Peter Nowak talked with reporters Wednesday afternoon about new signing Lionard Pajoy, and how the Union's preseason training has gone so far.

Here's a transcript.

On whether the scoring burden will be more spread around the Union’s corps of forwards this season, instead of having it mostly on one player as has been the case in the past:

The more, the better. I always express that we need to have options, we need to have competition. So we mix it up. We have a guy [in Pajoy] who has experience, who has played not only in his domestic tournament, but also in the Copa Libertadores. So we’re going to have a striker that people will learn from, and we can mix things up.

Of course, we’re looking at the fact that some of them will miss games because of commitments with the national team, so he’s going to be a good option for us.

On the team’s goalkeeper situation:

We have Zac MacMath, Chase Harrison and Chris Konopka. So we’re looking to evaluate the situation, and we’ll see if Chris will make it at the end or not. He’s another goalkeeper who was already with MLS teams a couple of times, but also was in Europe. So he has enough experience to be the second or third keeper.

The situation right now is that he’s training with us. He’s a very good guy. We’ll see where he is at the end of this camp.

On whether the Union are looking to bring in a veteran goalkeeper:

Why do I need to bring in a veteran? I don’t think it’s necessary right now to think about that.

On what his starting forward line would be at this point, or whether it’s still open for competition:

It’s an open competition. We have more than four weeks until the first game, and Jack [McInerney] will miss a big part of the preseason because the next [U.S. Olympic team] camp is in 10 days. Then the qualifiers will start and there will be another camp.

Talking to coach [Caleb] Porter, he expressed that during the MLS season he would like to have a couple of camps for preparation for the Olympic Games if the team qualifies. So we have to make sure that everything is in place, and that we have options to put guys up front.

Being youngsters, they always have a couple of good games and then they hit a wall. We’ve got to make sure that everyone is on the same page, so we have to have options.

But people are going on too many times about statistics. It’s not about statistics, it’s about how they will come together as a tandem. Whether it’s Josué with Lionard, or Lionard with Danny Mwanga, or Josué with Jack McInerney, I cannot say that. But what I can say is that we have a very strong group.

Even the youngsters, they already have experience. They’ve already scored goals in Major League Soccer, and they’ve presented themselves as the future of this team. We want to add some experience, but also give them the opportunity to learn as well. So it’s a win-win situation, and we’re going to see where we stand at the end of the Costa Rica camp in three weeks.

On what qualities he sees Pajoy bringing to the team as a striker:

We saw him many times and talked to him many times in Colombia. He’s a guy who brings not only character but also a mentality to the game. He’s very physical, and very fast as well. He can change the game, because he’s a different option.

He’s not just a pure box player, he’s not just a poacher. He’s all over the place. He’s very mobile, and he can always create something for whoever he’s going to play with up top.

On whether the Union lacked a ‘killer instinct’ finishing in the box last season, and whether Pajoy brings that to the team:

No. It’s not like we missed something, because we still scored a lot of goals, and I believe we played well offensively. Sometimes there was a missing part – Carlos Ruiz always was there when the ball was around the goalkeeper, or in the box.

Maybe we got accustomed to that, and as the season progressed, we missed Carlos. Nobody really filled those shoes. I think that at the end of the season, we were still pretty good, and still trying to find options in the attack and fill that spot [he left].

But with Lionard, Josué, Jack and Danny, we have good tandems and a lot of options. And with Chandler Hoffman being with us, that’s a good situation as well.

On whether he’s nervous that players will go too hard in preseason training as they fight for playing time and roster spots:

Not really. There’s competition during training that is very positive.

I’m very impressed how they have developed during the past few difficult weeks, how they’ve trained, what their mentality has been - in terms of hitting each other, but also helping each other up from the ground and patting each other on the shoulders. Going away from a good tackle with a smile on the face.

That’s very healthy. Competition is nothing to worry about in terms of fighting for a spot. It’s good to have it. I don’t think it’s going to be an issue of them thinking they aren’t going to have minutes. They sense right now that it’s a chance for them to be in a good spot, and be considered for the starting lineup.

On whether Josué Martinez will play on the front line or be withdrawn somewhat:

He can play there, but in all the games we’ve played in training he’s been up front. He’s a guy who can change a system to 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. He can come from the second line because of his speed. We can use him in different fashions.

But as of now, we aren’t trying too many things at once. We’re trying to give him a structure first, a playbook, and make sure he understands what his role is. And also to connect with the guys up front, to understand and have a partner.

So he’s not ready yet for any kind of improvement in that kind of way, or much more information. We’ll try to give that to him during our second camp in Costa Rica later this month.

On whether one particular player has stood out or surprised in preseason training:

No, I think it’s just healthy competition. It’s a good group. The [trades] are behind us. I think they’ve adjusted very well. It’s a matter of connecting the dots together. This camp is more to get to know each other better, because there are a couple of new faces.

I would disagree that there are too many new faces, though there are some things we couldn’t predict with Faryd [Mondragón] and Velkjo [Paunović]. But [otherwise] it’s just four guys who have changed from last year, other than the rookies.

The new faces, they will bring a different look to us, and also experience. With Josué, it’s still a learning process, but he’s got help. He speaks English, Porfirio Lopez speaks English. Gaby Gavilán [Gomez] has been all over the place, so he has enough experience to know how to adapt to a new system and new guys. He’s pushing very hard.

I think it’s a great combination that we have, and it’s a very healthy competition. I’m very happy with what we have in the group, and Lionard Pajoy is going to be another piece who will help us through the season and to bring more experience.

On having Keon Daniel back with the team after he was away for so long:

We tried to speed up the process [of bringing him back], but some of the stuff is out of our hands. We had to make sure that we stayed patient and close to him, and support him, to bring him back at some point. He’s in great physical condition, and is pushing even harder, doing extra work after training.

So we’re looking forward to having him during the season. I think he recognized that he was an important piece of our team last season, and he will be even more important this season.

On the team’s class of draft picks:

I must say I’ve been very impressed with them. Greg Jordan and Chandler Hoffman, Krystian Witkowski and also Antoine Hoppenot are doing very well. There’s always learning, and a process that you’ve got to accustomed to. You have to get accustomed to the speed of play, and to guys who are already almost in full swing.

But I’ve been impressed how fast they’ve picked up slow, how they recognize when to play slower or faster. I think that’s going to be very beneficial for us, and I think those guys will stick with us for the season.

Chandler Hoffman, of course, the contract is done, but those three guys we’re going to see what their status will be. We’d like to keep them for a longer period of time, and give them a chance to develop in the right way.

But so far, so good, and I’ve really liked the work they’ve put together. They get trusted with the ball, they really fit very well in the team, and with the positions they play there’s always a need for that. With Greg and also with Chandler, it’s a different look. They’ve got to learn along the way, but they’re learning pretty fast right now.

On how Chris Konopka has looked in camp:

He looks very well. He’s been in Europe, he has a good pedigree in Major League Soccer. So we’re looking to see where we are with him. Right now he’s with us, but I believe that at the end of this camp we’ll have to make a decision because of the roster compliance deadline on March 1. We’ve got to make sure that we have a good corps of goalkeepers.

On whether Lionard Pajoy will act as a mentor to the team’s younger players:

Not really. He’s a different type of player that can help us. We’re always looking at what we have, but also what can help us in terms of experience and different styles. Experience, I believe, is at the end of this list. Everybody is freaking out right now about how young we are, but is forgetting that most of them already played one or two seasons in Major League Soccer.

Michael Farfan is young, but he already has great playing experience. Zac MacMath and Jack McInerney [also], and Danny Mwanga has already scored goals in Major League Soccer. They know what to expect.

It’s just a different kind of player that we might need during games. So I think [Pajoy] is another element to add to our game. The same goes for Porfirio Lopez, Gabriel Gomez and Josué Martinez.

So we try to have pieces that we can mold, that we can use in different fashions, and then play to their strengths, not just to fit players to a system. That’s not what I was thinking. I was thinking to fit a system to the players’ strengths, not the other way around. 

The Union made a number of announcements Monday afternoon as they began their preseason training camp in Deltona, Fla., near Orlando.

Chief among the news items was the return to the club of Trinidadian midfielder Keon Daniel. He has not appeared for the Union since August 20 of last season. Daniel left the United States after that match to join up with the Trinidad & Tobago national team, and was not allowed back into the U.S. in part because of visa issues.

Also returning to the Union is forward Danny Mwanga, who spent the last 10 days training with English Premier League club Aston Villa. We already knew that he would be coming back at this point in the preseason.

Along with the two arrivals, the Union announced the departures of two supplemental draft picks who did not make the roster. Defender Thomas Brandt, a Penn product, and midfielder Brandon Zimmerman are no longer with the team.

The Union will play three preseason exhibition games while in Florida: against Florida Gulf Coast University on February 11th, the University of Central Florida on February 15th, and USL PRO club Orlando City on February 18th.

Union manager Peter Nowak talked with reporters during the team's open practice at YSC Sports in Wayne on Wednesday. Among the subjects he addressed was Sébastien Le Toux's criticism of the club in an interview published in Wednesday's Delaware County Times.

(Video by Marc Narducci/The Philadelphia Inquirer)

The Philadelphia Union announced Wednesday afternoon that they have traded midfielder Kyle Nakazawa and a second-round pick in the 2013 SuperDraft to the Los Angeles Galaxy. In exchange, the Union received an international roster slot.

Nakazawa was one of the Union's many picks in its inaugural SuperDraft two years ago. He registered 2,006 minutes played in 36 games over the 2010 and 2011 seasons, including 22 starts.

He played for the United States Under-17 national team at the 2005 World Championships. Current Union assistant John Hackworth coached that squad, which also included Jozy Altidore, Omar Gonzalez and Michael and Gabriel Farfan.

Moving to Los Angeles will be a homecoming for Nakazawa, who grew up in Torrance, Calif., and played college soccer at UCLA. In fact, his home town is due west of the Home Depot Center in Carson.

Nakazawa posted a farewell message to Union fans on his Twitter feed this afternoon.

"Thank you to all the amazing fans in Philadelphia!" he wrote. "I'm really looking forward to playing in LA where I grew up and my family is!"

The Union now have nine international roster slots to use. MLS rules allow teams to have a maximum of eight international players unless they trade for additional slots if they choose.

It's noteworthy, though, that the Union currently have only seven international players on their roster. They are defenders Porfirio Lopez and Carlos Valdés; midfielders Keon Daniel, Gabriel Gomez, Nizar Khalfan and Roger Torres; and forward Josué Martinez.

So even if, as has been rumored, the Union are going to sign Colombian forward Lionard Pajoy, they still have another international slot to play with. It will be interesting to see what the Union do with it.

Sébastien Le Toux spoke with the Vancouver media late Monday afternoon' and a few Philadelphia reporters were in on the conference call.

He also made an appearance on Vancouver’s TEAM 1410 radio station' for an interview with Whitecaps play-by-play voice Peter Schaad.

What follows is an amalgamation of Le Toux’s remarks.

Le Toux said on the conference call that he had been in preseason training with the Union. He did not officially hear about the deal until Union assistant coach John Hackworth called him this morning, and told Schaad that the call came while Le Toux was en route to practice.

Unofficially, though, Le Toux already knew something was up. He told Schaad that he "kind of found out a little bit [Monday] on Twitter, like a lot of people did."

"A lot of people were talking and asking me questions, and I had no clue," Le Toux told Schaad. "I just found out this morning when I was on my way to practice – assistant coach John Hackworth called me and told me I was traded to Vancouver."

Although the news came as a surprise to Le Toux - and to just about everyone, frankly - Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said he's been after Le Toux for a while.

"Truth be known, we had inquired about Sébastien halfway through last season," Lenarduzzi said. "There was no interest on Philadelphia’s part to move him. By expressing an interest, I’m assuming we were one of the first calls they made."

For as much as the Le Toux trade surprised me, Lenarduzzi's remarks surprised me just as much.

Le Toux admitted on the conference call that "it’s always hard to leave a team, especially as I was committed 100 percent when I was in Philadelphia."

But polite as ever, he quickly added: "I’m just going to be 100 percent with the Vancouver Whitecaps now. I’m lucky to be able to play in places where the fans are great."

Schaad asked Le Toux whether he felt more that the Union did not want him, or more that the Whitecaps wanted him very much.

"I feel both ways," Le Toux said. "Of course I was 100 percent focused on the Philadelphia Union, because that’s who I am – I don’t play 90 percent."

Then Le Toux ever so quietly dropped a hammer on his former employer.

"The fact that I’m leaving, I was sad at the beginning because I’ve had two good years here," Le Toux told Schaad. "But after the fact, the coach of Philadelphia doesn’t really want me anymore in his team. The Whitecaps want me more and believe in me."

On the conference call, Le Toux offered one example of why that was the case.

"I was playing [at times] in Philadelphia in a position that I didn’t play a lot in with Seattle'" he said. "I really liked to play forward in Philly. Vancouver hasn’t told me the position they want me to play' but I like to play forward and I think that’s a position where the coaches want me to play."

Le Toux was asked a few times about his time at Bolton Wanderers' and whether he was disappointed that it didn’t come to anything.

It turns out that he was not.

"It was just to visit - it was not really a tryout'" Le Toux said. "It was to have a good experience. I wanted to stay playing in the U.S. because I still have one year [left on my] contract."

I asked Lenarduzzi a similar question to the one I asked Peter Nowak earlier: is it just a coincidence that the Union and Whitecaps have made so many trades' or is there something more to it?

"I think it has more to do with positional needs'" Lenarduzzi said. "Last year' we ere looking for a left back and identified Jordan as a player we’d like to have. [Whitecaps manager] Martin Rennie was pretty specific about the holes he wanted to fill. [Le Toux] can at this point form quite a tandem with Eric Hassli."

In the end, Le Toux said he’s looking forward to returning to Philadelphia with his new team on March 31. It won’t be the first time he has had an emotional homecoming with a  former club.

"I think it’s always a pleasure to come back in a stadium you have played in," he said. "I was always happy to come back and play in Seattle and I will be happy to come back to Philadelphia. They have great fans. I’m sure it will be great. I just want to win with Vancouver and show that Vancouver is a great team."

Union manager Peter Nowak spoke with reporters about the Sébastien Le Toux trade and the club's other big moves on a conference call Tuesday afternoon.

Here's a transcript:

On whether trading Le Toux was specifically for money:

Not really. It’s all about, as we always said, that we all believe and we make known to the public as well that we would like to build a club that is all about the future. It’s not about one player, it’s about the future.

I think in the past two years we’ve built a good foundation to express that and to build towards the future. I think this was important to keep our philosophy, and the moves we made confirmed that. It's all about the future of this franchise and this club.

We feel very strong about that.

On the point at which the club felt Le Toux was not needed as part of that future:

You don't justify it with words like that. I think this is the wrong approach. We have to look at what kinds of commitments we have with other players. We'll continue to build our franchise, and as I said, it's not about one player.

It's about the players we have and foundation we have. We want to keep the group intact as much as we can. 

On comparing this deal to the Union's trade of Jordan Harvey to Vancouver last summer:

[To refresh your memories, Nowak said at the time: "I think Vancouver really wanted him, and my point was always that if it was not going to be a significant offer, then I would not even blink my eye. But it was something that as soon as the offer came, we thought about it and we made a decision."]

After it was no secret that the Bolton offer would not go through, Vancouver made a very strong approach. We as a team, as a coaching staff and also the board, analyzed the whole situation and then accepted the offer.

On whether there is a connection between the allocation money received for Le Toux and the announcement that the Union have purchased the full rights to midfielder Roger Torres:

Of course. That's why I gave my answer to the first question. We want to invest in the future. We have a very good foundation with our youth pieces, and we believe and have faith in them that they will develop in the right way.

Every year, all these youngsters were very good. They got more time on the field, they understand each other more, and we want to keep the group intact and make them develop even stronger as a team, as a group.

That's true with Roger Torres as well. We want to make sure that whatever resources we have, we reinvest them in youth.

On the degree to which his knowlege of yet-unnamed players already in training camp made it easier for the Union to trade Le Toux:

There's no easy trade. It's not easy to let players go. That's not an easy part, and I expressed that after Jordan left and Carlos Ruiz. It's not easy for any of us, but as I said, we want to reinvest the resources we have in the players that we believe are going to be with the team for the future.

We have a couple of guys on the roster for whom we want to improve their contracts, because they still have contracts from past years and they are not financially strong, but they contribute to the team.

You can name them - one is Sheanon Williams. 

That's a part that we want to continue to improve and keep these guys for a couple more years.

On what message he would give to fans who see Le Toux's departure as a major shock, when such moves are commonplace in soccer around the world:

Major shock? We have to understand that soccer is completely different from other sports in the U.S., where you have the four best leagues in the world. You're going to stick with the players you have and give them the money they deserve, continue to work towards goals, improve with draft picks and try to develop them in the right situation.

Soccer is completely different from those four sports in that we’re still growing as a franchise and we're still growing as a sport in the United States.

We have to accept that this is a global sport. I don’t see anyone from Europe coming to make a great impact in the NBA, American football or baseball, and they all have their local heroes.

Soccer is different. We’ve made no secret of building our club, our franchise, around a whole team. We strongly belive that a championship team is not when you have the best players. A championship team is when you have the best team playing as a team. That's the philosophy.

On how the Union will compensate for the experience lost with the departures of Le Toux and Faryd Mondragón:

I think they have both provided that over the last two years. Of course experience is vital. I think that over the last couple of years Sébastien and Faryd gave the group very good confidence, faith and a mentality. They showed how to win games, and how to be true professionals.

They helped the team grow into the team that showed up during the 2011 season and was mentally strong. We have faith and confidence in this group that we have right now.

This is unfair to these guys in the locker room right now to project how things are going to be before First Kick. Let the pieces grow together.

And I think we have some great offseason additions with Porfirio Lopez, Gabriel Gomez, Josué Martinez and others as well. And the rookies are doing well. So let them play the games and we can judge from that. 

But for now, it's unfair to say that this group is inexperienced. With Danny Califf, Brian Carroll, and even Michael Farfan and Sheanon Williams, they already know what to do on the field. They already know what is pressure, they already know how to win games.

So I'm sure the rest will follow as well.

On whether the trade had anything to do with Le Toux's role on the field, and his past comments that he would prefer to play as a forward instead of a midfielder:

No, it had nothing to do with this.

On whether the Union received a formal offer from Bolton Wanderers for Le Toux:

No.

On whether the Union did not want to bring Le Toux back after there was no offer from Bolton, or whether Le Toux did not want to return to the Union after no offer was made: 

Feelings are not really included in my job description. I have to make sure that the team is good; that the team understands the goals we are going to set up; and that the team is going is going to have a future from today until whenever. Whether it's past me, whatever the future is going to be for this franchise.

That's more important to me, to see the overall picture and how the pieces will fall in place, and also what kind of vision and philosophy we have as a team.

You guys [in the media] simplified things. It's not [just] my decision, because it might be another manager who can come and who can make those kinds of decisions. It's about the team.

If you want to have a sustainable competitive advantage - which means you've got to be competitive for years to come - then you have to create room.

We don't have like the NBA's luxury tax or salary cap, where you can blow the team out of proportion. We've got to make sure that for the future, we're going to be secure, and have a group that has developed over a couple of years together.

On whether Faryd Mondragón’s departure took him by surrpise, and whether he has any concerns with only one goalkeeper on the roster:

I'll answer that the other way around. We don't have just one goalkeeper on the roster. By March 1 we have to make roster compliance. We already have two goalkeepers for training purposes, and we had three with Mondragón when we started the preseason.

You can come tomorrow [Wednesday] and watch, and draw conclusions.

Of course there was a surprise with Mondragón, but ee expressed a wish and we granted his wish. We cherished his time with us, and we know what kinds of not only performances, but work he put together. He tried to encourage the group and show them how to be a playoff team, a championship team.

That's something that you cannot put on paper, that you cannot put on a trade value in a contract. This is something that will stay with the group forever.

It was a couple of days ago that he came and expressed his wish. After we talked, all of us, it was something right to do. We're grateful for his time with us.

On whether Le Toux was happy to re-join the team when he returned from Bolton:

Why are you asking me this question? As I've said from the beginning - I can repeat it all over again - but that kind of question, I don't know. I truly don't know.

On his perspective of Le Toux's impact on the team:

Of course. It's something that made a change from the field. From the beginning, when he scored three goals [in the Union's first ever home game], he was associated with our franchise. That was no secret to anybody.

The rest, scoring so many goals in the first season, you're always going to be visible. He played in the All-Star Game. So he represented our club in a very good way. That's not a queston at all. For us, he was a piece that was always a player who put everything in, especially in the first year.

I think he's a good role model for other players as well.

On who he sees picking up Le Toux's role as the main goal scorer:

As I said before, we're speculating without even seeing these guys [in training camp]. We're drawing a conclusion that there's nobody on the team who can score 10 or 12 goals, or 15 goals. I think it's not fair to these guys. We're going to work towards that, to find the right guys

The competition is with Chandler Hoffman, Jack [McInerney], Danny Mwanga and Josué Martinez. It's a great one. Let them figure out what to do. We're going to help them as a coaching staff to devlop as a right way, and get them ready for the season, and we'll see what will happen.

Right now it's too early to say who's going to score 15 goals. I don't work in a hypothetical world. I live in reality and see these guys every day. I'm sure that they will fulfill their responsibilities, and also that they are going to develop as the right guys in the locker room. That will get them ready to achieve even bigger goals.

On what he wants Danny Mwanga to take from his time training with Aston Villa:

I would like Danny to see it first-hand. That's the purpose. The timing could be a little bit odd because we're starting preseason, but there were a couple of immigration issues that we cleared for him to go to Aston Villa.

[We wanted him] to see first-hand how you work, how you prepare yourself, what is the locker room like, how everything works first-hand, and to have a sniff of that. It's a completely different world out there. So they can be prepared and when the opportunity comes, they will be ready from every possible angle.

So it's a very good time for him. It's only a couple of days and he's going to join us Monday in Florida and we'll be very happy to have him back.

A lot of MLS teams dream about having Danny Mwanga. They tried to spin it in the wrong direction - telling everybody that we were shopping him was completely false. All of a sudden it came up that he was not needed here. That's not the case. We're going to welcome him with open arms, and I hope with more experience.

On the challenge of building a roster for this season given how many players the Union may lose to the United States Olympic squad:

First, the team needs to qualify for the Olympics - then we will think about what's going to be next. Another part of who is going to go is that it's not my call - it's coach [Caleb] Porter's call as to who's going to be there.

As far as I know, especially when players go to the camp, there are a lot of guys in the camp. They need to perform, they need to fit in coach Porter's concept, and if they do, then we'll see what will happen next. But as of now, I don't know whether it's going to be three, four, five guys, or what will happen.

On whether there's anything to conclude from the fact that the Union have made multiple trade with Vancouver in their history:

No. It's a coincidence.

I wanted to get to this yesterday, but there was far too much going on with the Union for me to have the time.

Here are some transcribed highlights from a conference call held with Women's Professional Soccer CEO Jennifer O'Sullivan and Atlanta Beat CEO T. Fitz Johnson. There's a lot to digest here, I admit. The call lasted over an hour, and this isn't close to everything that was said.

Still, I figure it's better to put more stuff out there on the record than less, especially in a situation like this. So here you go.

(A hat tip to Charles Boehm of Potomac Soccer Wire for helping me piece this together.)

Jennifer O'Sullivan

On the timeline for the Dan Borislow court case:

Any agreement that we have with our attorneys on legal fees, that's a confidential agreement, so I'm not at liberty to discuss our legal fees.

Our court proceeding is currently scheduled for Wednesday. That will be a continuation of the injunction hearing that we started last month. The judge did rule on the first part of that hearing, on the contract issues. Wednesday will be a discussion of the remainder of the issues related to Mr. Borislow's request for injunctive relief.

Once that's concluded, Judge [Meenu] Sasser will make her final determination [in Palm Beach County, Fla., Circuit Court] on whether to grant that injunctive relief.

On whether Dan Borislow will be involved in 2013:

I do not see that as a possibility, based on the current feeling among current ownership. I don't see that it will be a possibility for WPS.

On whether WPS would have folded without Borislow's entry and purchase of the Washington Freedom ahead of the 2011 season:

I think that the league has been faced with – and those of you who've been following us closely have seen it – a series of challenges and difficulties throughout the past year. It is a culmination of those difficulties and issues that has brought us to the point that we are at.

I think that Mr. Borislow has been a lightning rod for a lot of those issues.

I can't personally comment on what would have happened to the league if it had not brought Dan Borislow in last year. That would be speculating on what would have happened, what U.S. Soccer would have done at the time.... I don't know if another ownership group would have stepped up to purchase the Washington Freedom. I can only speak to what the league has had to go through since then.

As I said before, it's been some really challenging issues that have really detracted and distracted certainly the ownership, the league staff and the team staffs from what the focus should have been on.

We've come off of a tremendous year with the World Cup. Going into an Olympic year there should have been nothing but positive things for this league to focus on. Unfortunately it's been quite the opposite, and it's that fact – and the drain on our resources, not just financially that's been considered – that really has brought us to this decision today.

[...]

I think it would have irresponsible to both put on the season and deal with the legal issue if we found ourselves, at some point in the season, unable to move forward for whatever reason.

I think ownership really did feel that once and for all this is something that has to be resolved.

The issues with Mr. Borislow, as far as compliance, there are a number. You are talking about an owner who does not have regard for league authority, for other owners, for partners; who speaks disparagingly about the league and sponsors to the media; was detrimental to the league's overall business.

Those are things that sometimes are difficult to move past, and sometimes when the damage is done – which in this case it was – it's difficult to overcome that.

I think the league and the owners have really tried to come to a resolution on these issues several times, and found themselves just unable to.

On whether there was an apparel deal in place yet for the 2012 season, on whether that had a bearing on the league's decision to suspend play:

We did not announce an apparel deal, no... The league was in final discussions with a sponsor on apparel. The league had a couple of other national sponsors that it was set to announce, and unfortunately we were not able to complete those.

On whether there is a financial commitment from the owners to a 2013 season:

The ownership has their bonds in place for U.S. Soccer [sanctioning] for this season. We'll certainly talk about that moving forward into 2013, what that would mean as we work through this year.

I think everyone has that goal in mind [to be back in 2013], and that's the intent. At this point that's what we're working towards.

On whether there has been an explicit commitment from all the owners to be back in 2013 [this was a follow-up to the previous question]:

Other than what we've said, that's our intention, yeah. To get through this issue with Borislow and to get us back onto the field in 2013.

On whether there is any chance the league won't be back in 2013:

Gosh, I really would hope not. That's certainly not our intent. I think it's a concern when you're talking about some of the challenges we've had to face as a result of these issues with the litigation.

I don't have a crystal ball. I can't tell you what a judge is going to decide, or where things will go further on down the pike. I can only tell you what our intent is, and what we're trying to do, and our every intention is to get back on the field in 2013.

I would be extremely heartbroken if the result was that we don't get back on the field at all. I think it's just critical for everybody involved that we do everything possible to continue making this league a success.

On whether WPS fans should expect anything similar to what she went through working for the Arena Football League, which suspended operations for a year in 2009 and then returned to action:

I think there are a lot of similarities. The ownership group that we had at the Arena Football League, there were certainly some very committed and dedicated people who believed very strongly in it, believed that there was a market and a fan base for it.

It was a lot of work and energy and commitment getting it back out on the field. I think that's going to be a very similar situation here. The good news is, we have that group of people and we have that energy and belief that there is a market for this, that there is a fan base, and that it's important.

I have that dubious distinction of saying that yeah, I've worked for two leagues that have suspended operations. I'd like to have the pleasure of saying that those two both made it back onto the field.

On what degree of confidence people should have that WPS will come back in 2013:

I think that people should have all the confidence in the world that those of us who are involved with WPS are going to do everything we can to bring it back out onto the field, and that their continued support is what's going to help drive it.

To know that we have those people relying on us - I know that when we were at the Arena Football League, that's something we knew we could count on, the fan support and players. The union worked with us, sponsors worked with us. There were a lot of people who made it known that they were going to stand by the league.

I think knowing that in this situation will go a long way towards helping us keep up the momentum, and help us keep doing what we're doing to get back onto the field.

On what it will take to strengthen the infrastructure of WPS:

I certainly think that moving forward, we will be taking a look at the business structure and ways that we can strengthen it. You learn from every mistake that you make. Looking back on things – of course, hindsight is 20-20 – you can look back on WUSA, you can look back at when WPS was launched, how it was launched.

You can say that mistakes were made, and let's try to correct them. I think we're going to use this as an opportunity to also look at the business of WPS and see how we can strengthen it.

I have said before that I welcome, and would love to be able to connect with, people at MLS to help find ways to grow this league and grow this sport. So I'm certainly open to those types of discussions.

Anything that I think could help grow this league and grow the business the right way long-term is something that is worth considering for us.

On what sponsorship deals were lined up for the 2012 season:

This year, we had solidified sponsorships with Sahlen's [hot dogs] and Citi. We were in renewal discussions with the Coast Guard and were having discussions with U.S. Soccer. That's four national sponsorships, and we were having new discussions with others that we were in final negotiations with.

Those sponsors that we had signed deals with, we'll be in discussions with them about extending those agreements for next season.

And Fox Soccer. I would be remiss if I didn't say Fox Soccer. We had to share the unfortunate news with them today. The discussions we've had with them certainly have been positive thus far, and hopefully will continue as we move closer to next year.

Fox Soccer was to go through the end of this season, and we were in talks about renewals for next year.

On who will pay the salaries of O'Sullivan and the rest of the league headquarters' staff:

The current ownership is still invested in the league, and will continue to be invested in the league and their teams at this time.

On whether Puma, which had been the league's merchandise supplier, was one of the sponsors that pulled out because of the Borislow case:

I don't know that I can say I've had discussions with every former sponsor. Puma was not around when I joined the league. I can say that I do think it had a negative impact. I do believe that there were discussions with Puma that perhaps Mr. Borislow had a very negative impact on.

I do know that there has been negative impact with other potential sponsors, and other national sponsors who were not happy with the situation. I think that's fair to say.

I don't think that I'm in a position to identify others if they haven't come forward to make public statements about it. But I can tell you that it certainly did have a negative impact on the league's sponsorship efforts.

T. Fitz Johnson

On the main stumbling blocks that caused the other WPS owners to kick Dan Borislow out of the league:

I think you can look to one place, and that's compliance. We have a set of basic rules in our operating agreement that we all intend to abide by to make this league a success, and magicJack just was not complying with the operating agreement. It just went downhill from there.

On the personal nature of the confrontation between WPS and Borislow:

Well, I'll answer that very tactfully. I don't know that there were any personal attacks coming from our board to Mr. Borislow. Sure, there were some underlying issues, but it all had to do with our operating agreement and trying to do what's right for the league.

You've got to remember that the ladies playing on the field, the product that we put on the field, that's what this ownership group is about. So for as much noise as was being made on the outside, we were trying to concentrate on making sure that our product was pleasing to our fans and entertaining.

I don't have anything personal against Mr. Borislow.

On whether he realized, at the time of the termination decision, that this would be the end result:

No, I didn't. If we're all in this for what's right for these players and our fans, this is not the conclusion that I would have gotten to.

On what specific things have changed since the WPS Draft a few weeks ago, when it seemed like the league was making real progress towards solidifying a 2012 season:

We were struggling at that time, but I will go back to the fact that we have owners that actually wanted to play the season. I think there's not one specific thing, there were several issues that we were dealing with all at one time.

I believe it just became too much of a risk to try to play a season, and we decided it would be better to make the business decision to step back and take a look and work through these issues, rather than get halfway through a season and possibly embarrass ourselves and the league.

A guest post from Kerith Gabriel of the Daily News. Be sure to pick up tomorrow's papers for more coverage of all of today's big stories.

When the January transfer window closes Tuesday, it won’t include an announcement that Union forward Sébastien Le Toux is leaving for Bolton — but it might end with Le Toux headed to Vancouver.

The Daily News has learned that Le Toux is still being shopped, and it could be coming from an MLS bidder. Though the window doesn’t directly affect player movement within Major League Soccer, England-based Daily Mirror writer Alan Nixon - who kept eye on Le Toux’s trial spell last week - posted on his Twitter feed that Vancouver has showed interest in the 28-year-old Frenchman.

Nixon writes: "Those balls [at Bolton] are now down to four. Le Toux heading for Vancouver…"

Le Toux made $179,000 in guaranteed compensation last season.

But here’s the big twist in a possible move of Le Toux and the club’s announcement that goalkeeper Faryd Mondragón has left for a team in Colombia: the Daily News also learned it could free up enough space for the Union to finally announce it purchased or intends to purchase the contract rights of midfielder Roger Torres from Colombian side America de Cali.

When asked about Torres, 19, recently, Nowak said: "Our philosophy from the beginning was to invest in youth and Roger fits that description."

Another interesting bit of news surrounds Le Toux who sources said rejected getting a closer look from English Premier League club Bolton and left the trial early. This news appears to support the words of Bolton manager Owen Coyle, who told the British press: "Sébastien came in for a couple of days, and to be fair to him he hadn’t trained for 4 or 5 weeks. He did fine and that’s where it is. We’d have probably needed a longer look."

But it’s said Le Toux didn’t allow any extra time and returned much to the chagrin of Union officials perhaps looking forward to a transfer fee upwards of $1 million. Union boss Peter Nowak offered no comment and members of the technical staff did not return a request for comment.

It appears now any chance the Union had at persuading Bolton to reconsider may have passed as Sky Sports reported yesterday the club has focused its energies on Argentine forward Juan Manuel Iturbe. Coyle told Sky: "We do have one loan signing available to us. We're hopeful we'll be able to add before the window closes."

In the case of Mondragón, the Union announced that the 40-year-old netminder, acquired from German first division club FC Cologne last January, is heading back to Deportivo Cali, the club where he got his professional start at 21. Mondragón, played in 27 matches for the Union, boasting an 1.06 goals against average, and an 8-8-11 record with seven shutouts.

Mondragón cited family reasons for his desire to return to Colombia where he plans to wrap up a 22-year-career that spanned seven countries.

"It has been an absolute honor and a privilege to be part of the Union family," said Mondragón. "For family reasons, I have requested the club to allow me the opportunity to finish my career where it started. I look forward to coming back to PPL Park as an avid fan and part of the Union family. I wish the club continued success."

While not listed as a designated player, Mondragón collected $396,666.67 for his services last season. Per the team’s policy, the amount of his transfer fee was undisclosed.

The Union and star goalkeeper Faryd Mondragón agreed to part ways today, upending what had been arguably the team's most secure position on the very first day of preseason training.

There have been multiple reports in recent days out of Colombia that a deal was in place for Mondragón to return to his native country, and wrap up his professional career with his original club, Deportivo Cali.

"It has been an absolute honor and a privilege to be part of the Union family," Mondragón told the team's website. "For family reasons, I have requested the club to allow me the opportunity to finish my career where it started."

Union manager Peter Nowak acknowledged Mondragón's circumstances in that same story.

"We understand that family is important above all else and we decided that it was of the utmost importance to grant him his request of finishing his career with his childhood club," he said. "We wish him the best of luck as he ends his career at Deportivo Cali, the club where he started his career."

So now it's up to Zac MacMath to step up into the starting goalkeeper position. It's also up to the Union front office to find a backup for MacMath, and a good one at that.

The Union will probably lose MacMach during Olympic qualifying matches in March, and again during the summer should the U.S. team make it to London.

What do you think of Mondragón leaving? Who do you think the Union should pursue as a backup to MacMath? Have your say in the comments.