⚽️ Union Renew Liberty Rivalry To Open Playoffs

Good morning. A new season kicks off for the Philadelphia Union tomorrow with the start of a best-of-3 with New England. The vibes aren’t great right now but an emphatic win could change that.

In the email today:

The Liberty Rivalry has become kind of a joke among Union and Revs fans over the past few seasons but in an era of more and more soccer it only makes sense that the Union’s first best-of-3 series is against the Revs.

The oft-used photo of the rivalry t-shirt never really gets old. Over the past four seasons it’s made the rounds a lot on social media since they’ve played each other 14 times in all competitions.

Head coach Jim Curtin called it a “healthy rivalry” in comments for a preview on the Union website. The home field advantage will be important.

“We know that in our building and Subaru Park with our fans behind us, we're still one of the best teams in the league,” Curtin said. “Being in our stadium, the onus is on us to take the game to them, and hopefully we can create some chances and finish off some transitions as well.”

Unlike in 2020 when the two teams met on Decision Day (Union win) and again to open the playoffs (Union loss) nothing will be decided Saturday. In fact, should the series go to three games the third game won’t be until November 12!

Our take: A repeat of their 3-0 win back in May at home would be ideal here.

2) 💔 Beloved Union Fan Dan Gorman Mourned

The Philadelphia Union supporter community has been mourning the tragic and unexpected loss of Dan Gorman. Gorman, a Sons of Ben original, died from injuries sustained in an electric bike accident on a trail in Colorado.

He’s remembered fondly for his warm smile and his camera, which he used to document fans in the River End. Gorman worked as a location scout and was a big supporter of Kensington Soccer Club.

The Sons of Ben are planning a moment of silence for Gorman during Saturday’s game. Donations can be made in his memory to Kensington SC.

Our take: Even if you didn’t know Gorman personally you probably recognize him if you’ve spent any time around the club. He was featured in the Sons of Ben movie.

3) 🚫 Meme of the Day: Just Say No

4) 💧 Water Cooler: Playoff Format

Have additional thoughts? Reply directly to this email to comment, and see if we include your response tomorrow.

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Results from our last poll Union MVP:

Kai Wagner was chosen as your Union MVP in our last poll.

5) 🔗 Link Roundup:

• 🧃Kevin Kinkead tries to unpack why fans seem so apathetic about the Union heading into the playoffs this season. Fan fatigue is real.

• 🗣️ Mikael Uhure and Daniel Gazdag praised fans for their support and the energy they bring to games at Subaru Park.

• 🏅 Alejandro Bedoya is the lone Union representative among the finalists for MLS Year-End Awards. The Union captain is up for an impact award. Lionel Messi is somehow a finalist for a newcomer despite his limited action in MLS play, which the awards are supposed to be based on.

6) 🏟️ Gamewatches

The newsletter today was written by: Matt Ralph @MattRalph_

Thanks for reading!