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Off ic ia l Coaches Newslet ter of the Phi lade lph ia Union

Manager MinutesKERITH GABRIEL

In-depth with Team Manager John Hackworth

First let me say, welcome to the first edition of the Coaches’ Club newsletter.

For a coach, the end of a season means time off for players, but it’s the exact opposite for a manager. And since appointed first as interim and subsequent next manager of the Philadelphia Union, the work for Union boss John Hackworth hasn’t stopped.

Linking up with his technical staff and new director of player development Ricardo Ansaldi, Hackworth has been on his grind to bring top talent – both international and domestic to the Chester waterfront. In his recent letter to supporters, Hackworth provided insight into the teams’ philosophy and the reason behind the December signings of forward Sebastien Le Toux, Conor Casey and defender Jeff Parke.

Before I talk about Jeff individually, let me explain a couple key fundamental principles that we as a coaching staff have been working under this offseason (oh, and may I just say that the word offseason makes me laugh).First off, we truly believe that players who want to be here are vital to the future of our team. We feel that they will not only perform better on the field, but that it will raise the level of everyone in our locker room. Secondly, while we liked the fact that we were young and accepted that last season, we knew that we needed to add experienced players, both on the field and off. Again, we think that “experience” will improve both our team and the young players that are still so important to this club and its future.I feel strongly that we improved our team this week in many ways, but we still have work to do this offseason (again, ha)…

Work undoubtedly picks up in January with the upcoming MLS SuperDraft (Jan. 17), subsequent MLS Supplemental Draft (Jan. 22) and the open of the international transfer window.

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OFF THE CLIPBOARDDrills, Skills, & Techniques

Technical BoxJim Curtin

Philadelphia Union Assistant Coach A native of Oreland, Pa., Curtin was promoted to assistant coach of the senior squad on November 29, 2012, and joins team manager John Hackworth and assistant coaches Brendan Burke and Rob Vartughian. In June 2010, Curtin joined the staff at YSC Sports in Wayne as the director of curriculum development. Additionally, Curtin was the Union’s Under-18 Academy head coach and was

instrumental in the U-18s capturing the 2012 Generation Adidas Cup. He became the first player from Villanova to be drafted into the MLS when he was selected by the Chicago Fire. The 2004 MLS All-Star played over two hundred games for the Fire as was named Chicago’s defender of the year in 2004 before finishing his final two seasons in the league with Chivas USA. Curtin retired from the MLS in 2009.

Have a special Coach in your life? Nominate them to be featured in next month’s issue of Philadelphia Union’s Coaches’ Club Newsletter. Submit a photo and one paragraph describing why they deserve to be nominated to marketing@philadelphiaunion.com with the “Technical Box” in the subject line. Each candidate will be entered into a drawling to watch pregame warm-ups from the Union home team benches during the 2013 season!

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Inside the Lines

For most players, the chance to get elite coaching from an outside technical staff can be a refreshing break from the norm. For midfielder-turned defender Amobi Okugo, his second stint in Germany with Bundesliga side SC Freiburg was a chance to stay sharp – but focused entirely different. “It’s really different, the way they train compared to the way we train here in the States,” said Okugo. “The one big thing is they are going double sessions in the middle of their season. Also on gamedays, they have almost a full-on practice session even before the game. It’s crazy but it’s an interesting concept.”Okugo, who ventured to Freiburg for the second time in two years was accompanied this time by MLS All-Star midfielder Michael Farfan. It was Farfan’s first international training stint, but it was a plus to have a fellow teammate and friend alongside for the ride. “It was really good to have Michael there,” said Okugo. “I was already familiar with the team, but it was even better to be there with him. The trip really opens your eyes to see how differently guys train and stay sharp.”Perhaps the most intense drill during Okugo’s two-week trip was the emphasis put on finishing. Shooting from distance, finishing crosses, penalty shooting were all included in the daily repertoire – for hours at a time. By comparison, with the Union, much of manager John Hackworth’s training sessions are centered around possession drills and knowing how to

keep the ball. This was evident on the pitch this past season as the Union ranked among the league’s best in possession and time on the ball, but ranked at the bottom in both shots and shots on goal.Okugo hopes what both he and Farfan learned in their time in Germany is a little piece that will provide a leg up heading into this upcoming season. “The finishing drills they do [at SC Freiburg], you get tired,” said Okugo. “They spend a lot of time focusing on shooting, shooting with power and getting more of your shots on target. It’s important because you starting to realize spacing, how much you need depending on the distance of the shot, the angle, stuff like that. But it was a drill that was really helpful and that taught me a lot. Never thought you could get that tired from shooting.” After a short rest to enjoy a piece of the offseason, Okugo is taking much of what he learned and his applying it to his own personal practice sessions. As the Union’s fourth season steadfastly approaches, it’s the training with Freiburg along with the tutelage of Hackworth that has Okugo excited to get 2013 underway. “The best thing about Freiburg is that it’s a lot like the Union in the sense that is a family club,” Okugo said. “It’s a club known for developing players and the techniques they used there really helped me improve as a player. It really was just a great experience.”

Perspecitve from the PlayersBY KERITH GABRIEL

Our “Inside the Lines” feature will provide perspective from our players who hope to provide recommendations on what makes a player more rounded and what they look for in the ideal instructor. For this feature, we open with Union midfielder-defender Amobi Okugo, who along with being the most trusted utility man on the roster at just 21-years-old, is a highly touted Generation adidas player, a U.S. youth international and just returned from a second training stint with SC Freiburg of the German Bundesliga . Okugo talks different coaching styles and how incorporating both have continued to develop his skills – and his career.

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International Round UpWritten and compiled by Luke Fortier

The reason players want to play for the national team is easy – the greatest prize in all of soccer is the World Cup. Every player dreams of one day raising the FIFA World Cup trophy and the only chance to make that a reality is to play for your country’s national team. The other benefit of playing for the national team is exposure. While some players might play for smaller teams, playing for the national team gives them a chance to show their skills to fans, scouts and general managers worldwide. Countless players have become hot commodities in the transfer period due to their performance on the world stage. Additionally, due to the wide variety of games played by the national teams, players are brought into camps to train with the national team for various reasons. Some are selected to fill a specific need caused by an injury. Others are brought in to audition in front of the manager because of his recent performance at the club level. Some are called in because they have played for the national team manager at the club or youth level.

No matter how a player makes it to camp it is an honor.

Since its inception, the Union has had 22 players play for both the Union and their country.

Alejandro Moreno, Venezuela (41 caps, 3 goals) ·Called up to Venezuela’s National Team due to his performance in the MLS in 2008. ·Played in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. Bakary Soumare, Mali (13 caps – 0 goals) Brian Carroll, United States (8 caps – 0 goals) ·Named Man of the Match in his first cap with the USMNT in a World Cup Qualifier against Panama. Carlos Ruiz, Guatemala (104 caps – 55 goals) ·Ruiz is Guatemala’s all-time leading scorer and second in caps, he trails Guillermo Ramirez in caps by two games. Carlos Valdes, Colombia (6 caps, 1 goal) Chris Albright, United States (22 caps, 1 goal) ·Scored in his first ever appearance (1999). ·Was an alternate in the 2006 World Cup. Conor Casey, United States (20 caps, 2 goals) Cristian Arrieta, Puerto Rico (21 caps, 5 goals) ·Called up in 2010 due to his play with the Puerto Rico Islanders. ·Played in the 2010 Caribbean Championship qualification. Danny Califf, United States (23 caps, 1 goal) ·Served as captain of the USMNT on July 5, 2007 against Colombia in a 2007 Copa America match. ·Has played at each level of the national team. David Myrie, Costa Rica (10 caps, 0 goals) ·Played in the 2005 U-17 World Cup as well as the 2007 U-20 World Cup before being named to the senior men’s squad. Faryd Mondragon, Colombia (50 caps) ·Played in the 1992 Olympics. ·Was backup with 1994 FIFA World Cup squad and played in the 1998 World Cup.

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Freddy Adu, United States (17 caps, 2 goals) ·Played at all levels of the national team including the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Gabriel Gomez, Panama (80 caps, 9 goals) ·Represented Panama in 3 straight CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments. Jeff Parke, United States (1 cap, 0 goals) ·Brought into camp with the USMNT to prepare for two friendly matches. ·He entered a Jan. 5, 2012 match against Panama in the 55th minute to give the team more defense after a defender received a red card. Jorge Perlaza, Colombia (1 cap, 0 goals) ·Was called up in 2006 due to his strong play with Deportes Quindio Josue Martinez, Costa Rica (16 caps, 2 goals) ·Considered by many to be one of the most promising prospects for Costa Rica ·He was a member of the team that played in the 2011 Copa America. Justin Mapp, United States (8 caps, 0 goals) ·Supplied the game-winning assist against Denmark in 2007. Keon Daniel, Trinidad and Tobago (55 caps, 13 goals) ·Has been a staple of the T&T national team since 2008. ·Played in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Michael Orozco Fiscal, United States (5 caps – 1 goal) ·Called up with the U-23 team to prepare for the 2008 Olympics. ·Given Best XI listing in the 2008 CONCACAF men’s Olympic qualification All-Tournament Team. ·Scored his first national team goal in the United States first victory ever at Estadio Azteca in 2012. Porfirio Lopez, Costa Rica (5 caps – 0 goals) Shavar Thomas – Jamaica (49 caps, 0 goals) ·Was captain of Jamaica’s 2004 under-20 Olympic Team as well as the 2010 Jamaican Caribbean Championship team. Veljko Paunovic – Serbia and Montengro (2 caps, 1 goal) ·Scored in his second cap against Northern Ireland

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Tips from the ProsKevin Miller, Philadelphia Union Fitness/Strength and Conditioning Coach

Simple yet effective nutritional tips for you and your players!The first step that needs to have a healthy diet is to START!

Top 6 Nutritional Tips: -Avoid Insulin Spikes (Plan Ahead) - Pack healthy snacks like almonds or veggie sticks to eat on the go. -Protein/Fat/Carbs - Eat a balanced meal of protein, fat and carbs. -Fat is our friend - Certain fats are good for us. Our brains need fat to function. Enjoy healthy fats like avocados. -Eat a ratio of 2:1 Veggies to fruits -Most powerful drug – Food is the most powerful drug make sure you consume the correct kinds. -Buy the BEST food that you can afford - While organic food may be expensive, buy the best quality food you can afford.

Sample Meal Plan6:00AM Water with Lemon6:30AM Two eggs with Fresh fruit and green smoothie9:00AM Green Tea10:00AM Handful of almonds or pumpkin seeds12:00PM Filet Mignon strips over large salad with olive oil2:00PM Green Tea with Ginger6:00PM Wild Salmon, 2 Vegetables & Potato

You’ll also get nutrition tips from Union trainer and fitness coach Kevin Miller. As a certified strength and conditioning specialist certified by the NSCA and U.S. Track and Field Federation, Miller has over a decade of experience as a sports performance coach. In his portion, Miller will provide tips on how to speak with athletes about proper nutrition and provide many of the training techniques he uses to maximize physical performance, regardless of age or level.

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Upcoming Events in 2013Jan. 11-15: MLS Player CombineJan. 16-20: NSCAA Convention (Indianapolis, IN)

Jan. 17: MLS SuperdraftJan. 21: Open Training at YSC (Wayne, PA)

Feb. 15-18: Union Preseason Training (Central Florida)

Mar. 2: First Kick Mar. 13: Cocktails & Cleats Gala

First Kick Saturday, March 2nd

Be there with Season Ticketsp h i l a d e l p h i a u n i o n . c o m | 8 7 7 . 2 1 . U N I O N

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