Might as well get this rolling after rumors started, and were confirmed today, that the team will not only go down for their third straight year to Deltona, FL for preseason, but will also participate in the Disney Pro Soccer Classic and play against actual MLS teams. http://www.philadelphiaunion.com/ne...son-deltona-compete-disney-pro-soccer-classic http://www.philadelphiaunion.com/news/2012/10/daily-doop
HOORAY!!! We get to watch Union preseason matches on ESPN3!! The last two years, the MLS preseason matches that were being played at the Wide World of Sports complex were all streamed on ESPN3. I can't see any reason why that wouldn't continue. I also like how whoever wrote the article seemed to throw in a dig about having to travel out of the country to play "ninth division teams". I'm curious if management didn't like that idea of paying to send the team out of the country on long trips, especially when it's not cheap. Either way, I sincerely hope that they're serious about making Deltona their preseason training home. Seems like a great thing for the club.
Good to see that the Union will have a more publicly accessible pre-season - perhaps the days of "Guess the Trialist" are over. Between the Union's recent media changes with Kerith Gabriel there and the opposing MLS teams websites also providing game reports and/or videos, the 2013 pre-season should be less of a mystery compared to prior seasons under Nowak - but we will miss the good, old days of translating Greek game reports and searching the web for game video like this classic in the 2012 pre-season against A. D. Belen of Costa Rica:
One other thing from that article is that the Union are going to be having a fantasy camp on February 14th. On Valentine's Day, I'd rather do the fantasy camp than my wife.
I am sure this news will upset someone in AZ who was hoping they would train there. I am glad the Union decided to enter the preseason tournament seeing as our kit sponsor is also the event sponsor. And as KensingtonSC stated hopefully we will get a chance to see them play since all we got to see out of any of the other preseasons was the fight. On a sad note, it really sux that we are even talking preseason when we have 3 more games in 2012 to play. This season has been (insert any expletive you wish) disheartening but hopefully 2013 is more like 2011. Maybe we are going for an even odd thing, suck in even years and do good in odd years?
Bimbo Bakeries has sponsored the Union's preseason trip to Florida the past two years - and the next two - NOT the Pro Soccer Classic tourney. There was a local (in Florida) article last week stating that MLS teams were heading down to participate again; rumors came up about whether the Union would be one of them. Quickest way to quell a rumor is to either officially refute or confirm it. Considering the dismal nature of 2012, I'm not surprised the propaganda machine is already hyping up 2013, plus it gives folks plenty of time to make travel arrangements.
So do we have a working relationships with Orlando? This will be the 3rd straight year we play them in preseason and they are taking a look at our stadium for ideas for when they eventually build theirs. Wouldn't mind if we make this a tradition and play them every preseason though.
I would rather see them join MLS and play us twice a season than have to put up with a douchey New York franchise.
Wifey and I usually go down to Fl @ the end of Feb for her birthday, usually make a stop to see Mickey and head to my old man's in Venice. Looks like we are going a little early next year. I'll be curious to see the supporters packages, but more than likely I am going to plan for the game on the 9th or 13th game (maybe both). I want to avoid the parks on presidents day, and inflated air costs.
The trip to Crete was apparently a one-off thing via that Greek owned marble company which has since seemed to drop out as a sponser.
I think I read that the Orlando City folks ... or maybe it was the City of Orlando ... were not just at PPL Park, but might've also visited LSP as well. According to the team's site, Colonial Marble & Granite is still a marketing partner. http://www.philadelphiaunion.com/club/partners I thought the Greece trip was also the start of a team-partnership thing with Ergotelis FC. Not that I know how that would've benefited either club.
Reading is fundamental and I failed. I saw the Bimbo is returning line and my brain said 'O look, Bimbo is sponsoring the tourney'. I am not surprised that they started either, it still sucks that they need to hype next year when this year isn't even done yet. Add in the FIFA dates and we get tortured for an extra week!
The only negative about this is that preseason games against MLS opponents is rather boring. We see us play the same teams all season long.
I would rather see the Union play the same old MLS teams than hear about games played in other parts of the world where the accounts of such games are shrouded in secrecy.
While I agree with this to a point, unless we are playing against upper level teams we won't be playing teams that can help us. Maybe MLS should try to work out something with the Mexican League since some of their teams travel north for their preseason, maybe we can go South? It might turn up a notch or two the intensity of the National team rivalry. Other than that, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to travel across the world to play preseason games. We are not like the super leagues with endless finances. Heck, the travel on MLS teams to other MLS cities is not great.
Yes its disappointing, but I've known since July 4th that the Union would be taking part in the Disney Pro Classic. I'll continue to push the idea on the PU coming to Tucson. Earliest I could see the PU coming to Tucson is 2015. & Last year, the PU played a friendly opened to the public against Orlando City. The Desert Cup matches are streamed on MLSSoccer.com (Just saying). After the Costa Rica fight, the PU decided that they would no longer take international trips for the preseason, at least for the next five years. & Tucson > Deltona.
Great that these games will be accessible. By February this season's ups and downs will be a memory and we'll be desperate to DOOP again.
By February, I may still have a bad taste in my mouth from this season, but I will definitely be ready to DOOP in warm Florida.
Not trying to be a ******** about the Desert Cup, but seven playoff teams will be training/playing in Tucson, while only two will be training/playing in Orlando (Sporting KC will be participating in both.) Desert Cup > Disney Pro Soccer Classic http://azstarnet.com/sports/major-l...cle_e011bc2f-d711-56a8-9524-e698425e9a28.html
Seriously stop it with the desert cup, nobody cares. As long as bimbo is the sponsor the team will be in Orlando, the horse is long dead you can stop beating on it.