CHESTER, Pa.Coming into the 2011 Major League Soccer season, Philadelphia Union players and coaches set the goal of making the playoffs with defender Danny Califf even saying that everyone would be shattered if the club failed to get there.
But the truth is, qualifying for the postseason in just the franchises second year of existencewhich the Union did in front of a record crowd at PPL Park over the weekendis no small feat.
To reach that point, it took a series of well-orchestrated moves, confidence-building triumphs and even a little bit of good fortune. Here now is a condensed look at the 10 biggest moments in the clubs short history that led to the moment that occurred this past Saturday of the Union celebrating a playoff berth:
1. May 29, 2009Peter Nowak hired to run team
Before there were players or a stadium, there was Nowak, the no-nonsense manager who has come to embody the citys working-class spirit. Nowak admits to training his players extremely hard but thats been a necessary component of building a team from the ground up. And as an executive, the former star player has pushed almost all of the right buttons to find the perfect blend of experience and youth for the 11 club.
2. Nov. 23, 2009Seattle leaves Sbastien Le Toux exposedThere were many tough decisions the Union coaches had to make when selecting the first group of players in Philadelphia Union history. Plucking Sbastien Le Toux from the Seattle Sounders in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft was not one of them. Now one of only two players remaining from that expansion draft class, Le Toux has become not only the lifeblood of the franchise but also one of the leagues best playersfrom his hat trick in the first home game in club history to his recent 10-goal-in-11-games scoring binge that helped vault Philly into the playoffs.
3. Dec. 3, 2009Danny Califf acquiredAlong with Le Toux, no player has been as valuable to the Union through the 2010 and 2011 seasons. After a successful stint overseas, Califf became an immediate leader on the Union, as well as the anchor to the clubs ever-improving defense. This year he is quietly enjoying one of the best seasons of his career.
4) June 27, 2010PPL Park opens
In perhaps the most memorable moment in franchise history, the Union raced past the Sounders, 3-1, in the first game in the history of the PPL Park, the clubs gorgeous 18,500-seat soccer-specific stadium along the banks of the Delaware River. Since then, the Union have enjoyed an exceptional homefield advantage in front of one of the leagues most passionate fan base. In 17 home games this season, the Union have lost just one time.
5. Oct. 16, 2010Union beat Red Bulls in home finale
Phillys inaugural season ended with a disappointing 8-15-7 record but there were glimmers of hope along the waylike this 2-1 victory over the rival Red Bulls in the final PPL Park contest of 2010. Wins like these made everyone associated with the club realize a turnaround in Year Two was well within reach.
6. Nov. 22, 2010Brian Carroll acquired
On the same day as the 2010 Expansion Draft, the Union found a way to add the veteran central midfielder from the Columbus Crew, giving up only a second-round draft pick and allocation money. The Union ended up losing two playersShea Salinas and Alejandro Morenoin the Expansion Draft but Carroll has more than made of for those absences, becoming arguably the teams most valuable player this season.
7. Jan. 11, 2011Bimbo sponsorship deal leads to more major acquisitions
Seeing the word Bimbo plastered on the front of every Union jersey may have led to a couple of jokes from non-soccer followers, but the 12 million deal Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz inked in the preseason with Bimbo Bakeries was instrumental in the development of the franchise. In addition to gaining more global recognition thanks to a brand that sponsors some of the best Mexican teams, the deal also may have helped Philly afford the financial flexibility to acquire Colombians Faryd Mondragn and Carlos Valds a week later. Mondragn, the goalie and captain, and Valds, a central defender, are easily two of the most important players on the team.
8. Jan. 13, 2011Union draft ACC pairThe Unions successful offseason continued days later when they picked goalie Zac MacMath out of the University of Maryland in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft before snagging Michael Farfan out of the University of North Carolina in Round 2. When Mondragn went down with a broken finger last month, MacMath filled in admirably, going unbeaten in seven starts, while Farfan emerged as a starter around the same time. Farfans brother, Gabriel, has also been a key cog in the Philly lineup this season, starting at left fullback since July after being signed in the offseason.
9. March 19, 2011Union win 2011 opener
The Union showed how different 2011 would be when, in their season opener vs. Houston, they did two things they rarely did in 2010win on the road and earn a shutout. Thanks to their new veteran goalie in Mondragn and a revamped defense led by Califf, Valds and Sheanon Williams (another huge acquisition), the Union went on to shut out the opposition in four of their first six games, quickly rising to the top of the Eastern Conference heap and sending a signal to the rest of the league that they were an expansion team no longer.
10. Sept. 17, 2011Union snap winless streak
There were many important victories this season but perhaps none were bigger than this one in mid-September when the Union beat the Columbus Crewon the strength of a goal from the red-hot Le Touxto claim their first win in two months. Even more promising, they did so by fielding by one of the youngest lineups in league history. The Union have not lost since then to rise back to the top of the Eastern Conference and book their spot in the 2011 MLS Cup playoffs.
Dave Zeitlin covers the Union for MLSsoccer.com and writes a weekly Union column for CSNPhilly.com. You can e-mail him at djzeitlin@gmail.com.