Phil Schoen was nice enough to give the Brotherly Game some of his time about a week and a half ago. The GolTV play-by-play announcer discussed plenty of topics with the Brotherly Game, some of which included the Philadelphia Union.

Interview with Phil Schoen of GolTV

Here are some highlights of the chat:

• Schoen's time with GolTV, along with his coverage of Colombian soccer, has enabled him to have a more advanced take on players from South and Central America. This led him to being able to give a scouting report, of sorts, on Gabriel Gomez.
• The Gomez signing will excite fans, Schoen believes. He's like a linebacker on a soccer field.
• Ray Hudson is as entertaining to Schoen as to viewers of GolTV.
• Broadcasters do have lives outside of soccer and their jobs.
• He has yet to see the movie "Finding Forrester." This news made me sad and prevented me from making what I thought would be an interesting analogy.

The newest episode of the YSA Report, third overall, was released last night. It's a bit lengthy (clocking in at about one-and-a-half hours long), but it's a worthwhile listen. I especially enjoyed the Philly Soccer Page bit that parodied various people within the Union soccer community, including head coach Piotr Nowak and even a reporter or two.

Murph, of The Union Dues. asked me a couple of months ago if I wanted to have a part in the podcast. The second episode came and went without me being able to get him anything, but this time around I was able to record a segment and viola, it's in this edition.

I'm the voice of the "Kessler Love Shack," which involves me going over things I like or love about the Union in the time preceding the recording of the piece. This time around I focused on beginning of the season to current day topics.

The other hosts of the podcast are:

Jeff Mitchell from TheIllegitimateS/Section 133, Eli Pearlman-Storch from PhillySoccetPage, Earl "Kemosabe" Gardner, Evil Genius Producer and Murph from UnionDues.

Have a listen and enjoy some fan created content.

Just over two weeks ago the Philadelphia Union put in a spectacular first half that led to a draw against Real Salt Lake.

The result led to many Union fans and reporters thinking that the Union would build upon the draw and move toward pulling away from the New York Red Bulls for sole position atop the Eastern Conference. Instead the Union dropped their next game 1-0 to the Vancouver Whitecaps, seemingly going from playing their best to their worst in just a week.

I saw down with Denz of RSL Soapbox, SB Nation's Real Salt Lake blog, and Michael C. Lewis, of the Salt Lake Tribune, to talk about the game and the coming future of both teams. The chat took place in the week after the game, so a little bit of the discussion is outdated but most of what was recorded is still in play today.

Denz: www.rslsoapbox.com and @rslsoapbox | Michael C. Lewis: www.sltribune.com and @rsltribune

Up & Up is now on the North American Soccer Network. Check out the show by clicking the linked text here, and listening there or downloading the clip there. iTunes availability is currently in progress.

Scott Kessler (me), of the Brotherly Game, and Ebun Olaloye, of Live Breathe Futbol, host the newest edition of the Unnamed Philadelphia Union Podcast.

The two discuss Saturday's Union win over rival the New York Red Bulls, the emergence of some young players in the team's second season and a little bit about Tuesday's Champions League matches. Ebun is pretty high on the Union's younger players (Danny Mwanga, Amobi Okugo, Roger Torres) after Saturday's victory over the Red Bulls. I'm still not ready to proclaim Carlos Ruiz as a needed starter, rather favoring Mwanga to start over the Guatemalan forward.

Dave Clark, of SB Nation Seattle Sounders blog Sounder At Heart, and Greg Orlandini, of KYW and the Philly Soccer Show, joined us to talk about Saturday's Union-Sounders game at PPL Park. Clark gave his opinion on the upcoming game, along with what the Sounders do to partner with the Seattle Seahawks to make the world-go-round at (former) QWEST field. Orlandini brought the Union's side of the ball to the show.

"Unnamed Philadelphia Union Podcast": Episode 6: Season Preview With Keith Hickey (click the linked text for the podcast. Also available as a download on iTunes here or through the RSS feed)

Keith Hickey, of MFUSA.com and Goal.com, returns to the "Unnamed Philadelphia Union Podcast" (Up & Up). He hosts the sixth episode "Up & Up" with Scott Kessler, of BrotherlyGame.com and philly.sbnation.com.

This episode of "Up & Up" discusses the upcoming MLS season. Hickey and Kessler talk about the trials and tribulations that the Union will face as they make a push for the MLS Playoffs (and possibly the MLS Cup).

We discuss the key additions to the Union, the loss of Michael Orozco-Fiscal, bringing in Taylor Twellman and Bob Rigby for the television broadcasts, along with moving most of the team's games to Comcast owned channels.

This episode is the longest in the short history of "Up & Up" at 38 minutes long. It should be thorough enough to serve as a 2011 MLS season primer for the Union.

Enjoy.

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Be sure to look out for SOBEryin138's work on all upcoming Unnamed Philadelphia Union Podcast posts.

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