Guest Post By Matt - US Soccer Daily
It’s a typical December afternoon in West Philadelphia. The sky is covered by several hues of gray, and a cold drizzle is gently falling. The crisp, wet conditions, however, cannot dampen the spirits of the roughly 400 hopefuls looking to catch the attention of Piotr Nowak and his staff. Throughout the morning, different groups of players representing nearly every age and ethnicity have taken to Rhodes Field at the University of Pennsylvania, all with one goal in mind: to wear the blue and gold of the Philadelphia Union. It’s the second set of open tryouts (the first having taken place in Trenton in mid-November), but it’s likely the last chance for many to make their professional sports fantasy become a reality.
Though the odds of getting called back to the preseason camp in January are very slim for all the participants, they can find inspiration in the form of another Philadelphian who rose from obscurity to make his professional sports dream come true. Vince Papale was just your typical high school teacher before he earned a spot on a minor league football team after a successful tryout. His solid season earned him a look from the Philadelphia Eagles, and their new head coach Dick Vermeil. Vermeil eventually gave the 30 year old a spot on the roster after he surprised more than a few people with his ability. After three seasons with the Eagles, Papale was eventually cut due to a serious shoulder injury, but he remains both a legend and inspiration to many Philadelphians.
So, while Nowak has already assembled a sizable chunk of his roster through the expansion draft and two key acquisitions, he is leaving no stone unturned, holding open tryouts on the off chance that a soccer version of Vince Papale has been roaming the fields in and around Philadelphia. No matter the outcome, it is a great P.R. move by the Union, interacting with the local community and showing fans that they too have a chance to make the squad. With just four months until their inaugural MLS season kicks off, the Union front office is continuously looking for new ways to raise their profile in the community and garner additional support, and these tryouts do nothing but help those efforts.
As the tryouts progress, Nowak and his staff see what any outside observer would expect. Several players show good technical ability, plenty show a great deal of effort and enthusiasm, and many show that they don’t exactly have the highest fitness level. In between some poor touches and clumsy challenges, a few bright moments make Nowak’s staff exchange a few comments. Will it be enough to make an MLS team? Probably not. But this realistic outlook, the gloomy weather, and the tension of a tryout cannot break the optimism of those auditioning on Penn’s worn field, as hundreds of muddy, rain-soaked faces crack into a smile. As I sit and watch from the bleachers, I can tell that most of these people are just happy that this opportunity exists in Philadelphia. They’re just happy that the Union has come to town, and this experience is only making the team even more near and dear to their hearts.
Because of that, and regardless of whether or not the Union find that hidden gem, these tryouts have already been a success.
