CHESTER, Pa. – The Philadelphia Union took their bumps and bruises in their inaugural season, but have plenty to celebrate as a young roster took a big step forward. The Union finished with a respectable 31 points, a Rookie of the Year candidate in Danny Mwanga and unearthed a superstar in Sebastien Le Toux, among other successes.
Needless to say, they’re ready for next season to be here. But before they kick off again next March, team manager Peter Nowak & Co. have four months of planning to go through and various areas to address. Here’s Philadelphia’s to-do list for the offseason.
Keep the team together
One of the biggest obstacles an expansion side has to hurdle is the unity of the team and having everyone on the same page. Going through an entire offseason as a unit will do nothing but good for the Union and they should come into next season with an even greater understanding of each other, provided they’ve had more than ample time to work out the kinks.
Sort out the GK situation
Will Nowak stick with Brad Knighton in goal? Does Chris Seitz get another chance to show his stuff? Or will someone else be brought in? The ‘keeper position was one of the biggest problem areas for the Union this season. Figuring that out sooner rather than later is a must for Philly – though with both netminders left unprotected in Wednesday’s Expansion Draft, that decision may be made easier.
[inlinenode:319879]Reward Le Toux
Sebastien Le Toux had more goals and assists than Brian Ching, Salou Ibrahim and Eddie Gaven combined – yet the Frenchman still earns less. One of the outstanding talents of the 2010 regular season, Le Toux is the type of player to build around. With the numbers he put up (14 goals, 11 assists), the club should secure him for the long term.
Decide on the veterans
Philadelphia have a solid core of veteran players who contributed in no small way during the team’s first season – guys like Alejandro Moreno, Stefani Miglioranzi, Fred, Juan Diego González and Eduardo Coudet. A number of them won’t be around next season. With the Expansion Draft to worry about, some high salaries and a coach who is active in the trade market, don’t expect all of the older guys to be in uniform next year.
Keep developing the soon-to-be sophomores
The Union had an excellent SuperDraft and picked some quality talent out of the pool of available players. They’ll make up a formidable team in a few seasons and ensuring their game continues to improve is a must. Mwanga had a top-class year, but guys like Jack McInerney, Amobi Okugo and Kyle Nakazawa are sure to see more playing time in 2011 and they’ll have to be ready.
[inlinenode:318424]Solicit a shirt sponsor
Philadelphia is the fifth-biggest metropolitan area in the United States, has hosted the US national team twice during the past and was fourth overall in average MLS attendance, bringing in nearly 20,000 fans per game. What better way to bring in a little extra money than to have a big corporate sponsor on the front of the Union kit?
Keep it up
In their first year in MLS, the Union not only put a better-than-expected product on the field, but also created a culture they continue to build. Based around hard work and dedication to excellence, the Union exude what Philadelphia is all about. If they continue to push that philosophy, the whole city will fall in love with them.
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