Philadelphia Union Win Their Leagues Cup Group To Secure Home Field

It may not count towards the MLS standings, but the Philadelphia Union are making some noise at the Leagues Cup. Last night's 5-1 win over Querétaro crowned them as the winners of their group. East 1. Meaning not only do they advance to the field of 32, but they will have homefield advantage when they get there.

And having home field is a big deal for the Union. Over the past few seasons, Subaru Park has become one of the best home fields in all of North American Soccer. All season in MLS play they lost just 1 game at home. And that lone loss came way back in March. Otherwise, they have 8 wins at home and two draws. And that does not include their two wins at Subaru Park in the Leagues Cup.

They have Daniel Gazdag to thank for securing that advantage. He netted a hat trick, including two goals off Penalty kicks, in Wednesday's win. It gives him 4 total goals, which puts him ahead of Lionel Messi for the most goals in the Leagues Cup.

Next up for them is whoever finishes 2nd place in East 2. That could be DC United, Montreal CF, or Pumas UNAM. The only game left to be played in that group DC United vs Pumas. All DC needs is a draw to win the group. A draw would also guarantee Pumas to come in second place. But if Pumas lose by more than 1 goal, Montreal would advance with goal difference serving as the tiebreaker. That game takes place Saturday at 9 pm.

Whoever it is that they face, the Union's Leagues Cup journey next Thursday, August 3rd, at a time to be determined.

The Women's FIFA World Cup is just hours away from kickoff. In anticipation of the 2023 games, we will highlight five things you need to know about the USA Women's FIFA World Cup team.

Although we'll get underway in New Zealand, this is the first time two countries will serve as the host nations. Australia is the other. Four cities and stadiums will be the site of the games in New Zealand. Furthermore, five cities and six stadiums will be used in Australia.

The opening ceremonies are planned to take place at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand prior to the first game between New Zealand vs. Norway. This is a 50,000 capacity stadium. "The ceremony will feature mind-blowing, electrifying performances showcasing the cultural diversity and heritage of New Zealand and Australia," Goal.com states.

This year's World Cup will feature 32 different nations. This is eight more than previous tournaments. In addition, eight nations will be making their FIFA World Cup debut.

The USA Women's FIFA World Cup team has been placed in Group E. This includes Vietnam, Portugal, and the Netherlands. In total, there are eight different groupings. USA's group is aligned to New Zealand for the first round of play.

To date, the USA Women have won four World Cup titles. They are the defending champions, beating the Netherlands during the 2019 tournament in France. Before that the USA Women's team also won the World Cup in 2015, 1999 (the Brandi Chastain winning penalty kick year) and 1991.

Although the USA is ranked #1, they are considered a young team. NPR explained that "Nine players on this year's U.S. roster were part of the 2019 champion team. This includes Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Julie Ertz." Five players remain from the 2015 team.

Excitement is surely mounting. Team USA has now been in New Zealand for a week. In anticipation of their defending title run, here are five additional things you need to know about the USA Women's FIFA World Cup team.

Back in April, new uniforms were debuted by Nike. USA will wear white when they are the home team, and blue when they are the away team. Nike crafted this uniform using innovative techniques emphasizing player comfort and staying cool.

#22 Kristie Mewis was born in Weymouth, and grew up in Hanson. She graduated from Whitman-Hanson Regional High School where she was a three-time All-American midfielder. Unfortunately, Samantha Mewis (Kristie's sister) is not on this year’s World Cup team due to a knee injury she is currently recovering from.

Rapinoe recently announced her retirement. Therefore, this will be her last World Cup experience. #15, this legendary midfielder/winger is the oldest member of the team at 38 years old. The youngest player is Alyssa Thompson, an 18-year-old forward. She is sporting an iced-blue hair color look for 2023 Cup.

The United States women's soccer team has had a  long battle to be paid as much as the men's team. "The Equal Pay for Team USA Act, passed late Wednesday, will require all athletes representing the United States in global competition to receive equal pay and benefits in their sport, regardless of gender," ESPN reported back in December.

There are 23 members of the team. This also includes Dennis Rodman's daughter, #20 Trinity Rodman. The USA Women's Team will play their first game on July 21 (9PM EDT). It will be vs. Vietnam and played in Auckland, New Zealand.