Despite Finish, the Union 2020 Season Was a Massive Success
Now that we are a few weeks after that heartbreaking playoff loss and emotions have died down, let’s look back and call what this season was for the Union no matter what: a massive success.
While we were all hopeful for a deep MLS Cup Playoff run, it doesn’t change what the Union accomplished during the regular season.
Photo: Wes Shepherd/Philadelphia Sports Nation
The team had a feeling about them that no other Union team in the team’s history ever had. It started when the team coming off a bad opening day 2-0 loss to FC Dallas, had to go to a fully loaded LAFC, pre-pandemic, in a sold-out out crowd. A lot of fans, myself included, chalked that one as a loss thinking they don’t stand a chance. That was the night they put the whole league on notice. Going blow for blow with defending Supporters Shield winners LAFC in their home was a statement and the team came out with a 3-3 draw not many people saw coming.
That would be the last game until July due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the team did not allow the break to slow them down at all. The team was one of the best in the MLS is Back Tournament, making it all the way to the semifinals where they would be knocked out by the soon-to-be tournament winners Portland Timbers. In the tournament, they made a long run in a neutral ground format, destroying the notion that the team fell under in past years, that the Union can’t win if they aren’t in front of the Sons of Ben.
The Team Set the Standard
The Union have been a model of building since 2015. Since the 2015 season, the team has seen an increase in points in every single season consistently. This year would have been the same, however, you must look at points per game instead of points due to the fact the season was shortened. The team has consistently grown year after year under Head Coach Jim Curtin, and nothing tells us that it is going to stop here.
The biggest factor of this season is obvious: the Philadelphia Union trophy case is no longer empty.
In the opinion of many in the soccer world, the Supporters Shield is more impressive than the MLS Cup playoff trophy. The Supporters Shield meant that throughout the entire season, in the middle of a global pandemic, the Union showed consistently that they were the best team in MLS. Throughout all the adversity and the speed bumps, the team deserved it, and it was the best season in Union history.
Now don’t get me wrong, everyone wanted to see the Union sweep it all. Winning the MLS Cup would’ve been the icing on the cake, but it just wasn’t meant to be. However, there is no reason to be disappointed in how this season played out. A playoff format such as the MLS Cup Playoffs doesn’t mean the best team always wins.
Every team in the world is due for a bad game at some point, it was just unfortunate that the Union had theirs when they did. And any team, such as the New England Revolution, can make a run as they did.
The Union’s season was amazing, and no matter how the playoffs played out, that has not changed.
Featured Image: Wes Shepherd/Philadelphia Sports Nation
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
