On the manicured grass field set between the riverfront and the cracked asphalt of the surrounding Chester neighborhood, the heat rose in shimmering waves one day last week, and the soccer players swam steadily through, advancing toward the goal.
It was just the first of two daily practices for the Philadelphia Union, the only team in Major League Soccer with a training schedule as demanding. It is much tougher than a year ago, and the players either fall in line or fall away.
A lot is different with the Union compared with a year ago. The team, which has qualified for the MLS postseason just once in its six-year history and not since 2011, has been near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.