On February 28th 2008, it was finally announced that after years of thwarted attempts and significant opposition from a franchise that would later be bought out by a reasonably successful energy drink company, an MLS franchise was coming to Philly. Just over two years later, the first Philadelphia Union team took to the field in Seattle against the Sounders, who have sadly become a mainstay in the latter stages of the MLS Cup playoffs.
In a foreshadowing of the disciplinary problems that would blight the early part of the 2010 season, it took just 33 seconds for the Union to receive their first-ever yellow card. Not to be outdone, a Finnish midfielder by the name of Toni Stahl would pick up two yellow cards in 39 minutes and be sent from the field. It was his first and last 39 minutes in a Union shirt. The ten men of Union put up a brave fight but were outclassed by Seattle and went down 2-0. More than 10 years on from that day, what became of these pioneers of soccer in Philadelphia that started that day?
GK- Chris Seitz
A promising and at 23 still young goalkeeper at the time, Chris Seitz got off to an underwhelming start in his first season as a first-choice keeper. Having conceded a hatful of goals, he lost his place in the starting 11 to Brad Knighton later that season. He was not retained for the next year, and ended up at Dallas, where he again played second fiddle until 2016, his most successful season to date, when the Texan franchise would lift both the Supporter’s Shield and the Open Cup.
His most commendable accomplishment was arguably off the field in 2012, an MLS Humanitarian of the Year award received for risking his career to donate bone marrow to a stranger, an act that proved to be life-saving. Now 33, appearances in MLS have been hard to come by in recent years, and he is currently a backup option at DC United.
DR- David Myrie
Union picked the Costa Rican defender in the Expansion Draft, after he was released by Chicago Fire. This inaugural game would be his only game for the club, as he was released at the end of that month. He has since played his domestic football almost exclusively in his native Costa Rica, save for an ill-fated spell at Norwegian club Fredrikstad. Internationally he has won 24 caps for the Central American nation, and even appeared once at the 2014 World Cup, having been added to their roster at the last minute.
DC- Danny Califf
The captain and most senior player in this lineup, Califf was one of the most recognized and accomplished defenders in MLS in the first half of the 2000s, racking up over 100 appearances for LA Galaxy and 26 caps for the US men’s national team. For Union, he would be a stalwart in the defense until 2012, and would then round out his career at Chivas and Toronto before eventually retiring from soccer in 2013.
He now runs a soccer academy in his hometown in California, working alongside other former professional players.
DC- Michael Orozco
Orozco was loaned to Union for the start of the 2010 season, with an option for the fledgling franchise to purchase the defender permanently from parent club San Luis at the end of the season, which ultimately was not taken up. He appeared for San Luis in the Mexican top-flight 106 times before turning out for Puebla and Tijuana, becoming a household name in the Mexican domestic game while finding success in the national team when the US brought the Gold Cup home in 2013. Now in the twilight of his career at 34, he plays in the USL Championship for Orange County SC.
DL- Jordan Harvey
The only player in this lineup to have appeared in every single game of the Union’s first season, Jordan Harvey has been a regular in MLS for his entire senior career. He carried on with Union until the midway point of the 2011 season when he was traded to the Vancouver Whitecaps.
He became part of the furniture north of the border, staying in the first team for seven years, and now plies his trade with LAFC, having joined in 2018. At 36, his minutes now need to be managed, but he can look back on a long career in US soccer’s top tier, culminating in a Supporter’s Shield trophy with the Black and Gold last year.
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Photo Credit: Philadelphia Union
RW- Roger Torres
The diminutive Colombian went on to provide the first assist to a Union player in the following game, an epic 3-2 win against DC United which is memorable enough to warrant its own article. On loan from America de Cali at the time, he joined Union permanently in 2012, spending a total of 4 seasons in Philly before going back to Colombia, where he has played in the domestic top-flight ever since.
He currently wears the number 8 shirt for Atletico Bucaramanga, who are based in the mountainous North of the country.
MC- Toni Stahl
We move on to the recipient of the aforementioned red card, a defensive midfielder from Finland who gained a scholarship to play college soccer for the University of Connecticut. His college career was a success, which prompted Union to select him in the second round of the Superdraft. For the crime of being sent off 39 minutes into the franchise’s existence in competitive soccer, he was banished to the Union’s USL-2 affiliate on loan, and was released in 2011.
Three years in the NASL followed with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and the Carolina RailHawks before he retired from soccer at the tender age of 29. Readily available information about his career and whereabouts since then appears to be at a premium.
MC- Andrew Jacobson
With 8 years of regular appearances in MLS under his belt, Jacobson proved a slightly more accomplished central midfielder, having appeared 25 times for Union in their debut season, after being selected in the Expansion Draft. A steady career in MLS included spells at Dallas alongside Chris Seitz, as well as NYCFC and Vancouver Whitecaps, retiring in early 2018 and opting to spend at least the first part of his retirement away from soccer.
ML- Sebastian Le Toux
A man synonymous with the Union and who had by far the most successful time in Philly with a half-century of league goals which included the first three goals Union ever scored. Le Toux was a shrewd selection in the Expansion Draft, having not been protected by the previous year’s expansion team, Seattle Sounders. His first spell at the Union ended at the conclusion of the 2011 season, when he was traded for allocation money to Vancouver, after an unsuccessful trial with English Premier League club Bolton Wanderers.
The prodigal son of Ben would however return a year later, continuing to be a consistent source of goals for three more years, before being traded to Colorado in 2016 and winding down his career with DC United.
He recently helped cover the opening game in the MLS Is Back Tournament against Orlando on Philadelphia iheartradio, and still appears regularly in media produced by the franchise.
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Photo Credit: Philadelphia Union
ST- Alejandro Moreno
A forward in his prime when Union selected him in the Expansion Draft on the back of two consecutive Supporter’s Shields and an MLS Cup in 2008 with Columbus Crew, the Venezuelan failed to reach the heights reached at his previous clubs, scoring just two goals while in Philly. Two more years with Chivas would follow before his retirement from soccer in 2012.
Since then, he has done commentary work in both English and Spanish for ESPN, primarily covering Liga MX games but also providing expert analysis on Union games.
ST- Danny Mwanga
Mwanga, the son of an adviser to Congolese dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country then called Zaire at the time of the infamous incident at the 1974 World Cup in which a Zaire player booted the ball away while Brazil were lining up to take a free-kick, also happened to be a very talented soccer player, which prompted Union to select him first in their first-ever Superdraft.
This decision paid off handsomely in the first season with seven goals and an MLS Rookie of the Year Award. The 2011 season was another decent one for Mwanga in which he added 5 league goals to his career total, but he was traded to Portland in 2012. Since then, his career has fizzled out and he has struggled to make regular appearances in either MLS or the Minor Leagues, and he has been without a club since 2017.
Countless more players have turned out for Union since that day, with success that varies as wildly as the players in this starting 11. While writing this I couldn’t help but ponder what will happen to the Union’s current roster over the coming decade.
Photo Credit: Philadelphia Union
