Brotherly Game Daily Links: Weekend Preview

Philadelphia Union News

Know Your Enemy: Counterattacking with a shiny new attacker
Gio Savarese’s men are stocked to the gills with guys that can do it all on the offensive end, and the coach has proved masterful at getting his team to recover responsibly to defend.

Philadelphia loves its Eagles, Sixers and Phillies. It’s time the city embraces the underdog Union, too
To say that this has been a resurgent year for the Union is to ignore the fact that this franchise, which joined MLS in 2010, has made the postseason just three times and has yet to win a playoff game. The fact that this team has just two winning seasons as a franchise wasn’t a talking point during a reshaping of their roster this offseason.

MLS News

MLS Preview: Red-hot Vela has LAFC firing
Goal-scoring machine Carlos Vela will be back at it on Friday at home against Montreal, while Eastern Conference leader Philadelphia welcomes in surging Portland on Saturday and a Alejandro Pozuelo-less Toronto FC hosts MLS goal king Chris Wondolowski and San Jose on Sunday.

The best move each team made in the 2019 MLS Primary Transfer Window
Start your countdown clock now. Less than 50 days until the secondary transfer window opens on July 9th.

U.S. Soccer News

Everything you need to know about the FIFA U-20 World Cup
Some of the best young talent in the world will be on display during the next month at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Rest of the World News

Copa del Rey final: What’s at stake for Barcelona, Messi, Valverde and Valencia?
Spanish champions Barcelona clash with Valencia in the Copa del Rey final in Seville on Saturday.

Championship playoff final: Aston Villa and Derby County play for keeps in sport’s richest game
It is the most lucrative one-off fixture in the sporting world, with the financial windfall for the winning team a staggering £170 million -- three times more than the combined value of winning the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.