Union Pitchside Podcast

What a game for 18 year old Union homegrown, Brenden Aaronson! Getting his first start and first goal against defending MLS Champions Atlanta United. Adam Cann revisits an interview he had with Brenden right after he signed his professional first team contract.

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Union Academy Director, Tommy Wilson, sits down with Adam to discuss what to look forward to in the second half of the Union Academy's Season. He discussed the U13 Union Academy being represented in a prestigious CONCACAF tournament, being names "Academy of the Year" by MLS, and what it means for academy players to be given an opportunity to play on the first team.

Philadelphia Union Sign Mexican National Team Midfielder Marco Fabián! Welcome to Philadelphia, Marco! #MarcoPHabian

There's never really an off-season during the off-season. We sit down with Director of Communications, Ryan Schwepfinger, about all of the latest roster moves heading into the 2019 MLS Season. We comment on Ernst Tanner's end of the year press conference and what he sees for next year. Finally, we provide you an update on all the roster moves on Bethlehem Steel FC. If you have any questions or topics you'd like to hear about, tweet at us at @philaunion or email us at [email protected].

Philadelphia Union are back in the MLS Cup Playoffs for the second time in three seasons. This year's opponent? NYCFC. On a special Playoff Pitchside Pod, we bring in MLSSoccer.com's Bobby Warshaw to discuss what the Union will need to do to get a win and how players prepare for and think about one-and-done playoff games. We also take a look at how Philly got to the playoffs and make a deep, deep dive into what they need to do to avenge last Sunday's loss to NYCFC. It's playoff time, Philly! And the boo-tiful game is here to make your Halloween a special one. Remember to send questions and comments to [email protected] or tweet @adamtcann to connect with us.

It's a special Bethlehem Steel Playoff Edition of the Pitchside Pod! Steel are taking young Union players and Union academy talents like Brenden Aaronson, Anthony Fontana, Matt Real, Olivier Mbaizo, and Ben Ofeimu to Pittsburgh for their first round matchup with Pittsburgh Riverhounds. The Hounds knocked off Steel twice in the regular season, but now Brendan Burke's men have more experience and hung with heavily experienced clubs down the stretch run of the USL season. Pitchside Pod host Adam Cann gives a quick intro to the Steel playoff situation, then we bring you interviews with Bethlehem Head Coach Brendan Burke and captain James Chambers. Both guys go deep about why Steel is important to them and how they view and participate in the Union's youth development process. Chambers also talks about his path to Steel, his work with the Union's pre-academy, and dealing with personal issues while being a public figure and an athlete. Check it out, then tune in at 7PM on Saturday, October 20 on ESPN+ for Steel vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds. And don't forget the Union's last home match on Sunday, October 21 against New York Red Bulls. Rumor has it a bull will be lit aflame at 2PM Sunday...

Behind the Shield Q&A with Sporting Director Ernst Tanner, Chief Business Officer Tim McDermott, and Head Coach Jim Curtin

On this edition of the Pitchside Pod, Jim Curtin talks us through all the people that work to get the Union ready for game day each week. Often, Curtin is the face of this side of the club, but after the win over Minnesota, he thanked a lot of others that helped him and the players deliver a playoff spot. We dig in to find out who those people are and what they do behind the scenes. Also, Adam gives some insight into Ilsinho's goal celebration against the Loons and we talk through what it was like to fly back with the team after the heartbreaking Open Cup final loss. Last, we talk about the Union U15 and U17 sides that competing in the GA Cup last weekend. Make sure to subscribe and send questions/comments to [email protected] or to @adamtcann on Twitter!

Ahead of Philadelphia Union's monster showdown against Houston Dynamo in the 2018 US Open Cup final, we break down each team individually and look at what the Union must do to Bring It Home! A detailed breakdown of Houston is first, including a look at their season, their Open Cup run, their tactics, and lineup questions. Then we do the same for Philly. Make sure you check this one out so you're updated and ready for this huge matchup!

On this episode of the Union Pitchside Podcast, we take a deep dive into innovative ideas in soccer. Our big interview is with Harrison Crow of AmericanSoccerAnalysis.com. Harrison and his colleagues have been trailblazers in statistical analysis of Major League Soccer, and he tells us about how Ale Bedoya was a surprise pick for his personal All-Star team. We also get into why it's difficult to analyze defenders and more interesting Union numbers.

Our opening and closing segments try to address listener questions about how the Union identify talent. Technical Director Chris Albright talks about utilizing a variety of mechanisms to put together a competitive first team, then the academy's Director of Talent Identification, Jon Scheer, tells us about the process of finding top young players to continually improve already strong Union academy program. It's all here in the latest Union Pitchside Pod!