Based in Chester, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Union are one of the more forward-thinking clubs in Major League Soccer. One of five major-league sports franchises from the state, Union first kicked off in MLS in 2010.
The league has long been shaped by the likes of LA Galaxy, Inter Miami and New England Revolution, but Union carved out their own place fast. Here is the club's history, its numbers and what makes it tick.
History of Philadelphia Union
Before Union, Philadelphia Atoms and Philadelphia Fury were the city's soccer names. Then on 28 February 2008, MLS awarded Philadelphia its sixteenth team, and Union made their debut in the 2010 season.
Union sit under the parent company Keystone Sports and Entertainment LLC, set up with the aim of developing the game across the Delaware Valley.
Philadelphia Union play home games at Subaru Park in Chester, a purpose-built ground. The venue is part of the club's waterfront campus, which includes a historic power plant rebuilt into 400,000 square feet.
The arena is also built around the players, with facilities aimed at stamina, power and agility work. Subaru Park has over 7 acres of professional-grade practice pitches and multiple onsite parking fields.
Who founded Philadelphia Union?
Union were founded by Jay Sugerman, a heavyweight in the real estate world. Before moving into MLS, Sugerman built his fortune founding and running iStar, a real estate company worth billions.
The club is owned by Keystone Sports and Entertainment. As of the 2022-23 season, Sugerman was still the club's chairman, and Brooklyn Nets scorer and 12-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant was one of the minority owners.
The table below shows the club's leadership and coaching staff as listed for the 2022-23 season.
| Position | Name |
| Head Coach | Jim Curtin |
| Vice President, Player Health and Performance | Garrison Draper |
| Assistant Coach | Frank Leicht |
| Assistant Coach | Ryan Richter |
| Lead Sports Scientist | Walter Grande(z) |
| Director of Goalkeeping | Phil Wheddon |
| Head Athletic Trainer | Paul Rushing |
| Team Coordinator | Josh Gros |
| Sporting Director | Ernst Tanner |
| Academy Director | Tommy Wilson |
Stadium of Philadelphia Union: Subaru Park
Subaru Park sits in Chester, next to the Commodore Barry Bridge on the Delaware River waterfront. The stadium holds 18,500 and is one of the better places to watch the game in the region.
Expansion has long been on the table. The planned work would come in phases, first to 20,000 and then to 27,000.
Fans and Culture of Philadelphia Union
The name Philadelphia Union nods to the Union of the Thirteen Colonies, of which Philadelphia was the first capital. The club set out to grow the local soccer scene, and its primary colours, navy blue and gold, echo the Continental Army's uniforms from the American Revolutionary War.
The club was unveiled at Philadelphia's City Hall, and both the name and crest lean into the city's colonial history and its part in the founding of the United States.
Sporting Rivalry of Philadelphia Union
Union's primary rivals are DC United. This one is less about football history and more about geography and the old tensions between Philadelphia and Washington DC. The same logic makes the New York Red Bulls a rival too.
There is also a growing feud with Seattle Sounders FC, some 3,800 km apart. It started when Union played their first-ever MLS game in Seattle. Union's rise in the league has sharpened their fixtures against New York City FC as well.
Philadelphia Union Key Individuals
Most notable players to represent Philadelphia Union
Many players have helped this club grow. Some of the most recognisable are:
- Andre Blake (Jamaica)
- Sebastian Le Toux (France)
- Ilsinho (Brazil)
- Kacper Przybylko (Poland)
- Alejandro Bedoya (United States)
- Freddy Adu (United States)
- Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala)
- Sheanon Williams (United States)
Managers in Philadelphia Union history
Through the 2022-23 season, the club had worked under three head coaches: Piotr Nowak (Poland), John Hackworth (USA) and Jim Curtin (USA). Of that trio, Curtin held the best win rate at 37.80% across 164 games, ahead of Hackworth on 33.77%.
Curtin had been in charge since 2014. By the 2022-23 season he had not lifted a trophy, though his Union won the Supporters' Shield in 2020 and finished as US Open Cup runners-up in 2014, 2015 and 2018. Most notably, they were MLS Cup runners-up in 2022. I remember thinking at the time that a side that consistent deserved a final win, and it stung to watch them fall short again.
| Competition | Finals Appearance |
| US Open Cup | 3 |
| MLS Cup | 1 |
Philadelphia Union Record Breakers
All-Time Top Scorers of Philadelphia Union
The figures below are as of the 2022-23 season. Sebastien Le Toux made the second-most appearances (189) among the top ten scorers. Alejandro Bedoya had the most (208), while Daniel Gazdag needed the fewest (66) to make the list.
| Sequence | Name | Period | MLS | Playoffs | US Open | CCL | Goals |
| 1 | Sebastien Le Toux | 2010–2011, 2013–2016 | 50 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 57 |
| 2 | Kacper Przybylko | 2019–2021 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 40 |
| 3 | CJ Sapong | 2015–2018 | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 |
| 4 | Jack McInerney | 2010–2014 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 28 |
| 5 | Cory Burke | 2018–present | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 28 |
| 6 | Daniel Gazdag | 2021–present | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
| 7 | Alejandro Bedoya | 2016–present | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 25 |
| 8 | Conor Casey | 2013–2015 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 22 |
| 8 | Ilsinho | 2016–2021 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| 10 | Fafa Picault | 2017–2019 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
Le Toux, a French international, sits top of that scoring list.
Most Assists for Philadelphia Union
Le Toux, who had two spells at the club, also held the record for most assists in Union's history through the 2022-23 season, with 50.
Most Appearances for Philadelphia Union
Appearance figures below are as of the 2022-23 season.
| Sequence | Name | Period | MLS | Playoffs | US Open | Total Appearances |
| 1 | Ray Gaddis | 2012–2020 | 221 | 4 | 21 | 246 |
| 2 | Andre Blake | 2014–present | 204 | 6 | 8 | 218 |
| 3 | Sebastien Le Toux | 2010–2011, 2013–2016 | 175 | 2 | 16 | 193 |
| 4 | Alejandro Bedoya | 2016–present | 185 | 5 | 5 | 195 |
| 5 | Brian Carroll | 2011–2017 | 166 | 2 | 15 | 183 |
| 6 | Jack Elliot | 2016–present | 162 | 4 | 6 | 172 |
| 7 | Sheanon Williams | 2010–2015 | 141 | 2 | 12 | 155 |
| 8 | Ilsinho | 2016–2021 | 130 | 5 | 5 | 140 |
| 9 | CJ Sapong | 2015–2019 | 123 | 2 | 10 | 135 |
| 10 | Fabinho | 2013–2019 | 122 | 1 | 12 | 135 |
Highest transfer fees in franchise history
Union signed striker Mikael Uhre, a Danish international, from Brondby IF. The 29-year-old joined as a Designated Player on a deal through 2024 with an option running to 2025.
| Name | From | Fees (In Million) | Date |
| Mikael Uhre | Brondby | $2.8 | January 2022 |
| Jamiro Monteiro | Metz | $2.0 | January 2020 |
| Daniel Gazdag | Honved | $1.8 | January 2022 |
| David Accam | Chicago Fire | $1.2 | January 2018 |
| Matej Oravec | Dunajska Streda | $1.1 | January 2020 |
| Alejandro Bedoya | Nantes | $1.0 | August 2016 |
Conclusion
That is the history, culture and record book of Philadelphia Union, a club that has spent years knocking on the door of a first major trophy. On the evidence of that Supporters' Shield and those cup finals, the pieces have been in place; the question was always converting near-misses into silverware.
For the current picture, including live squad ratings, fixtures and transfer news, see the club page at /teams/philadelphia-union.