Faryd Mondragon

PORTLAND, Ore. - It's been hard for almost any visiting team to get a good result at the Portland Timbers' cozy Jeld-Wen Field in this Major League Soccer season. Friday night, the Union were tasked with taking points from the match without two of their most important players. Danny Califf sat out because of a cold and Jordan Harvey was suspended. For most of the game, the Union's makeshift backline held firm. But it finally was beaten in the 72d minute on a set-piece goal by Mamadou Danso, and eventually succumbed to a 1-0 loss in front of 18,627 raucous fans.

The Union are eager to get the MLS season started after a lengthy preseason that included five weeks away from home with trips to Florida and Greece. All the practice will be put to a test when the Union begin their second Major League Soccer season with Saturday's 8:30 p.m. game in Houston (6ABC) against the Dynamo. "It was good to get them out of their comfort zone and spend a long time together," team manager Peter Nowak said of his team on Wednesday. "There was no rush to come back home, they could interact and talk, and it was a lot of fun. " Still, it was a long time away from home, and the players have enjoyed returning to the area to prepare for this week's match.

BRIDGEVILLE, Ill. - The Union played the Chicago Fire to a 1-1 tie in a Major League Soccer game at Toyota Park last night. Midfielder Veljko Paunovic scored for the Union on a 30-yard shot in the 34th minute. The leftfooted shot went low past goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who was screened by Chicago defender Josip Mikulic. Midfielder Pavel Pardo, making his debut with the Fire, tied the game about 9 minutes into the second half. Pardo took a feed from forward Dominic Oduro on the goal line, and beat goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon with a 17-yard kick.

The Union and Faryd Mondragon said Monday that they have mutually agreed to part ways so the goalkeeper can return to his native Colombia and play for Colombian First Division team Deportivo Cali. Mondragon, 40, made his professional debut with Cali in 1990 when he was 21. "For family reasons, I have requested the club to allow me the opportunity to finish my career where it started," Mondragon said in a statement. "I am extremely thankful with our fans, especially Sons of Ben, the best fans in MLS, our ownership, technical staff, my teammates, and everyone in the city of Philadelphia whom always made me feel at home and made the 2011 season one I will never forget.

PORTLAND, Ore. - It's been hard for almost any visiting team to get a good result at the Portland Timbers' cozy Jeld-Wen Field in this Major League Soccer season. Friday night, the Union were tasked with taking points from the match without two of their most important players. Danny Califf sat out because of a cold and Jordan Harvey was suspended. For most of the game, the Union's makeshift backline held firm. But it finally was beaten in the 72d minute on a set-piece goal by Mamadou Danso, and eventually succumbed to a 1-0 loss in front of 18,627 raucous fans.

To put in perspective how long this Major League Soccer season has been, the Union opened the regular season on March 19 while the Phillies were in Clearwater, Fla., for spring training. The Phillies' season has ended and the Union's postseason is just beginning. After earning a bye for the MLS Cup wild-card round, the Union will open the first of a two-game Eastern Conference semifinal aggregate-goal series with the Houston Dynamo on Sunday at PPL Park in Chester. Game time will either be 4 or 5 p.m., an MLS official said Monday.

Immediately after the Union earned a 1-0 MLS win in Houston on Saturday, goalkeeper Zac MacMath and midfielder Amobi Okugo left the team to train for the U-20 championships in Guatemala, March 28 to April 10. Both players will miss three MLS matches, plus a U.S. Open Cup match against D.C. United. Though Okugo appeared in the 85th minute against Houston and could work his way into the midfield rotation, MacMath isn't expected to see much time in goal behind Faryd Mondragon. That said, MacMath still was conflicted in leaving the team.

Danny Califf scored in the fifth minute and the Union opened its second season with a 1-0 win over the Dynamo on Saturday night in Houston. Califf converted a rebound off a shot by Sebastien Le Toux, which had bounced off the crossbar. Le Toux' shot came off a long throw-in hit from Sheanon Williams. Veteran Colombian goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon stopped three shots on the Union goal in his debut with the team. He was also wearing the armband as the team's captain. Last season, the Union did not have a shutout until Sept.

Last year, the Union didn't record their first shutout until their 23d game, and finished their inaugural Major League Soccer season with just two. In a 2-0 start to 2011, the Union already have matched last year's shutout total, winning at Houston, 1-0, and then defeating Vancouver, 1-0, in Saturday's home opener at PPL Park. Those who were there last year look at this season's shutouts at a different angle from first-year Union goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, who no doubt has given the team more confidence after last season's inconsistent work by the keepers.

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER New England Revolution (4-11-11) at Union (8-6-10) Wednesday, 8 p.m., PPL Park. TV: CSN   Last MLS game: The Revolution played the visiting New York Red Bulls to a 2-2 draw on Aug. 20. The Union gave up two early goals and lost, 2-1, at Real Salt Lake on Saturday. Outlook: This is a makeup game that was postponed from its original date of Aug. 28 due to Hurricane Irene. . .Union rookie Zac MacMath is expected to get his first start in goal due to the broken right index finger of Faryd Mondragon.

FRESH OFF scoring his first goal of the season, Union captain Carlos Valdes was rewarded with his first MLS All-Star appearance. Valdes, 27, will be the lone representative for the Union when MLS' best challenge Chelsea on July 25 at PPL Park (8:30 p.m., ESPN2). Selected as one of two picks by MLS commissioner Don Garber, Valdes joins Sebastien Le Toux (2010) and goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon (2011) as all-time Union all-stars. Le Toux and Mondragon are no longer members of the team.

AT THE end of the Union's Sunday matinee with Red Bull New York, Danny Califf was still a member of the franchise. That might not be the case by the time you read this. The Union has entertained a pair of offers from Chivas USA for its captain, according to Union manager Peter Nowak. The Union rejected an initial offer and Chivas then made a counteroffer that the Union is currently weighing. Rumors of a potential move hit the blogosphere Saturday, and following Sunday's match, much of it was brought to light.

OK, Union soccer fans, here is a quick quiz as the team prepares for its 4 p.m. Major League Soccer home opener on Sunday against the Colorado Rapids at PPL Park in Chester. What do Toni Stahl, David Myrie, Andrew Jacobson and Jordan Harvey have in common? The diehard fans will know that those four were in original starting lineup when the Union played their first MLS game, a 2-0 loss in Seattle on March 25, 2010. All four, along with many others from that inaugural season, are gone.

IT APPEARS the honeymoon is over. Union manager Peter Nowak took to Twitter yesterday urging anguished supporters to cease the barrage of insults and obscenities over what looks like a fire sale over the past 72 hours. Nowak posted on his Twitter account: "I understand why everyone is upset, but please have faith we're doing what's best for the club. Sometimes tough decisions need to be made. "I do ask that you please stop sending curses to my Twitter account. My daughters and family read them and it is crossing a line.

While the Union are still sorting out who will be their key offensive threat after the acrimonious parting with Sebastien Le Toux, the other big team move over the last few days was the change in goal. Zac MacMath is now the goalie after the Union agreed to release Faryd Mondragon, agreeing to the veteran's request to compete in his native Colombia. The scoring situation must still be sorted out, but as far as preventing goals, the Union remain in good hands. Le Toux is a major player to have to replace, but more moves are coming.

The Union had their second bombshell announcement in two days by trading star forward Sebastien Le Toux to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Tuesday for an undisclosed amount of allocation money. Le Toux has been the face of the franchise, scoring 25 goals and adding 20 assists in the team's first two seasons. He was also the Union's first all-star selection, in 2010. "While this decision wasn't easy, we are confident that the allocation money we receive will provide the flexibility for us to compile the best possible roster for 2012 and beyond," Union manager Peter Nowak said.

WHEN the January transfer window closes today, it won't include an announcement that Union forward Sebastien Le Toux is leaving for Bolton - but it might end with Le Toux headed to Vancouver. The Daily News has learned that Le Toux is still being shopped, and he could be obtained by an MLS bidder. Although the window doesn't directly affect player movement within Major League Soccer, England-based London Daily Mirror writer Alan Nixon, who kept watch on Le Toux' trial with the Premier League's Bolton last week, posted on his Twitter feed that Vancouver has showed interest in the 28-year-old Frenchman.

The Union and Faryd Mondragon said Monday that they have mutually agreed to part ways so the goalkeeper can return to his native Colombia and play for Colombian First Division team Deportivo Cali. Mondragon, 40, made his professional debut with Cali in 1990 when he was 21. "For family reasons, I have requested the club to allow me the opportunity to finish my career where it started," Mondragon said in a statement. "I am extremely thankful with our fans, especially Sons of Ben, the best fans in MLS, our ownership, technical staff, my teammates, and everyone in the city of Philadelphia whom always made me feel at home and made the 2011 season one I will never forget.

'IT'S ONLY the beginning. " Peter Nowak told that to reporters via conference call yesterday when asked about the Union and its signing of 21-year-old Costa Rican forward Josue Martinez. But he also said that the club is "exploring every possible option to make the team better" and is in the process of signing three to four additional players this offseason. Martinez, acquired from Costa Rican club CD Saprissa, has been a goal-scoring menace. However, Nowak said Martinez still has "a couple of holes in his game" and will need to "develop.

PERHAPS A BIT harsh for those involved to admit, but see Major League Soccer's upcoming re-entry draft as fall cleaning for the seller - and a garage sale for the buyer. Sometimes you find a gem in the process, but mostly you're just buying someone else's unwanted clutter. Yesterday, MLS released its master list ahead of Monday's first stage of the two-tiered draft that happens via teleconference with collective technical staff members among the league's 19 franchises. The second and final stage is set for Dec. 12. How the draft works, essentially, is that clubs can draft players off the list but must exercise the option or extend what's called a "bona fide offer" to the selected player.