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Union winning Supporters’ Shield would have extra significance for son of late Sons of Ben member Eric Shertz

Gabe Shertz didn’t even know what the Supporters’ Shield was when he posed for a photo with it more than a decade ago with his dad.

Now with the Philadelphia Union on the verge of winning the trophy, it’s a reminder of how far the team has come in the six years since father, Eric Shertz, died unexpectedly at just 38 years old in May 2014.

“We grabbed a quick photo with (the Supporters’ Shield) and I had no idea what it was at the time,” Shertz said. “Realizing that what is this now 11 years later that we’re actually going to get some of our first hardware is really exciting.