Union Building A Solid Foundation

As a Son's of Ben Supporter and season ticket holder, I am more than impressed with the way the expansion Philadelphia Union have built their franchise.  From the implementation of Nick Sakiewicz as CEO, Tom Veit as President and Peter Nowak as manager, to the site selection for the stadium and the team colors and crest.  The Union have also done a solid job to date of player selection, including the first ever trade in franchise history.

Just four days after selecting 10 players in the 2009 Major League Soccer (MLS) Expansion Draft, the Union added former Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Chris Seitz to the roster, in exchange for allocation money. Financial terms, as per club policy, are not disclosed.

“We are extremely excited about acquiring Chris Seitz who has been in the U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper pool and with Real Salt Lake the past three seasons,” said Philadelphia Union Team Manager Peter Nowak. “He’s physically imposing and now has a chance to compete to become a starting goalkeeper in MLS and realize his full potential.”

Speaking of the Men’s National Team, Philadelphia also announced this week they have acquired the rights to USMNT veteran Danny Califf. Califf, a 29-year old central defender will join the Union from FC Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga, after the club acquired his League rights in a trade with the Houston Dynamo for allocation money. Once again, per club policy, details of the deal not disclosed.

Califf adds leadership and international experience to Philadelphia, having earned 23 caps with the USMNT. In 2009, he captained the side’s 3-2 win over Sweden and helped them to a first place finish in the CONCACAF region and a trip to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Philadelphia Union’s inaugural “First Kick” will take place on the road, March 25, 2010 vs. Seattle Sounders FC at Qwest Field, a game that and will be televised on ESPN2/ESPN Deportes. The club’s home opener is April 10 vs. regional rival D.C. United at Lincoln Financial Field.