Nick Sakiewicz

The playoff talk has cooled down for the Union, but that doesn't mean the final 10 games of their inaugural Major League Soccer season aren't important. Many would agree that the Union have played better than their 4-11-5 mark indicates, but the fact remains that their 17 points is the second-fewest in MLS. Maybe the best testament to the Union is the fact that, despite their being an expansion team, the record is disappointing because they have been competitive in nearly every game this season.

The new Philadelphia Major League Soccer team announced the hiring of its first two front-office executives yesterday, naming a veteran local coach and a finance authority to help run the club. Rob Smith, president of the elite youth soccer club FC Delco and the varsity girls' coach at Downingtown West, becomes director of operations. Dave Debusschere, a former auditor and business adviser at PricewaterhouseCoopers, is the new chief financial officer. Both will start work June 2 and will report to team CEO and co-owner Nick Sakiewicz.

Cristiano Ronaldo will get a chance to taste a cheesesteak this summer. As will Jose "The Special One" Mourinho. Because an announcement scheduled for this morning will confirm that the Union will host Real Madrid. Mourinho, Real's coach, and his star-studded cast will play the Union at Lincoln Financial Field on July 23 as part of the World Football Challenge, a schedule of summer exhibition matches between South American, European and Major League Soccer clubs that will run from July 13 to Aug. 6. On Tuesday, a source close to negotiations told the Daily News that scheduling issues and the Union's desire to play the Spanish Cup champions' first team and not a group of reserves delayed an announcement.

The Union were about to play their first Major League Soccer game, at Seattle's Qwest Field on March 25, and team CEO and operating partner Nick Sakiewicz was soaking in the atmosphere. Even though the Union lost that first game, 2-0, Sakiewicz saw how overwhelming it was to have a longtime dream of an MLS franchise up and running. In this season of firsts, another will occur Sunday, when the Union host their first game at Chester's sparkling PPL Park. The opponent will be the Seattle Sounders FC, the team that the Union faced in their opener.

It is being billed as the Union's most significant match in their two-year Major League Soccer history. On Saturday, the team will visit the Columbus Crew, who lead the second-place Union by three points in the Eastern Conference title race. Columbus has 37 points and a record of 10-7-7. The Union have 34 points and are 8-5-10. The contest marks the first-ever meeting between the teams. "This is a very important game for all us," Union coach Peter Nowak said during a news conference Wednesday at PPL Park.

Michael Farfan won't soon forget his first score. The Union rookie midfielder/defender from the University of North Carolina tallied his first Major League Soccer goal in Saturday's 2-1 win over the visiting Chicago Fire and broke a scoreless tie with the strike in the 64th minute. "I was excited to get on the field and get a start at home in front of our great fans and the goal was awesome," said Farfan, who was making his second start and third appearance of the season. "It definitely was a confidence booster just to get out there and compete at this level and was definitely a good thing.

They all had a story - a reason why they were involved. When PPL Park hosts the inaugural Fall Brawl for a Cure college lacrosse tournament in October, it will be for more than just pride for the four teams involved. To them, it's another major step in efforts to eradicate cancer. Villanova, Stony Brook, Loyola (Md.) and Siena College will highlight an all-day tournament benefiting the American Cancer Society on Saturday, Oct. 22. Youth games will be played on adjacent fields set up around the stadium starting at 9 a.m., before the pairing of Stony Brook and Loyola at 3 p.m., followed by Siena and Villanova, currently ranked eighth in the nation.

In an announcement that offered little suspense but plenty of excitement, officials said Tuesday that the Union will host the 2012 Major League Soccer All-Star Game on July 25 at PPL Park in Chester. The official word came during a news conference at City Hall that included Mayor Nutter, MLS commissioner Don Garber, Union CEO and operating partner Nick Sakiewicz, Chester Mayor John Linder, and several members of the team's Sons of Ben fan club. The 8 p.m. game will feature the MLS all-stars and an international team to be determined.

SEATTLE - The Union made their Major League Soccer debut last night in Seattle, and MLS commissioner Don Garber is impressed with the impact the first-year franchise has made. More than 10,000 season tickets have been sold for the 18,500-seat PPL Park in Chester, and the Union are cutting off sales at 12,000. Garber said the team had made great gains not only with soccer fans but with the business community. "With a recession, who thought they would have a naming-rights deal and pull together some of their commercial partnerships?"

PPL Park in Chester, two weeks from hosting its first Major League Soccer game, drew rave reviews from players, management, and season-ticket holders in a dress rehearsal of sorts Saturday. The Union invited season-ticket holders to watch Saturday's World Cup game between the United States and England, a 1-1 tie, and to check out the sparkling new $122 million stadium that will seat 18,500 for soccer. This season, the Union played their first two MLS home games at Lincoln Financial Field while the stadium construction was completed.