Author: Jonathan Tannenwald

It turned out that Matt Freese didn’t need to be the hero to oust his old team from the playoffs. Far more often Sunday night, the Union did it to themselves.

That was the feeling at the final whistle of the season as the Supporters’ Shield winners dropped a 1-0 decision to rival New York City FC in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday night at Subaru Park.

Of all the game’s narratives — and there were almost as many as the fouls the teams bashed each other with — the Union looking so powerless was among the least expected. But far too often in the game, it felt like this team wasn’t going to score.

In the first half, the Union had four scoring chances, and at least two of them were only half-chances. The biggest what-if came in the 42^nd minute, when Tai Baribo flicked a first-time shot from close range wide of the far post instead of trying to slam it nearer.

In the second half, the Union didn’t have a quality chance until the 73rd, when Danley Jean Jacques botched heading a cross from substitute Frankie Westfield, then Bruno Damiani whiffed on an acrobatic attempt at the loose ball.

For almost all the time until then, a New York squad, whose leading striker Alonso Martínez and key midfielder Andrés Perea were out injured, sat back and defended. That also wasn’t surprising, but the Union kept falling into the Pigeons’ traps. Play up the middle repeatedly fizzled out, and New York repelled almost all of the Union’s repeated crosses. When the Union tried shooting from range to try to break things up, all but one of the attempts were off-target.

“They had a team out there that was hungry, and for the first couple of moments of the game, we didn’t really match that,” Union manager Bradley Carnell said. “That’s on me. … Something just didn’t feel right, and we were a little bit slow to get into the game. Once we did, I thought we were very good.”

Freese had his moments, starting in the 75th when he stoned Westfield’s first-time volley on the doorstep.

By the time Cavan Sullivan entered in the 83rd minute, it almost felt too late already. But even in the 15 total minutes he spent on the field — seven of regular time and eight of stoppage time — he was more creative than some of his teammates were all night.

But the end felt inevitable well before the final whistle. Westfield blazed over the bar from close (but offside) range in the 87th, and Freese went full-stretch to deny Milan Iloski in the 92nd. The Wayne native let out a big shout and a fist pump with that, finally releasing some of the emotions he’d kept pent-up with the U.S. national team.

Big offseason questions loom

The Union now turn to their offseason roster decisions, which are due to the league by Wednesday. Four players are out of contract, and eight have options on the table.

Any team expecting to make a deep run usually knows by this point what its decisions will be. The Union are no exception, even though sporting director Ernst Tanner has been on administrative leave since Wednesday. Most of the big calls were likely made before then.

But that doesn’t mean there will be smooth sailing. While the season’s end opens the door for a quick decision on Tanner, the odds of that happening feel slim. MLS has to finish its investigation, and there have been no hints about how long that will take.

If the league proves enough of the allegations of insensitive comments on many levels to move for Tanner’s dismissal, MLS and the Union will have to contend with however Tanner and his lawyers respond.

In the meantime, it looks as if the key decision-makers will be the trio of assistant sporting director Matt Ratajczak, scouting director Chris Zitterbart, and academy director Jon Scheer. All three know the way things work at the club plenty well, even if they don’t have Tanner’s name recognition or final-say power.

The biggest decision that has already been made is releasing Mikael Uhre. He’s out of contract, and it’s been an open secret in Chester for weeks that he’s on his way out. Nor is it a secret in his native Denmark that Uhre has feelers out to clubs there including his previous home, Brøndby.

Uhre stood for a long spell on the field after the final whistle, at times with colleagues and at times alone. As he headed to the locker room, the fans left in the River End gave him a nice ovation.

“Let’s just say I’m keeping my options open,” he said. “I’m not saying I would never come back. I love it here — I love the people here, I love my teammates — so I would definitely not say no. But yeah, that’s not only up to me.”

The other players out of contract are Alejandro Bedoya, who will presumably first decide whether he wants to play another year; and two players deep on the bench, midfielder Ben Bender and third-string goalkeeper George Marks.

Eight players have options on the table: goalkeeper Oliver Semmle; defenders Nathan Harriel, Isaiah LeFlore, and Olwethu Makhanya; midfielders Nick Pariano and Indiana Vassilev; and forwards Tai Baribo and Chris Donovan.

Mikael Uhre stands on the field alone, knowing he has played his last game for the club.

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— Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald.bsky.social) November 23, 2025 at 10:00 PM

Most of those decisions should be easy. Semmle, LeFlore, Pariano, and Donovan will almost certainly go, and the other four should get picked up. The quartet deserve new contracts, and who negotiates them will be a big question. At least taking the options allows for time to have those talks down the road.

Baribo will likely be the biggest challenge. He has earned a big raise and would love to stay in town for on-the-field and off-the-field reasons. But the Union might be wary of breaking the bank for him, and they’d be right. His skill set has limits.

Earlier this month, Israel’s Ynet news website reported that the Union offered Baribo a $2 million contract. That has yet to be confirmed anywhere else, but if it’s true, the view here is that Baribo (and his agent) would be wise to take it.

The biggest question hasn’t changed

Sunday’s loss was not a failure of the Union’s system. They should have won the game since New York was shorthanded, and if they’d had the injured Quinn Sullivan, their odds would have gone way up. But the Supporters’ Shield trophy can’t be taken away from them, nor does losing at this point in the playoffs devalue it.

“On another night maybe it goes our way,” Carnell said. “But it just wasn’t meant to be. It gives us something to be hungry for down the line here starting in the new year, and that gives me motivation to come back and think we can do this thing one step further.”

As the Union, the crowd, and the season headed off into the Sunday night darkness, some words from a few weeks ago came to mind.

They came from principal owner Jay Sugarman when he met with the national media in New York, just before the playoffs started. He wanted to drum up some positive attention for his team, and he succeeded.

But at one point, he said something that he knew might come back around on him: “We don’t rely so much on guys creating their own shot.”

It was once again the missing piece Sunday. The only players who have that skill are Cavan Sullivan and Iloski, and that’s not enough — even though Sullivan will be ready for a lot more playing time next year.

It’s especially missing at striker. Ezekiel Alladoh could be a big-time addition, but the evidence from his time in Denmark shows him to be stylistically similar to what this team already has in Baribo and Damiani.

Then again, who will sign Alladoh if Tanner goes? That will put an even bigger question on the table for Sugarman and the rest of the Union’s ownership.

It will sit alongside the biggest question of all, one Carnell brought back into focus when he said that “the fairy tale came to an end tonight.”

A big-city team that has made the playoffs in seven of the last eight years and made deep runs in four of the last five — plus two deep Concacaf Champions Cup runs — shouldn’t have to frame a Shield-winning season as a fairy tale. The Union are legitimately one of the best teams in MLS. They should be again next year and should be treated as such.

But how to get over the biggest hump of all, to win an MLS Cup, is a question that can only be answered at the top of the organization.

That has been true since the beginning, and now it’s on to the 17th attempt.

In one kind of ideal world, Cavan Sullivan wouldn’t be with the Union right now.

He’d be with the U.S. under-17 national team, which took one of its strongest squads in program history to this month’s World Cup in Qatar.

The Americans won their group with a perfect record for the first time since 1991, with Sullivan in a starring role. He had two goals, both game- winners, and an assist in those three games.

However, their luck ran out after that. Morocco edged them in the round of 32 last Friday, scoring a late equalizer for a 1-1 draw and then winning a penalty kick shootout. Sullivan assisted on the U.S. goal and scored his penalty attempt, but he could do no more.

Just like that, hopes of a run were gone.

When Sullivan got home, he turned his focus back to the Union and Sunday’s playoff game against New York City FC (7:55 p.m., FS1, Fox Deportes, Apple TV). It would have been in a big spotlight even without the investigation of Ernst Tanner, thanks to the history of big games between the teams.

“It’s going to be an electric night,” Sullivan told The Inquirer. “It’s probably going to be a little chilly, but our fans don’t care and us players don’t care. We’re ready to battle, show up for the city, and on a personal level, I just want to be ready to come into the game and make a difference. Yeah, I’m excited.”

Union manager Bradley Carnell said it was “a real shame” that the U.S. went out of the tournament early, but that Sullivan “has incorporated well into the group again.”

The lessons that Sullivan learned at the World Cup were the kind that should pay off as the 16-year-old develops, whether with the Union, his future club home at England’s Manchester City, or with future U.S. national teams.

“You learn what a World Cup’s all about,” Sullivan said. “Got to understand the experience, the atmospheres, what it’s like representing your country at the highest level.”

He also learned the hard way about the importance of those clutch moments where a team, and individuals, have to finish out a win.

“In that last game …,” Sullivan started to say, before Indiana Vassilev walked by pretending to not notice.

Sullivan turned to Vassilev and asked what the catchphrase was that they’d discussed.

“MVP,” Vassilev said, before offering the real answer: “Don’t play with your food, just finish it up.”

That indeed was the lesson from a game that the U.S. was on the cusp of winning. Had the Americans held on, they’d have advanced in an under-17 World Cup knockout round for just the third time in program history.

“ … Don’t play with your food,” Sullivan continued. “I wish we just did things differently and closed out that game, but that’s reality. And I’m back here now, and my focus is on the game Sunday.”

Coincidentally, the U.S. under-17s, last month’s under-20s (including Frankie Westfield), and last year’s under-23s at the Olympics (with many Union ties) all got knocked out of their championships by Morocco. That created some chatter back home, and Sullivan said his team talked about it too.

“Yeah, people were definitely talking about it, but [it was] not in my mind,” he said.

What was in his mind was getting to play with three close friends who are currently in the Union’s academy: forwards Kellan LeBlanc, Jamir Johnson, and defender Jordan Griffin.

“I’ve played with those guys for over five years now apiece — Jordan since I was, like, 7; Kellan since I was, like, 9; and Jamir since I was, like, 10,” Sullivan said. “So we know each other really well, and we definitely stick together. And I’m really proud of those guys.”

The Union’s total of four players on the 23-man squad was the most of any club, another endorsement of its strength at developing American prospects.

Sullivan also knew well that while he was away, four more Union products were with the senior U.S. team at Subaru Park. And earlier this year, his oldest brother Quinn made his senior-squad debut.

“It’s definitely pretty special to have the Union produce players that are now abroad and getting called into the national team regularly,” he said. “For my own brother to make a few caps as well was pretty special for my family.”

For all that went into the tournament buildup, does the sting of an early departure now motivate Sullivan to push harder with the Union?

“I wouldn’t say it’s anything to really dwell on too long or use it as — like, it’s not going to fuel me Sunday night,” he said. “But I definitely want to build off the performances I had, and continue to finish out this year on a good note. And what are we two games ‘til a final?”

Yes, that’s the number.

“Big games,” Sullivan said. “But no matter what it’s at home, so that’s a benefit.”

Union manager Bradley Carnell said at his weekly news conference Friday that he has “never personally experienced” the discriminatory behavior alleged against sporting director Ernst Tanner.

“I’d be remiss to not briefly to address the reports that surfaced earlier this week and the subsequent announcements from the club,” Carnell said of the allegations published by the Guardian. “First of all, on a professional level, I want to say that I’ve never personally experienced anything like what’s been reported in my time with Ernst. But as an organization, we fully recognize the seriousness of the situation, and that’s as far as I’ll go to discuss the topic that’s ongoing during this investigation.”

Asked if the investigation has been a distraction to the team this week as it prepares for Sunday’s Eastern Conference playoff semifinal against New York City FC (7:55 p.m., FS1, Fox Deportes, Apple TV), Carnell said it has not been.

“The players have been amazing,” he said. “Over the last three weeks, 20 days [since the Union’s last game], whatever it’s been, [they] have been incredible. And then, obviously, we were informed about the situation, but for the players on the ground and the day-to-day organizational operations, we haven’t skipped a beat. The train is moving, and the players are engaged and excited about the prospect of playing on Sunday.”

Longtime captain Alejandro Bedoya said the same.

“Yeah, of course everybody knows what’s happening on the outside, but the team is focused on this weekend’s game,” he said. “And we control what we can control as players, and we’re focused on that.”

Sunday’s game will be Danley Jean Jacques’ first action at Subaru Park since his Haiti team qualified for next year’s World Cup for the first time since 1974.

Jean Jacques missed Tuesday’s clinching game because of yellow card accumulation, which unintentionally gave him a bit more rest before Sunday. Carnell said the midfielder is “fit, he’s healthy, he’s strong, he’s happy with the emotions of qualifying for a World Cup.”

It also will be goalkeeper Andre Blake’s first game since Jamaica’s heartbreaking failure to finish the job on home turf. Friday was Blake’s 35th birthday, and Carnell said the Union held a celebration to lift his spirits.

“I think ’Dre carried Jamaica on his back — he made some crucial saves, he kept them in the game, he made big, big plays,” Carnell said. “We’re celebrating his birthday and making sure he has all the mojo around him, and the good feeling of being back around our group. I think he’s excited to hopefully have a good experience on Sunday and lead his team to a winning game.”

Bedoya praises the USMNT, and former teammate Mark McKenzie

The mood was much happier around the Union’s facilities when the U.S. men’s soccer team was in town last week.

It was an especially proud moment for Bedoya, who played 66 times for his country including at the 2014 World Cup. And the Americans’ results this month added to the good feelings, a 2-1 win over Paraguay at Subaru Park last Saturday and a stunning 5-1 rout of Uruguay on Tuesday in Tampa, Fla.

“I think you’re slowly seeing, and based on all the quotes and what the guys on the team have been saying, it’s Poch’s team now, and he’s definitely put a stamp on it,” Bedoya said, referring to U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino. “I think it took a little bit — and it takes time, right? To change a little bit of the culture inside and out — but you have to be pleased with the effort and the intensity and the way the guys played. Especially with kind of new faces back in the team, and different guys being put in different positions.”

Bedoya noticed, as many people did, how Pochettino took exception to being asked Tuesday night about winning that game without many “regulars” — not just absent stars like Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams, but a lineup with nine changes from the starters vs. Paraguay.

Pochettino was adamant that he doesn’t believe in such a hierarchy, even if the valid part of asking about winning with so much rotation got lost in the moment.

“When you instill a certain culture, and you talk about putting your stamp on a team with your principles [and] the philosophy, whichever player comes in and takes a certain role, they already have a good understanding of what it takes and what’s expected out of them,” Bedoya said. “So it was great to see some of these other guys come in and perform very well. And you have to say, I mean, whenever you beat a national team like Uruguay, 5-1, there’s a lot to get excited about and a lot of optimism.”

Bedoya also praised former Union teammate Mark McKenzie, who wore the captain’s armband for the first time against Uruguay.

“That was awesome — I texted him on the side after the game, being happy for him,” he said. “Knowing him from his early years here in Philly, I mean, the guy was always mature beyond his years … It just shows the trust and the faith that Pochettino has in him, which is amazing, and he’s been playing well in Europe since he left, especially now at Toulouse [in France], getting a good run of games.”

After Tuesday’s game, McKenzie called being captain “a huge honor, a real blessing, [and] also a great moment because it shows the level of trust that the group has in me, but also Mauricio and the staff.”

MLS usually makes its schedule announcement with lots of fanfare, but this time, it jumped straight in out of almost nowhere.

The league announced its 2026 calendar on Thursday, confirming news everyone had been waiting for: a World Cup break from May 25-July 16.

With five MLS stadiums hosting tournament games and many more serving as practice sites, the notion that there would be a lengthy stoppage felt ever-present.

Now we know the details. May 25 is FIFA’s mandatory reporting date for players in the tournament, and the last league games before then will be on Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24. The Union will play on the latter, and it will be a big one: at Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the Herons’ new stadium, currently under construction next to Miami’s airport.

That will also be one of three Union regular-season games on network television, with a prime-time kickoff on Fox. The others are March 14 at Atlanta United (also on Fox) and Sept. 9 vs. FC Cincinnati on FS1.

The Union open the season on the road against D.C. United on Feb. 21, and will play their home opener on March 1 against New York City FC. The latter is one of four home games with afternoon kickoffs, two in March and two in October.

The MLS season will resume on the weekend of the World Cup final, with six games across Thursday and Friday between the semifinals and final. The Union won’t be in those games, though, as their campaign won’t resume until July 22 — the Wednesday after the tournament ends — against Red Bull New York (the slightly-rebranded New York Red Bulls) at Subaru Park.

The Seattle Sounders will visit three days later on July 25, followed by another marquee home game against Atlanta United on Aug. 1.

Messi’s visit here, at least in theory, is set for Aug. 19, a Wednesday. The Argentine superstar might also play close to town on March 7 when D.C. United hosts Miami at M&T Bank Stadium, the home of the Baltimore Ravens. That game is a 4:30 p.m. kickoff, and enterprising fans could catch it before the Union host the San Jose Earthquakes at 7:30 p.m. that night in Chester.

The Union’s marquee road trip of the season is the team’s first matchup with San Diego FC, out west on Sept. 13. Though it will take place after the school year resumes, many fans will likely circle it.

They might also circle Aug. 16, when the Union visit New York City FC. Along with being a rivalry clash, it will be the last time the Union play at Yankee Stadium before the Pigeons open their own home in Queens (next door to the Mets’ Citi Field) in 2027.

The worst game of the year weather-wise is likely the Aug. 22 visit to Austin FC, a scorching time of year in Texas. Toward the opposite end of the weather spectrum, the Union visit CF Montréal for the Canadian club’s home opener on April 11, when it will still be fairly chilly up north.

The regular season concludes with the usual Decision Day of simultaneous kickoffs on Nov. 7, with the Union hosting Toronto. MLS will then pause for a week for November’s FIFA window (Nov. 9-17), then at long last get an uninterrupted run for its playoffs.

Though the league said its postseason schedule will be announced later, it seems the final will be later in December than its recent home on the first weekend of the month.

The Leagues Cup will also be played at some point next year, and the Union are expected to be in it. That schedule will be set later.

Also, 2026 will be the last year when MLS runs a summer-centric calendar. The league will flip to a winter-centric one in 2027, running a short season in the first half of that year before starting the new full calendar in July.

2026 Union schedule

All games will be broadcast on Apple TV. MLS Season Pass is no longer, with the league’s games now included in the same package with baseball, Formula 1, and scripted shows like Ted Lasso and Severance.

Union season ticket holders, and season ticket holders of all MLS teams, will be able to get Apple TV free of charge as part of their 2026 packages.

Saturday, Feb. 21: at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 1: vs. New York City FC, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 7: vs. San Jose Earthquakes , 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 14: at Atlanta United, 3 p.m. (also on Fox29 and Fox Deportes)

Saturday, March 21: vs. Chicago Fire, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 4: at Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 11: at CF Montréal, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 18: vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 22: at Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 25: at Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m

Saturday, May 2: vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 9: at New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday May 13: at Orlando City, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 16: vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 24: at Inter Miami, 7 p.m. (also on Fox29 and Fox Deportes; last game before the World Cup break)

Wednesday, July 22: vs. Red Bull New York, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 25: vs. Seattle Sounders, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 1: vs. Atlanta United, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 16: at New York City FC, 6:30 p.m. (at Yankee Stadium)

Wednesday, Aug. 19: vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 22: at Austin FC, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 29: at Red Bull New York, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 5: vs. CF Montréal, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 9: vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. (also on FS1 and Fox Deportes)

Sunday, Sept. 13: at San Diego FC, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 19: at Sporting Kansas City

Saturday, Sept. 26: vs. Orlando City SC

Saturday, Oct. 10: vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 14: at Chicago Fire, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 17: vs. Charlotte FC, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24: vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 28: at Nashville SC, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 31: at FC Cincinnati, time TBD

Saturday, Nov. 7: vs. Toronto FC, 4 p.m.

A report published Tuesday by the Guardian, an English news outlet with a large U.S.-based sports staff, accused Union sporting director Ernst Tanner of a series of incidents involving racism, sexism, and homophobia directed toward people around American soccer.

The report centers on a “wide-ranging” complaint filed by the MLS Players Association with the league in January containing eight allegations. Since then, the Guardian said it has heard from “17 sources” who “have alleged numerous misbehaviors spanning nearly the entirety of Tanner’s seven-year tenure with the Union,” including those mentioned in the MLSPA’s report and other alleged incidents.

Figures allegedly targeted by Tanner include several referees, including Tori Penso.

Although Penso has officiated top-level games for many years, including the 2023 women’s World Cup final, Tanner is accused of repeatedly criticizing her since 2020, including multiple claims that women should not be involved in men’s soccer.

A native of Germany, the 59-year-old Tanner has been the Union’s sporting director since 2018. His lawyer gave a statement to the Guardian saying that Tanner “denies ever intentionally making insensitive gender-based comments.”

The article said another veteran referee, Nima Saghafi, was the target of an allegedly homophobic slur by Tanner in a game in 2023. The MLSPA accused Tanner of racist remarks toward an assistant referee at a game in the same season.

In a statement to the Guardian later shared to The Inquirer, Professional Referee Organization general manager Mark Geiger said: “If these remarks are proven to be true, we are appalled. Such comments — and any form of discriminatory language — are deeply irresponsible, wholly inappropriate, and have no place in our game or in society. We take great pride in our diverse roster of officials who serve the professional game across North America, demonstrating leadership, integrity, and respect. Every PRO official has earned their place through hard work and dedication, progressing along the pathway solely on merit.”

According to one source who spoke with the Guardian, Tanner “consistently would speak about African players like they were subhuman.”

He is also accused of enabling allegedly discriminatory behavior, including racism, by former Union II coach Sven Gartung. Tanner hired Gartung in early 2020, and he lasted only 5½ months in the job.

Beyond games, the Guardian reported that in 2019, the Union’s human relations department was notified about allegations that Tanner had “engaged in inappropriate physical contact” with a female employee by touching her buttocks “numerous times.”

The Guardian’s reporter, Pablo Maurer, said the outlet saw emails regarding the notice and heard from “nine sources familiar with the incidents.” Those sources said they had not received any response from the team, and the Guardian’s report said the sources claimed “the club’s handling of that complaint is par for the course.”

The report further claimed that “over a dozen current and former Philadelphia Union employees say that complaints concerning Tanner’s behavior have been submitted to the club’s HR department but that they have seen no evidence of a response.”

Tanner’s lawyer told the Guardian that Tanner “firmly denies these accusations, some of which are six or seven years old. Throughout his career spanning over three decades in professional soccer around the globe, Mr. Tanner has worked fairly and effectively in a diverse, multicultural world upholding high standards of professionalism.”

The Union told the Guardian that Tanner “was found to have made potentially insensitive gender-based comments early in his tenure, for which he underwent training and had discussions with club leadership.” The team also said it was “not previously aware of the allegations in the MLSPA complaint.”

“The Philadelphia Union takes all allegations of misconduct extremely seriously and is unwavering in our commitment to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all players, staff, and members of our community,” the statement said.

When reached Tuesday by The Inquirer, the team declined to comment beyond that statement.

MLS said it launched an investigation immediately after receiving the MLSPA complaint.

The Guardian reported that “Tanner was never placed on leave after the investigation began in January because MLS couldn’t corroborate the claims against him,” and that the investigation was closed within the last few weeks. But the outlet also said the league “found the alleged behavior, if true, to be unacceptable” and “a ‘clear violation’ of league policy.”

The league told the Guardian that Tanner had been required to follow a “structured remedial program focused on professional workplace conduct.” The report noted that Tanner has had to go through that training twice, along with the team’s “annual sensitivity training,” which is required of all staff.

MLS and the Union told the Guardian that if new information comes forward, both may investigate Tanner further. The league has an anonymous reporting hotline, and the team said that “should any new information emerge, the Philadelphia Union will act quickly and appropriately, in accordance with our policies, and will continue to cooperate fully with the league.”