Philadelphia Union, in partnership with Boeing, Liberty USO and Battleship New Jersey, hosted the latest edition of the Battle of the Branches on Thursday afternoon.
The 5v5 mini-soccer tournament took place at the Battleship New Jersey and in addition to the action, it concluded with a party that featured not only food and beverages but live entertainment on the deck of the battleship.
On the mini pitch it was team Chinook claiming the 2023 trophy with a resounding run throughout the entire tournament. In the group stage the squad racked up 25 goals and the only clean sheet of the event to claim the top seed heading into the knock out rounds. In the semifinals the offense remained on fire with a 9-2 victory over Team Verticle which setup a thrilling final against BDS. The opposition was clinical in the attack with seven or more goals in every single match throughout the event and even hit their target in the final but came up short as Chinook nabbed a 12-7 victory.
Check out some of our top shots from the event that saw teams filled with active duty military, as well as retired, reserve, DOD civilians, and friends and family playing in honor or memory of military members, in the Philadelphia-area to assemble teams and compete in the tournament.
