Photo: Daniel Studio

The goalposts have moved for Philadelphia Union.

Entering the season, most predicted they would not make the playoffs.

Now, they sit in first place at the Copa America break, with nearly half a season behind them. They have lost just three games this season. In two, they saw players ejected. The third was opening day.

Some have smartly raised the question of whether more should be expected of the Union now. The answer is yes. But not cynically.

The Union have repeatedly shown they are a good but flawed club, with clear strengths and even clearer weaknesses. They have an excellent, tough-minded mix of veteran savvy and youthful athleticism. However, most of their key veterans have proved injury-prone, meaning the Union need some luck and good body management to maintain their health and therefore their form through a 34-game season.

Certainly, the Union are a playoff-quality team. It’s fair for fans to expect this team to reach that goal in a messy Eastern Conference, where the anticipated favorites — Columbus, Toronto, New England, and the (now recovering) New York Red Bulls — stumbled in the season’s first half. Whether Philadelphia can run the table and win a conference title or more remains to be seen.

Union management would be shrewd to treat this team like an MLS Cup contender and address its flaws when the summer transfer window opens. For example, if a top class left back becomes available at a bit higher price than the Union might like, they may have to pull the trigger to collect that final key piece. Similarly, they need to add depth at striker and, if Maurice Edu is not healthy by mid-July, the No. 8 center midfield role behind the oft-injured but ever-crucial Vincent Nogueira.

The Union may be ahead of schedule in their rebuild, but Jay Sugarman and the rest of the Union investment group should recognize that the time to seize the moment may be at hand. After seemingly bottoming out last year, 2016 could be the year the Union transcend Philadelphia’s soccer ghetto and launch into a popularity stratosphere that legitimately renews talk about expanding the club’s stadium in Chester. Championships change everything.

In all these ways, the goalposts have moved. Expectations have changed. And reactions and accordant steps should similarly be different.

That doesn’t mean you go overboard though.

Don’t crucify this club if they don’t win a conference title or reach the conference final in the playoffs.

Don’t demand that they drop millions on a big name striker they probably don’t need. The Union must continue to be smart and prudent and do business like they have the last eight months.

Also, expect Curtin to be cautious in how he reincorporates a healthy Edu into the team, and remain mindful that the Ewing Theory could be in play and have a significant impact on team chemistry. Edu and Brian Carroll are very different players, and they won’t fit into the lineup the same way.

All that said, a window of opportunity has opened. The Union are a good team, at times maybe even the best in MLS, and could be even better in the season’s second half. Keegan Rosenberry has been a revelation who will only get better, and the same goes for his fellow first-year defenders deployed next to him, Ken Tribbett and Josh Yaro. We have yet to see what Philadelphia can do with a consistently healthy Ilsinho (which, granted, may never happen with him carrying the excess poundage). The chemistry among Tranquillo Barnetta, Chris Pontius, C.J. Sapong and Sebastien Le Toux (or Ilsinho) should continue to improve if they stay healthy.

So yes, throw away all the preseason expectations. The Union can in fact win a championship in 2016. Just don’t go crazy and lose sight of where they started the year. They’ve come a long way, but they have even farther still to go.