final short-term loan for the season to serve as the backup to Oliver Semmle.

Seattle center back Xavier Arreaga was traded to New England last week so he will be replaced in the lineup by the visitors and reserve Danny Musovski is questionable to return to the game-day roster.

“There's no doubt about it, I think it's a unique situation for both teams,” Union head coach Jim Curtin said yesterday. “For Seattle and us.”

The game will also mark the completion of the Union’s regular season matches against the Western Conference.

Coming off their first loss to Real Salt Lake at home on Saturday, the Union will look to regain momentum as every game from here on out will carry even more weight. The Union are currently in 7th place in the East but have two games in hand against every team in second through sixth place and three games in hand with conference leader Inter Miami.

The match will resume at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on MLS Season Pass.

2. 👕 David Vazquez First Team Signing Announced

It was only a matter of time before David Vazquez’s signing with the first team would be announced. The gifted 18-year-old central midfielder’s move to the first team from Union II was officially announced on Monday.

The Southern California native has been a prize of the Philadelphia Union Academy since he chose to crisscross the country to join the organization and Union head coach Jim Curtin said he has proved he belongs within the first team environment.

“A great attacking player that I think has added some real good defensive instincts to the game as well,” Curtin said yesterday. “And he's a guy that immediately helps make us better. So you know, he'll certainly be available for and in the discussions for being in the 20… In the busy stretches of the year now where we're missing a lot of guys with Copa America, with the Olympics, with the Euros, he's going to be called upon to play this year. He's talented enough to do that.”

Vazquez will be the first Union player to wear the No. 41 shirt.

The Union had to acquire his rights from both LAFC and LA Galaxy so the investment has required more outlay than players brought in locally to the academy setup but his play in MLS Next Pro and with the U.S. youth national teams has shown great promise.

3. 🧹 Tweet of the Day: Unfinished Business

4. 💧 Water Cooler: Gazdag Record Breaker Results

Celebrate Philadelphia Soccer heritage with shirts available at OldSchoolShirts.com.

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