We made it to Friday and there’s been plenty of MLS transfer news to talk about and debate but unsurprisingly not a whole lot from the Philadelphia Union camp, which really isn’t anything new.

In the email today:

1. 😕 Should Union Fans Be Worried?

It’s becoming an early January tradition for Union fans watching the rich get richer with splashy signings and rumors circulating about possible moves of noteworthy players to clubs around the league while they wait to find out about a rumored Union II signing or a transfer target whose name they have to Google.

Like the Union’s place in the standings over the past 5-6 years it’s been pretty consistent.

Former Brotherly Game editor John Rossi, who went through his fair share of Januarys covering the team, reminded us yesterday of the actual dates of signings that have occurred.

As you can see outside of the Miro purchse option on January 10, the earlies (and unarguably worst move) was the announcement of the Matej Oravec signing on January 10. That’s five days from today.

And yes the first game is on February 20 but even if Wagner, Bedoya and Carranza are gone by then the squad under contract should have little trouble getting a result.

So yes Union fans should continue to be upset about the pattern of low spending and an I’m No. 2 why try harder attitude but not necessarily worried. There’s another endlessly long season ahead for that.

2. ⛰️ The Pennsylvania to Colorado Pipeline

For all the talk in recent years about FC Cincinnati being the Ohio Union, the Colorado Rapids and Colorado in general has been a fruitful pipeline for players from the Philadelphia area.

The latest entry is of course Downingtown native Zack Steffen, who signed with the Rapids this week. The former FC Delco star who led a Union U17 team coached by Jim Curtin to a Generation adidas Cup title in 2012 returns to the states after a second European stint that included two loan spells from Manchester City.

Zach Pfeffer, a teammate of Steffen’s on that U17 team, started the trend back in 2016 when the Dresher native was traded to the Rapids. Zac MacMath followed suit in a trade to the Rapids in late December.

Keegan Rosenberry found a home near the rockies after a December 2018 trade to the Rapids and a year later Auston Trusty was looking for an apartment in Denver.

After a year in purgatory following the dismantling of Bethlehem Steel, former Union assistant and second team head coach Brendan Burke ushered in a USL Championship pipeline when he was hired by Colorado Spring Switchbacks.

Stephen Hogan and Alan McCann - both former players and coaches with Reading United - joined Burke’s technical staff along with local players like Zach Zandi and Jimmy Ockford. Steel FC legend James Chambers left coaching in the Union Academy to join the technical staff there as well. Burke was back in MLS last season on Ben Olsen’s staff in Houston but is returning to the USL Championship this year after being tapped by former Union executive Nick Sakiewicz to take the helm at Hartford Athletic.

There are of course other connections between the two states in the world of soccer but suffice it to say that Steffen will have company in Colorado, where a soccer road trip to see both the Rapids and the Switchbacks is still as enticing as ever for a Philly soccer fan.

3. 🛟 Meme of the Day: Life as a Union Fan

4. 💧 Water Cooler: Union Mood Check

5. 🔗 Link Roundup

• Daniel Gazdag was fifth in MLS in xG last season. He had 15 goals with a 15.1 xG.

• The Philadelphia Union U16 team will compete in the IberCup Cascais in Portugal in March.

• Former Villanova and West Chester United standout Josh Belluz has signed with Colorado Rapids 2. The Canadian played out his final season of eligibility at Syracuse in the fall.

• Chris Shaw has been named the seventh head coach of Temple women’s soccer. Shaw comes from Robert Morris, where he found success in four seasons at the helm. The North Carolina native also coached previously at UNLV.

• MLS trying to pull their first teams from the U.S. Open was a stunt (arguably a self-inflicted wound) that when looking at the facts doesn’t make any sense.

Thanks for reading! Go out of your way this weekend to be kind to someone.