Week 1 Line-up

The CCL next week has put Union SC in a tough spot to open its campaign as the club will be without several players to start the season. Infact, should the Spartans allow any subs to come into the match this weekend, So.Cal will not be able to take advantage as the entire bench will not be present. Also the club will be playing a man short with Powers also missing action.

"Its not ideal conditions, but the expectation is a win with the players available this weekend."
-Union SC manager

Week 5 Ends in a Draw

Coming up for week 6: Union SC vs Pennsylvania. The Blues also announced two transactions with the match-up's lineup card. Released is Correa and Joseph. Signed was Ben Zemanski and Sheanon Williams.

Week 5 Boxscore
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SCORING SUMMARY
Blues:      Feilhaber(2A), Miller(G)
Spartans:  Zusi(G), Bieler(G), Rochat(SOG)
DISCIPLINARY
Blues:      None
Spartans:  Sinovic(Y), Reo-Coker(Y)
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Lineup vs Alamo City

In Week 3, Union SC will have to step it up to defeat an undefeated Alamo City club. "Last week was nice, but 3 scores may not be enough in this match" said the Blues manager. A victory this week could go a long way in establishing the club as a serious contender in 2013 as well. "Our fans want this win. Its a Founders Cup match and overall this head to head record is horrid."  During the week Union SC blanked on the transfer market. The club was in the running, but could not afford the high fee's that were paid. Instead the Blues have signed Khari Stephenson to a contract (releasing Mastroeni). "The club has yet to play at full strength. So its not a question of needing players, its a question of having more sufficient depth."

Preparing For A Fight

PreGame RoundUp #1

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A new season, but a familiar opponent. The 14 man roster for Gateway United is now available with only the actual order still in question. More than likely the Saints will start Donovan, Davies, Lindpere, Fernandez, and Mwanga. It's the other 3 starters that will be a wait and see. The Blues have no plans to release the line-up order just yet, but obviously the clubs DP's will be present. "I'm looking forward to starting the season off and playing Gateway right away will be special" said the Blues owner.

Back to the Pitch

PreGame RoundUp:
Majors Cup #1
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The celebration will have to be put on hold for the time being as Union S.C. still has work to do. The first Majors Cup group stage game is starting up on Wednesday and the reigning Majors Cup Champion is waiting. F.C. Dallas is looking very sharp in 2010, and is actually better than the club that played in the 2009 Majors Cup. The Blues will need to bring a steady supply of scores to get a maximum 3 points in this match.

The Margin for Error is Slimming

PreGame RoundUp #16

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Union SC will try to regroup after a tough loss and keep its place in the standings. Up next is Burud Town, one of several clubs still in the race for the last 2 playoff spots. A win this week would sure go a long way in giving the Blues a good chance at securing one of those spots. "The standings are so tight right now that it just doesn't feel like the club has any room for error."

It's Never An Easy Game

PreGame RoundUp #15
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Can Union S.C. continue the momentum? The club finds itself in a good position currently. Up next is Gateway United which may be sitting in 7th place, but is always a side you cannot take lightly. "The Saints are a well run operation and have just had a lot of misfortune in 2010. The owner continues to bolster the clubs roster. Castillo could make his debut in this game as well." said Frederick. This is a game the Blues always take seriously.

Blues Look to Turn Things Around Verses Gunners

PreGame RoundUp #14

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There is no more time to spare dwelling on the loss to the Cure. Next on the schedule is Capital District. Currently, the Blues are 1 point behind the Gunners and could get back into 2nd place with a win. Union SC has lost the last 2 meetings against the Gunners and will be missing two very good players in this game. Both Chris Wondolowski and Sharlie Joseph will not be suiting up for this one. Hopefully the rest of the roster can step it up.

Rematch Against Cure Could be Decided With Early Attackers

PreGame RoundUp #13

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It has taken several games to do it, but Union SC has climbed back up into 2nd place in the BSL standings after a 3 game losing streak several games ago dropped the club out of playoff contention. The last time the Blues were in 2nd, the club went up against St. Louis in what was a match between the top two clubs at the time. In that match the St. Louis Cure buried Union Southern California by the score of 4-0. It was a heart wrenching defeat that solidified St. Louis' lead in the league. Now comes the much awaited rematch.

The first key to the game is to hope the Cure don't build up a quick lead. The clubs RSL players hit the pitch first as well as Patrick Nyarko. A close score by the conclusion of Thursday would work wonders for Union SC. The early afternoon game on Saturday is the next big scenario. The Blues have DeRosario, Casey, and maybe White hitting the pitch and a few scores could set the wheels in motion to grab a lead before the bulk of the MLS matches take place. A win would be huge over the Cure!

PreGame RoundUp #12

While several teams are chasing Union S.C. for third place, the Blues will get the opportunity to take over 2nd place when the face off against Burud Town. The last time these two clubs meet Union S.C. won 4-2. This will not be easy by any stretch. The Stags have won 4 of their last 5 games. Union S.C. will be without the services of Davey Arnaud who will be serving yet another red card suspension. It is his second suspension this season.

PreGame RoundUp #11

The last time Union Southern California played Gateway United it was a 6-2 romp in favor of the Blues. Will such fortune come upon the club once again? The Saints still hold the advantage in the rivalry. Union S.C. should be near full strength for this game while Gateway United will still be missing some key players thanks to the USMNT advancing in the FIFA World Cup.

PreGame RoundUp #10

The last time Union S.C. met up with Montgomery County, the Monarchs were celebrating the BSL Cup championship and eager for a repeat. A lot has happened since that game, but the fact remains that Union S.C. needs to keep winning and is 1 point out of a playoff spot.

Union S.C. RoundUp

The gameplan for the Blues to get their first ever win over the Monarchs is simple. Score the clubs average. The entire Union S.C. roster appears to be available so the hardest part will be deciding which players will be in the starting lineup.

Montgomery County RoundUp

This club has weapons, but has not been getting points from many all-star names. The Monarchs are ranked 7th in APG and 7th in MOV.

PreGame RoundUp #9

What's the best way to end a losing streak? Well, playing the leagues last place team helps. The New York Greeks got off to a slow start to the season and is currently averaging a dismal APG. From the looks of it the club ownership is in disarray making matters only more sad. The folding this club in 2011 seems like a real possibilty. Still, the match goes on and no result is a guarantee. Last week New York even earned a point in the standings.

Union S.C. RoundUp

The offense needs to wake up. This club has already shown it can score, it just needs to break out of its funk and do it.

N.Y. Greeks RoundUp

The line-up will probably be the same as it was the last few weeks. Atiba Harris has been the clubs most potent player so far, but this roster does have a few weapons that on any given week could ruin someones week. Hopefully, it will not be against the Blues.

PreGame RoundUp #8

The California Cup resumes this week. Union S.C. will try and end a 2-game losing streak and win the 2010 California Cup at the same time. There is a great deal of passion between these two clubs and the war of the words has started up right where it stopped after the first meeting.

The action starts Thursday!

Union S.C. RoundUp
The Blues lost Sasha Kljestan to the USMNT and DeRosario has been playing a lot of minutes having double duty in the Canadian Championship games. Conor Casey is overdue to find the back of the net.
Gold Coast RoundUp
The Suns lost Brian Ching to the USMNT. They also are coming off a poor performed game last week and will be looking to rebound. Kyle Beckerman has been playing lights out so far this season.

PreGame RoundUp #7:

There will be no chance to dwell on last week as Union S.C. will now have to focus its attention on Game 7. The next opponent on the schedule is the St. Louis Cure. So far the Cure has taken almost maximum points in the standings and is averaging an awesome 5.50 points per game. Union S.C. is currently in 2nd place, 4 points behind the Cure for first place. A win would change the outlook of the entire league, but a loss to the Cure would make them serious contenders for the Honors Trophy.

Union S.C. RoundUp

The Blues #2 offense will try to keep up this week. DeRosario is on the road in L.A. going up against his own Goal Keeper Donovan Ricketts. Not good! O'Brien White might get the start so he could also be battling against Ricketts. Conor Casey is in D.C. so he could really be a benefit. Arnaud will be back on the field playing at home against Chicago. LeToux will probably get the start since the last time he had a home game he scored a hat trick. Wondolowski will try and get another goal as he plays in New England.

St. Louis RoundUp

The Cure has several players present in the RSL/HOU game that will get an early start on Thursday. So its quite possible that St. Louis could take an early lead in this one. They key will be how much of a lead. A close score leading into Saturday's action will benefit Union S.C.

PreGame RoundUp #6

The game has an early start beginning on a Wednesday. Both clubs are playing well coming into this one with the Blues winning streak now at 4 straight. Another win and that will tie the league record of 5 straight held by... you guessed it...the Gunners.

Its almost a given that this game will have lots of confetti, so grabbing the early lead may not mean much as this game will go the distance.

Union S.C. RoundUp
It looks like LeToux will probably not suit up for this match either and Davey Arnaud will sit out his Red Card suspension, so the rest of the lineup will need to pull their weight. Sasha Kljestan will get 180 minutes this week with Chivas playing twice.
C.D. Gunners RoundUp
This club might benefit from having Padilla play more minutes this week, but their star keeper Zach Thornton will be hard pressed to complete 2 clean sheets this week to obtain a point in this match. So the Keeper advantage definitely does to Union S.C. in this one unless the Gunners seek a backup keeper to fill in for Thornton.

PreGame RoundUp #5

This weekend Union S.C. will look to continue their winning streak. The next opponent is Burud Town. The Stags have performed very well so far this season and have amassed 7 points in the standings putting the club in 3rd place. Could this be a potential playoff preview? Unlike many games in the BSL, in this one all the action will take place on Saturday May 1st.

Union S.C. RoundUp
Its a good thing the Blues have team depth. It has been a rough couple of days for the club. Shalrie Joseph announced he is on leave for personal reasons with a to-be-determined return date. Then on Tuesday Sebastian LeToux pulled something and is awaiting further details. The Blues reserve slots appear to be set now. Hopefully no other surprises happen before gameday.
Burud Town RoundUp
A very active owner has several young guns on his roster. Rookies are always unpredictable, but so far the Stags have gotten positive results. Schilawski was very quiet the game after his hat trick. Kei Kamara should be out to redeem himself after his embarrassing handball last week. Burud Town is not without the injury bug either. After trading for Geoff Cameron from Union S.C., he went down forcing the Stags to release him earlier this week.

PreGame RoundUp #4

Ready for an encore? Union S.C. will look to get out to an early lead again on Thursday when they go up against New York. The club plans on making very few changes coming off a beautiful performance. This is the first ever meeting between these two clubs.

Union S.C. RoundUp

The team does not want to be over-confident but it appears as if another 6 points will not be needed to win this game. While Edson Buddle has gotten a lot of attention for St. Louis, The Blues own Dwayne DeRosario had 3 combined goals last week in his 2 MLS games.

N.Y. Greeks RoundUp

The Greeks roster has seen several changes in the last 2 weeks and is currently ranked last in offense. The team has 3 D.C. players and 3 Colorado players so the wealth of their attack will come in bunches. However, the most pressing obstacle could be in their RedBull combo.

PreGame RoundUp #3

Now is the perfect time for Union S.C. to meet up against Gateway United. The Blues have a swagger and feel pretty confident going into action. Meanwhile it appears as if the Saints have yet to find themselves. So now looks to be as good a time as any to finally take down the beast. Union S.C. have never won against the Saints. These clubs tied each other 2-2, before Gateway United won 2-1 and 5-1 in the other match-up's. But, that was then and this is now. The players are ready to send all enemies a message. The action starts Thursday!

Union S.C. RoundUp

Another 4 points would be nice and may be enough while Gateway is in hibernation. The Sounders are playing at Quest this week so that may actually not be a good thing. They seem to score more on the road. So Zakuani and Evans might not be so dependable. DeRosario plays twice so the hope is he should get atleast 1 score in those games, and an average of 2 would be grrrrrrrrrrrrreat! Next Joseph is playing against a soft San Jose defense, so hopefully he can grab a few goals and maybe an assist.

Gateway United RoundUp

You always have to fear this team. The owner wants to win more than anyone I've ever conversed with. The Saints probalby won't get another assist from Coundoul this time but he is a threat for a clean sheet playing in RedBull Arena this week. In that same match Cunningham will be his opposition. If one get's a score the other one doesn't. Donovan is due and is at the HDC against RSL. This could pose a serious problem for Union S.C.

PreGame RoundUp #2

This is a big match for Union S.C. The club does not want to dig itself into a huge hole to start the season. Besides this being a rivalry game, there is a momentum factor to consider as well.
Union S.C. RoundUp
The Blues will seek its first win of the season. The offense is looking good so far and hopefully a strong outing of 3 or more points should do the job. Donovan Ricketts has already produced 2 clean sheets, one during opening kick and another during the bye week. One of the keys to the game might come down to how well the Sounder players do on the road. It will be their first road match in the MLS and Union S.C. plans on starting 2 Sounders on April 10th.
Gold Coast RoundUp
The news about Brian Ching will hurt this club. He is probably the Suns best goal scorer. Most of the rest of this clubs players live by way of the assist. Still, Pat Onstad is a threat in goal.