Source: Sakiewicz "Woken Up" By Nowak Saga, Moves To Come

Peter Nowak's departure from the Philadelphia Union appeared to have a limited impact beyond whatever interim head coach John Hackworth could affect on-and-off the field, but recent events, and internal developments, have shown that it may be a domino effect.

In addition to Nowak leaving, so have Diego Gutierrez, former the team's Sporting Director, and Alecko Eskandarian, Youth Technical Director for a year, left the club by decision of Hackworth, according to the team manager at his conference call today.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told the Brotherly Game that Gutierrez and Eskandrian's replacements have already been hired. Hackworth said during the conference call that Jim Curtin and Brendan Burke, who will also be promoted to assistant coach, will head the team's youth programs.

Hackworth was not the only major member of the Union who was pondering major changes in the team's make up. A source also informed the Brotherly Game that Union CEO and Managing Partner Nick Sakiewicz was looking to turn a new leaf.

"The whole Nowak saga has really woken him up," the source said. "It's a positive clean up team wide. Everyone in the club, from the locker room through the ticket office is energized. It's like a storm cloud has been lifted from PPL Park."

Despite what seemed to be a close relationship with Nowak, Sakiewicz and the Union moved on from the former MLS Cup winning player and coach.

Sakiewicz had come under fire during the latter parts of Nowak's reign as coach for enabling the former Polish international in his controversial decisions. Fans also perceived that Sakiewicz and the front office were taking advantage of their faith and good will.

Now Sakiewicz has begun to search around for ways to continue to pull the Union out of their early season troubles and may soon put together "major moves" according to the source.

"Signings are coming soon," the source said, but with some caution as to the validity of signings versus other types of transfer moves. "There is something in the works. It's kinda tight lipped right now. Philadelphia definitely won't move up the allocation order list again.

"But Nick is working some serious, heading spinning wheeling-and-deaing moves," the source said.

Those moves would be in addition to the acquisition of former Chicago Fire center back Bakary Soumare, who was a finalist for Major League Soccer Defender of the Year in 2008, before the Fire sold him to a French club in 2009.