SB Nation - Josue Martinez

Dynamo at Philadelphia Union: No Points For Trying

Richard Willis — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:53:59 -0000

Well, that game was ugly. There's no other real way to describe it.

I tried to put this off for as long as I possibly could, but I don't see any reason to prolong the agony. If nothing else, I'm at least calm enough to provide some ration thoughts and analysis, and not just a long stream of obscenities. More on that after the jump, though.

They got demolished. That's all that can really be said. Blame it on the schedule, blame it on the refs, bad calls, no calls, lack of rest, whatever - when all is said and done, the Dynamo dropped what might have been three much needed points.

Union midfielder Freddy Adu had a brace - his first in the 28th minute and the other off of a penalty kick in the 50th, while Josué Martinez was gifted with the third (which was a blatantly missed offside call) in the 71st minute. The Dynamo's lone goal came on an absolute blast from Boniek Garcia in the 44th, and though they had a number of other chances, they found themselves unable to put them in the back of the net.

I had DVRed the match, just in case I felt I needed to look over something before I wrote this, but I can guarantee that this is one recording that will not be watched - unless I feel the strange urge to actually work myself into a murderous rage.

Besides, a second viewing isn't really necessary to tell you what was painfully evident: the Dynamo were in no way the better team Sunday afternoon. Sure, there were a few bad calls and missed calls (the ugly, red-card-warranting foul on Luiz Camargo comes to mind), and at least one case of the linesman who had his head so far up his ass he missed an offside call by a couple of yards. But all those weren't the sole reason the team lost.

There was an energy that the team seemed to gain around the time Boniek Garcia joined the team - we could all feel it, and the Dynamo rode it for a few weeks of unbeaten play that saw them rise to the top of the Eastern Conference for one glorious week. But that was about a month and a half ago. The team's shown some inspired play since then, sure, but it seems that they've taken it back down a level.

There are still times when Will Bruin looks like he's having trouble adjusting to the 4-4-3. Tally Hall still looks brilliant, but he can't be called upon to do everything, especially when the back line sometimes looks like they're still trying to make up for the departure of Geoff Cameron. Camargo is another who appears to be struggling with the new formation, and even Boniek and Brad Davis, who appear to work so brilliantly together, seem to have lost a bit of their luster.

Those are only just a few of the problems that have seemingly come to plague the Dynamo in recent weeks. Hopefully, the team can get them sorted out and fixed in time for another late season push, but until some change is seen, my reaction to the question of playoff scenarios becomes Mora-esque:

Or, in the words of Tally Hall after the game:

"Any more outings like today and we'll find ourselves out of the playoffs."

I don't know about you guys, but I'm hoping we don't see another outing like this for a long time.

Much Adu About Nothing: Philadelphia Union 3, Houston Dynamo 1

Justin F. — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 02:16:37 -0000

Needing three points to ensure their slim playoff hopes remain alive, the Philadelphia Union delivered and ensured people would live to talk about their playoff aspirations for another day, against the Houston Dynamo. That being said, there is over a month left in the season and any more dropped points will lead to the Union being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

In addition to that, they need all the help in the world if they want to make a playoff chase, including having several teams in front of them lose at ridiculous rates. In short, the Union are not making the playoffs in 2012, and they probably did themselves a bit of a dis-service by winning. With the incentive to win gone, the best possible result for the Union would be losses as they would ensure a better second round draft pick.

*Ugh

And with a team as not-good as the 2012 Union has been, they may need as good a draft pick as they can possibly get. So in short, even when the 2012 Union win, they lose. Oh well. At least this game managed to entertain, unlike the last several the Union have played.

Things would start out poorly offensively. In the 11th minute, Josue Martinez found himself alone in front of goal only to hit Tally Hall directly. The rebound would bounce to Michael Farfan who, despite being 18 yards out and having net to shoot at, managed just a weak shot that did little to challenge Hall.

It looked like it would be another one of these games that Union fans have seen too much of over the past couple months until it wasn't anymore. After several missed chances, Freddy Adu would have a moment of brilliance whereby he saved the ball from going out for a goal kick, turned it around, and got off a nice shot past a screened Hall to give the Union the lead. It was the first goal by a Union forward in nine games. Let that sink in for a moment.

The Union were the better side throughout the first half and deserving of their lead, however, right before the half, the Dynamo would equalize on a shot by Boniek Garcia. Garcia's shot hit woodwork, however the woodwork was kind, the ball bounced in, and all of the Union's hard work was felt for naught as the teams went into the break level at one. On the whole, though, the Union had played well against a playoff contender, so there was reason for optimism heading into the second half.

That optimism turned out to be warranted. The Union would earn a penalty in the 50th minute after Andre Hainault pulled down Sheanon Williams in the box It was a clear penalty and the official was right to point to the spot. Freddy Adu would go on to convert the penalty for his second goal of the game and injure himself in the same moment. Adu would eventually need to be subbed out of the game as a result.

The key word is "eventually" because Adu was off to the side receiving treatment for five minutes while the Union played with ten men. Apparently kicking the ball out of bounds to make a sub in is a foreign concept these days. Or perhaps the Union just wanted to take part in the oodles of fun that is playing with ten men. Both schools of thought are perfectly reasonable.

The Union got their third and final goal in the 71st minute when Josue Martinez sent received a pass in the box from Amobi Okugo. Martinez, in a clearly offside position, easily slotted the ball past a helpless Hall.

The Dynamo were calling for offside, and they were absolutely right to complain. Martinez was offside by what must have been a couple yards. He got credit for a goal he did not deserve, but ultimately, the Union would hang on to win and all three points would be deserved, despite a couple chances at the end from the Dynamo.

As rough of a season as this has been, the Union were the superior team this afternoon. And while winning games now probably is not the best result for the Union in the long-term, it is hard to not feel at least little good about beating a playoff contender as decisively as the Union beat the Dynamo today, especially after everything Philadelphia has gone through in the past couple months.

Match #28 Preview: Philadelphia Union Vs. Houston Dynamo

Ben Feldman — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 21:00:19 -0000

Setting: Sunday, September 23 at PPL Park in Chester; kickoff scheduled for 4:06:30 PM Eastern

Broadcast Information: 6abc HD (JP Dellacamera, Bob Rigby, Jeff Skversky), with coverage beginning at 3:30 PM Eastern with a pre-game show, SportsRadio 610 WIP (Tony Limarzi, Peter Pappas) / Fox Sports Houston Plus (Glenn Davis, Eddie Robinson), MultiMedios 43 (Ernesto Chavana, Willie Gonzalez, Heliodoro Hinojosa), KPRC-AM 950 (Matt Pederson), La Ranchera 850 KEYH-AM (Daniel Mejía) / MLS Live, Direct Kick (blacked out in Houston)

Houston's Record: 12-7-10 (46 points, fifth in East)

Houston's Last Match: T, 1-1 at Sporting KC

Philadelphia vs. Houston This Season: 0-1-0 (Philadelphia 1 @ Houston 2 on June 30)

For the Houston Perspective, Visit Dynamo Theory

The stretch run continues for the Philadelphia Union, who will play their second match in four days as they host the Houston Dynamo tomorrow afternoon. The Dynamo come into Philadelphia on short rest themselves, having thoroughly handled Salvadorian side FAS 5-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium on Wednesday in Champions League action. Houston enters the weekend slate of matches in the #5 seed in the East, one point above #6 seed Columbus, and one point below #4 seed D.C. United. While Houston has managed to stay in the playoff picture for essentially the entire season, they've scuffled in MLS over the last month or so, winning but once in their last six MLS matches (1-2-3). With the teams above them in the standings getting crucial results, and Columbus right on their heels, the Dynamo are starting to feel a little pressure. Houston's going for a win tomorrow, not just a perfunctory road draw. Dynamo defender Corey Ashe put it, "[we've] gotta start winning."

For a side that's battling for a playoff spot while (rather successfully) working towards advancing in Champions League, Houston is almost surprisingly healthy up front and in the middle. Ashe, a full back, is out, while center back Jermaine Taylor's status is up in the air. This is probably where Houston wishes they still had Geoff Cameron, who moved to Stoke City in the Premier League over the summer, but Kofi Sarkodie and/or Warren Creavalle will get a chance instead. As Brian Ching's career begins to wind down, offensive leadership of the team has rather successfully transferred over to Brad Davis (7 goals, 11 assists) and Will Bruin (11 goals, 3 assists). Dynamo designated player Boniek Garcia (one goal, six assists) has integrated himself into the roster rather well since joining Houston from Honduran side Olimpia over the summer, and is developing a lethal one-two punch with Davis. Tally Hall, towards the top of the GAA leadership board for starting goalkeepers, continues to be a stalwart in the net for Houston.

Philadelphia manager John Hackworth promised prior to Thursday night's match against D.C. United that the Union would have a stronger attacking game, in large part by giving Jack McInerney additional support up top. Unfortunately, the team wasn't able to fulfill Hackworth's promise. The Union were shutout for the third time in their last five matches. Yes, they created some opportunities, and one could argue they were (once again) unlucky to not get a goal at some point, but after 90 minutes there was a zero on the scoreboard -- again. The players are frustrated, the coaching staff is frustrated, and fans are somewhere on a bell curve between frustrated and apathetic. Danny Cruz will once again play against a former team, which should light a spark under him. Beyond that? It's still kind of disappointing that Chandler Hoffman, Josue Martinez, and Roger Torres haven't seen increased minutes. Playing on short rest, when some of your regular starters might not be fully recovered yet, might provide the perfect opportunity for Hackworth to insert some new faces into the lineup.

Projected starters, injury reports, and assorted match notes after the jump...

Likely starters:

Philadelphia: MacMath; G. Farfan, Valdes, Okugo, Williams; Lahoud, Carroll; Torres, Martinez, Cruz; McInerney

Houston: Hall; Creavalle, Taylor/Sarkodie, Boswell, Hainault; Davis, Clark, Garcia; Kandji, Carr, Bruin

Injury updates:

For Philadelphia, Krystian Witkowski (concussion symptoms) remains out. Bakary Soumare (right knee inflammation) is "questionable", as are Gabriel Farfan (right ankle contusion) and Danny Cruz (left sesamoid stress reaction). Zach Pfeffer (right hip flexor strain) is "probable".

For Houston, Corey Ashe (left hamstring strain) is out. Jermaine Taylor (left quad contusion) is "questionable".

Of note:

Edvin Jurisevic is listed as tomorrow's match referee. In 51 career MLS matches, Jurisevic has called an average of 22.4 fouls per match, handed out an average of 3.6 yellow cards per match, given a total of four red cards, and has awarded a total of six penalty kicks.
Brian Carroll and Gabriel Gomez are both one yellow card away from receiving an automatic one-match disciplinary suspension for yellow card accumulation.
Philadelphia will be officially eliminated from playoff contention with a loss or tie against Houston.
The Union are 0-4-4 since their stoppage-time 2-1 victory against the Revolution on July 29. They've scored a grand total of four goals in those eight matches.
There is something to be said about the Union being unlucky with their lack of finishing. Over their last five matches, Philadelphia has averaged 60% possession, with 72 attempts made at goal versus 41 attempts by their opponents.
The Dynamo are 11-0-5 when scoring first. The Union are 6-3-1 when scoring first.
Tally Hall made a season-high seven saves in Houston's draw at Sporting Kansas City.

Philadelphia tries to snap its longest winless streak of the season, while Houston comes in need of three points to stay in playoff position. If you're heading down to PPL Park tomorrow afternoon, enjoy the match. Otherwise, we hope you can join us here for a gamethread!

Union and Perlaza Mutually Part Ways

Scott Kessler — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:19:22 -0000

Controversy seemed to have started to slip away from the Philadelphia Union in recent weeks, excluding questions surrounding Freddy Adu and his ability to handle a benching. It was, however, simply a calm before a storm.

The Philadelphia Union and Jorge Perlaza chose to mutually part ways yesterday, according to a report by Philly.com. Philadelphia followed up the report by confirming it on the team's radio show, the 90th Minute, and a press release posted on its official website.

Perlaza was acquired by the Union in a trade with the Portland Timbers, who received Danny Mwanga and an international roster spot in exchange for the Colombian striker.

The trade brought an end to the Mwanga project, which had its ups-and-downs during a two and a half year period. At times Mwanga showed off flashes of the talent that had French teams interested in him and that had made former head coach Peter Nowak convince the striker to stay in the United States for the 2010 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.

Mwanga was expected to produce for the Union and the deal that sent him away for an older, equally out-of-form player made fans question Nowak and the Union yet again, despite the then 21-year-old's own faults. The contractual termination of Perlaza, after only two appearances for the Union since joining the team after the June 6 trade, casts yet another shadow over the 2012 season for Philadelphia.

After the loss of Perlaza, and the dealing of Mwanga and Lionard Pajoy - who the Union sent to D.C. United for Danny Cruz - the Union have Jack McInerney, Josue Martinez, Chandler Hoffman and Antoine Hoppenot.

Numbers For A Team In Transition

mk_27 — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 15:28:04 -0000

At the end of the 2011 season, there was every reason to believe the Philadelphia Union were embarking on a steady climb. Having gained valuable playoff experience, the young team would seek to acquire a proven goal-scorer and build depth at center back before pushing deeper towards the MLS Cup. Home field advantage would remain a strength - the team had only lost 4 of 32 regular season games played across two years at PPL Park and Lincoln Financial Field. The squad would also benefit from an unbalanced schedule that limited match ups with stacked Western Conference teams like MLS Cup Champion LA Galaxy to just one while setting up three matches apiece with the bottom four finishers in the Eastern Conference - Toronto FC, New England Revolution, D.C. United, and Chicago Fire.

A roster overhaul, a coaching change, and 12 losses (5 at home) later, the Union find themselves 16 points behind 5th place DC United. Only the top 5 in each conference advance to the playoffs this season. Even with two games in hand, it will require a tremendous run and epic meltdowns elsewhere to secure a spot in the post-season.

11 games played under Peter Nowak, 11 under John Hackworth, and 12 left to go... can the boys in blue make things interesting as they head down the final stretch? Hit the jump for a look at some numbers ahead of tonight's game.

22 games played
7-12-3 overall record (5-5-1 post Nowak) - 24 pts
5-5-1 at home (4-2-0 post Nowak)
2-7-2 on the road (1-3-1 post Nowak)

With 11 games in the books under each coach, who was most affected by the Hackworth-Nowak switch?

Under Peter Nowak, Lionard Pajoy started all 11 matches and saw 974 minutes of action, scoring 3 goals. Once John Hackworth took over, his playing time was cut in half - 5 starts, 516 minutes, 2 goals. It didn't come as much of a surprise when the Colombian striker was dealt.

Gabriel Gomez
Before: 10 starts, 657 minutes, 4 goals
After: 1 start, 318 minutes, 1 goal

Jack McInerney
Before: 0 starts, 77 minutes, 0 goals
After: 9 starts, 721 minutes, 4 goals

Antoine Hoppenot
Before: 0 starts, 26 minutes, 0 goals
After: 1 start, 479 minutes, 2 goals

Amobi Okugo
Before: 1 start, 160 minutes
After: 11 starts, 990 minutes

Raymon Gaddis
Before: 7 starts, 569 minutes
After: 2 starts, 151 minutes

Keon Daniel
Before: 8 starts, 681 minutes 0 goals
After: 4 starts, 383 minutes, 1 goal

Josue Martinez
Before: 1 start, 179 minutes
After: 3 starts, 408 minutes

Carlos Valdes, Sheanon Williams, Brian Carroll, Michael Farfan, Gabriel Farfan, and Zac MacMath have played nearly every minute they have been available this season. That did not change with the coaches. Freddy Adu's minutes are nearly identical to the course Nowak had laid out.

Cristhian Hernandez saw a few minutes of action between two early-season sub appearances. Chandler Hoffman had one start and one sub appearance under each coach. Chris Albright and Porfirio Lopez remain mostly unused defensive subs. Chase Harrison and Chris Konopka each saw a game in place of a concussed Zac MacMath. Roger Torres has seen little action under either coach due to his knee injury. Danny Mwanga and Danny Califf were out of town before Hackworth could use them.

Jorge Perlaza didn't have a chance to play for Nowak, and has only seen the field twice for a total of 72 minutes in 11 games. Michael Lahoud was in town for three matches before Nowak was fired, but he has been involved in most games as either a starter or a sub. Bakary Soumare and Danny Cruz joined the team post-Nowak and Hack sent Kai Herdling home early.

Krystian Witkowski, Zach Pfeffer, Jimmy McLaughlin, and Greg Jordan have yet to see league action this season.

I think it's safe to say the writing's on the wall for Gabriel Gomez. It's a shame, because the captain of the Panamanian National Team brings size and experience to the midfield. On a team that values under-sized, high-motor guys (sounds like the Eagles), he's the odd man out.

Scoring

The Union have scored 24 goals so far this season. 8 were scored in the final 15 minutes of the first half, 8 were scored in the final 15 minutes of the second half. Only 2 (including the goal this past weekend) were scored in the first half hour of a match. Of the 28 goals allowed, 19 were allowed in the second half of a game.

Since the coaching change, the Union have scored 16 goals in 11 games. Freddy Adu has taken part (scoring, playing a crucial through ball, curling in a free kick or cross) in 6 of those goals. Of the 8 goals scored before Nowak left, Adu scored one and assisted one.

The U have only scored 6 more goals than Chris Wondolowski this season. The San Jose Earthquakes lead the league with 51 assists, and Philly are at the bottom of that list with 15. Landon Donovan and Graham Zusi have 11 assists each.

Michael Farfan (40), Freddy Adu (25), Gabriel Gomez (19), Carlos Valdes (15) are the team leaders in shots taken. Jack McInerney has 7 shots on goal and 4 goals. Gomez has 8 shots on goal and 5 goals.

The Union are 5-0-1 when leading at the half. They are 1-10-1 when allowing the first goal.

14 own goals have been recorded in the league this season. Keon Daniel and Amobi Okugo were charged with one apiece, and Freddy Adu's cross / Chase Harrison's run forced Jalil Alibaba into one in Philadelphia's favor.

All Time Union Scorers:
Sebastien Le Toux - 25
Danny Mwanga - 12
Jack McInerney - 8
Carlos Ruiz - 6
Lionard Pajoy - 5
Gabriel Gomez - 5
Freddy Adu - 5
Fred - 4
Justin Mapp - 4
Veljko Paunovic - 3
Roger Torres - 3
Michael Farfan - 3
Alejandro Moreno - 2
Michael Orozco Fiscal - 2
Antoine Hoppenot - 2
Brian Carroll - 2
Keon Daniel - 2
Carlos Valdes - 2
Danny Califf - 1
Kyle Nakazawa - 1
Sheanon Williams - 1
Gabriel Farfan - 1
Jordan Harvey - 1
Shea Salinas - 1

Misbehavior

Michael Farfan is tied with Eric Hassli for 4th most fouls committed in the league with 49, and he has a game or two in hand against the three players above him (Diego Chara 56, Dane Richards 50, Gershon Koffie 50). To put that in perspective, Sheanon Williams led the team in fouls last season, with 38. Fred was the team leader in fouls committed in 2010 with 37.

Marfan was largely invisible against DC United on Sunday, but the silver lining is that he made it through the match without a card. As it was his 3rd consecutive game without a caution, he had one yellow card removed from his total. His brother, however, collected his fourth card and must accomplish the same feat to avoid a one-game suspension. Carlos Valdes and Gabriel Gomez have already used their one-time Good Behavior Incentives, and Gomez will serve a suspension if he ever has the opportunity to earn another yellow for the Union.

With Sheanon Williams' unwarranted red card this past weekend, the Union have tied their all-time season high with 5.

All Time Union Red Card Earners:
Sheanon Williams (2)
Jack McInerney (2)
Freddy Adu
Gabriel Farfan
Keon Daniel
Jordan Harvey
Brad Knighton
Danny Califf
Michael Orozco Fiscal
Stefani Miglioranzi
Toni Stahl

Top Yellow Card Earner:
Carlos Valdes - 12

Goalkeeping

Zac MacMath has had some shaky performances lately, though he has also kept us in a few games with some solid saves. Only 6 teams in the league have faced fewer shots, and only one of those teams (Colorado Rapids) has a losing record.

MacMath has faced 85 shots, made 59 saves, and allowed 26 goals. He has 5 shutouts so far this season (making him the all-time Union shutout leader with 8 overall). In 27 appearances for the Union, Faryd Mondragon saw 79 shots, made 49 saves, and allowed 28 goals for 7 shutouts.

Zac's early season shutout streak of 404 minutes still stands as the second longest streak this season (bested only by Jimmy Nielson's 414 minutes that ran pretty much at the same time).

Who would you like to see get more playing time as the season winds down? Goalkeepers generally get an extra year in the program, but interested to see what happens to the roster when McInerney and Okugo come off the Generation Adidas cap-exempt list? Assuming mostly wins at home and mostly losses on the road from here on out, do you think Hackworth will be in place at the start of the 2013 season?

Scouting Report: Philadelphia Union

ChestRockwell — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 14:00:19 -0000

Let's cut right to the chase: This is one D.C. United has to have.

Thanks to some unconvincing performances in their last four games - somehow, that means since the beginning of July! - and the rest of the East getting to play constantly, the Black-and-Red are all the sudden in 5th place after spending much of the season closer to topping the table. Meanwhile, the Montreal Impact (largely due to having played four more times than United) are in 6th and only behind by 3. The Columbus Crew will be within 4 points if they win their game in hand on us, and they just unveiled a new signing they're comparing to Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

In other words, it's go time.

The Union are hardly the ideal team to be facing right now, either. This is the side that knocked us out of the US Open Cup by jamming up the midfield, fouling constantly, and eventually catching us napping on long through balls. They followed that up by going to a high-pressure 433 - the thing that we have struggled with for months now - and totally outplayed United at PPL Park. Sadly for the Union, no one wearing their ugly uniforms could finish, and Chris Pontius scored the game's only goal from a lovely free kick from Branko Boskovic.

Of course, one game doesn't define a team. The Union played that game with the vigor and positivity that came from the firing of Peter Nowak, who was very unpopular within the Union squad. The new coach vibe has stopped working, however, and the Union don't look much better these days than they did under Nowak. They've lost three of their last four, and have only 6 goals on the road in 2012.

So who are we going to face, the good Union or the bad Union?

The Union generally say they're playing 433, but in practice their road formation is more of a 4231. On offense it can be a bit confusing - the Union love to have players temporarily swap positions going forward - but on defense it will generally be quite rigid:

	McInerney

Martinez?			Adu?
	M. Farfan

	Lahoud?
		Carroll


G. Farfan?	Valdes?	Okugo	Williams


	MacMath

The most noteworthy question mark is Carlos Valdes, who was with Colombia for a mid-week international friendly. There has been no word of an injury, but he also sat out Philly's last match (a 3-1 home loss to the Chicago Fire). If Valdes can't play, look for Bakary Soumare to get the start instead.

The question at left back is less about Gabriel Farfan and more about the issue at defensive midfield alongside Brian Carroll. Hackworth hasn't settled on anyone at that position, and recently gave "Garfan" a run-out there with Ra Gaddis deputizing for him at left back.

Other candidates for that defensive midfield job include Michael Lahoud (the slight favorite) and Gabriel Gomez, who despite his resume with the Panamanian national team and his ability to help the offense out with goals hasn't ever really convinced Hackworth. My money's on Lahoud due to his non-stop running, but Gomez will probably come on as a sub if United gets a lead.

The wings are a revolving door for the Union and have been for a long time. Freddy Adu seems to generally start, but ends up on the bench just barely often enough that you can't be 100% sure he'll go from the opening whistle. He's also played some on the left, so there's that to consider as well. The very recently traded Danny Cruz could also line up there, but then so could Antoine Hoppenot - scorer of the goal that knocked us out of the Open Cup - Josue Martinez, or Keon Daniel.

Martinez could also show up on the left, where his direct running and finishing ability might give the Union something they lack right now. However, everyone I just mentioned as a candidate to play on the right could also pop up on the left, with Daniel perhaps the favorite out of that group.

So what are the differences? We know Cruz well, so I'll skip him. Martinez arrived from Costa Rican giants Saprissa as a forward and is still learning how to be a wide player. Hoppenot is very fast and comes up with big plays, but has pretty low soccer IQ and can be a big defensive liability. Daniel is the smartest and most skillful of the group, but is also the slowest and tends to drift inside often. With Adu also guilty of that, it can leave the Union too narrow going forward.

The key man for Philly, however, will be in between whoever emerges from the gang of potential wide players. Michael Farfan was a last-second addition to Ben Olsen's roster for the All Star Game, but it was high time someone recognized "Marfan." We're talking about one of the better 1v1 players in MLS, as well as a guy capable of scoring from long range and also a clever, skillful set-up man. He may not be David Ferreira, but shutting down Farfan would go a long way towards a win for United.

Perry Kitchen is usually strong against guys that try to isolate him 1v1, but United can't just leave it to one man. As with all 433/4231 teams, the wingers Olsen chooses must pinch inside to make sure the central midfield is 4v3 in our favor rather than 3v2 against. Kitchen may be able to shut down "Marfan" as a threat himself, but if no one's helping with slashing runs inside or tracking Lahoud/Gomez, it won't matter much. The model for how to make this work was April's 4-1 demolition of FC Dallas. If we fail at this, the game will go more like our recent, troubling losses to other 433/4231 sides.

Going forward, the Union are usually tight defensively. That said, Chicago really tore into them with counterattacks and early through balls (note: those require awareness from the passer and the guy making the run). The issue was that Valdes was out, depriving the Union of their defensive leader and leaving them with a young back four. Soumare was the veteran in that group, but is coming off of a knee injury and is also returning to MLS from Europe (meaning, he didn't really get a preseason before being tossed into the deep end).

The key to producing those types of chances will be to stretch the field out in all directions when we have the ball. Our wide players need to look for chances to get in behind for a long crossfield ball, and those two and our forwards need to be on the lookout for Emiliano Dudar's long passes. Philly can go to sleep when the ball is far from their goal - they're a young team, after all - and bypassing their clogged central midfield works better than trying to charge through it.

It will also be important for United to pull the trigger rather than waiting for perfect chances. Zac MacMath will one day be a strong GK, but he has looked shaky for a couple of months now. Whether it's getting caught halfway between charging out and staying home, or letting up goals caused by him being flatfooted, MacMath is not in form right now. Letting him go 90 minutes only having to make 2 or 3 saves would be a huge opportunity missed. The Black-and-Red need to make MacMath stand on his head or suffer the consequences.

Ultimately, this is a big game for both sides. United can't afford to slip up any more, or they'll be more fully in a race for merely the 5th playoff spot rather than breathing more comfortably higher up the table. Philly, meanwhile, have 13 games to make up a 13 point gap for that same 5th spot. This game, like all in-conference games for them, is a must win. Teams tend to either play their best with their backs against the wall, or fold under the pressure. United needs to jump on a Union team that isn't feeling confident of late and make that latter scenario come true.

You Choose POLL: McInerney Red Card Leaves Choice of Hoffman, Hoppenot, Martinez or Perlaza

Scott Kessler — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 16:40:39 -0000

Jack McInerney's controversial red card, handed out against the Montreal Impact for his involvement the post-Martin Rivas headbutt 'scrum,' has left a hole at the starting false nine or central advanced forward role in the Philadelphia Union's hybrid 4-3-3.

The Union's options to replace McInerney have little starting experience in Philadelphia colors, but they do provide the team with some attributes not seen on the field otherwise.

Chandler Hoffman - the rookie striker was misused by former head coach Peter Nowak, forced to play a pseudo-winger position in his first appearance for the Union. Since, Hoffman has featured in friendlies and some other playing time and still remains the only striker on the Union whose skillset revolves around poaching goals. He also has size, standing at 6-foot, 1-inch tall.

Antoine Hoppenot - another rookie striker, but this time he's a supplemental draft pick, not a first rounder or Generation Adidas player. Hoppenot has impressed greatly almost whenever he comes into a game as a supersub. The former Princeton University standout was unable to do much in his first and only start of the year, but that was due in part to him and McInerney sharing a similar playing style. He most likely will not start today's game.

Josue Martinez - a former Costa Rican international at only 22-years-old. Martinez has played to mixed reviews so far this season, but his speed, work rate and potential have fans and media still waiting to see what he can bring to the table. This situation could give Martinez the opportunity to break into the the pecking order for substitutions, or even the starting lineup.

Jorge Perlaza - acquired in a trade with the Portland Timbers that sent Danny Mwanga to the west coast. The Colombian has had one opportunity to break into the team and he failed at it. It's a big question as to whether or not interim head coach John Hackworth wanted Perlaza, but now he's stuck with him. It's not likely that Perlaza starts, but given the shortened roster the Union have right now, he may make the bench.

Who would you choose to start today, in place of McInerney?

Poll

Who would you start in place of the suspended Jack McInerney?

Hoffman

58 votes

Hoppenot

33 votes

Martinez

39 votes

Perlaza

9 votes

139 votes | Poll has closed

Sportitalia Links Union To Aging Atalanta Striker Simone Tiribocchi

Scott Kessler — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 19:43:03 -0000

The secondary transfer window for Major League Soccer teams ends today, but a report out of Italy said that the Philadelphia Union have inquired about adding a European player to their roster.

Despite already paying five players - Chandler Hoffman, Josue Martinez, Jack McInerney, Lionard Pajoy and Jorge Perlaza - to play in forward roles, the Union allegedly have pursued Simone Tiribocchi. Philadelphia has reportedly entered into competition with D.C. United and Chicago Fire for the Atlanta striker's signature.

According to Tutto Mercatto Web, Sportitalia, a major Italian soccer outlet, said on its program "Special Cup" that the three MLS teams were after Tiribocchi.

Already nearing retirement, he turned 34 in January, Tiribocchi has lacked the form that brought him to Chievo Verona for some time now, scoring only thrice for Atalanta in 14 games played last season. In the last eight years, Tiribocchi has only had limited success, averaging slightly over a goal every three games the past three years with Atalanta.

Priorto joining Atalanta in 2009, Tiribocchi had decent form with Lecce from 2006-09, once again averaging just over a goal every three games. Before that, Tiribocchi failed to impress at Chievo, scoring 15 times in 59 games, after arriving from Torino after a year on loan at Siena saw him depart with 17 goals in 34 appearances.

Friendly #2 Preview And Game Thread: Philadelphia Union Vs. Aston Villa

Scott Kessler — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 19:25:09 -0000

Tonight the Philadelphia Union host Aston Villa, formerly the home of English internationals James Milner, now with Manchester City, and Ashley Young, currently playing for Manchester United.

Villa faced problems reminiscent of the 2012 Nowak-era Union during the 2011-2012 English Premier League season, nearly being relegated to the English Championship. A chance in managers during the season helped to alleviate some of Villa's problems, but they still barely stayed out of the relegation zone.

Darren Bent, Gabby Abonglahor and Shay Given headline this season's squad, with Paul Lambert as the team's third manager in only two years. The Union have dealt with limited central defensive depth all season and have played plenty of games of late and will continue to have a tight schedule moving forward.

Expect the Union to role out a team of mostly reserve players and rookies due to Philadelphia's away game against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday in Harrison, NJ.

Playing into Philadelphia's favor will be the weather tonight, which will stay in the 90s with high humidity, something that Villa's players are not used to playing in during their preseason.

After the jump, the game thread portion of this post, including lineups, prediction and television information.

Philadelphia Union starting XI (projected): Chris Konopka; Raymon Gaddis, Greg Jordan, Chris Albright, Profirio Lopez; Zach Pfeffer, Keon Daniel, Roger Torres; Josue Martinez, Antoine Hoppenot, Jimmy McLaughlin

Philadelphia Union bench (projected): Chase Harrison, Michael Lahoud, Roger Torres, Gabriel Farfan, Chandler Hoffman, Freddy Adu, Amobi Okugo

Aston Villa XI:

Aston Villa bench:

Use this space to discuss the game. Please do not use it to post illegal streams, troll, or attack others. Aston Villa fans are more than welcome to join the discussion, but don't be a douche bag. As someone who has been on this network for a long time, it is very easy to tell the difference between someone well-meaning, and someone whose sole purpose is to incite a reaction out of others, a.k.a. trolling.

Prediction: Union win 1-0. Philadelphia is still undefeated at PPL Park in international friendlies and has a propensity to participate in low scoring affairs when it comes to facing foreign teams.

Game is scheduled for 7:30. Aston Villa will stream the game live on its website, but 7500 to Holte, SB Nation's Aston Villa site, says that it is a pay service. It is, however, available through Villa's online audio stream here - need to sign up for their site to access it.

Talk about the game here.

Match #16 Preview: Philadelphia Union Vs. Toronto FC

Ben Feldman — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 01:00:58 -0000

Setting: Sunday, July 8 at PPL Park in Chester; kickoff scheduled for 4:08 PM Eastern

Broadcast Information: 6abc (JP Dellacamera, Bob Rigby), with coverage beginning at 3:30 PM Eastern with a pre-game show / TSN (Luke Wileman, Jason de Vos), CJAD-AM (Dan Dunleavy) in Canada / MLS Direct Kick, MLS Live (U.S. only; 6abc feed)

Toronto's Record: 2-10-4, 10 points (tenth in East)

Toronto's Last Match: T, 1-1 at FC Dallas

Philadelphia vs. Toronto This Season: 0-1-0 (Philadelphia 0 @ Toronto 1 on May 26)

For the Toronto Perspective, Visit Waking The Red

The teams with the two worst records in Major League Soccer get together once again on Sunday, as the Philadelphia Union host Toronto FC. These two sides met just six weeks ago up at BMO Field in what was to be the Union's last MLS match with Peter Nowak at the helm. Toronto's Danny Koevermans, just a few days after calling his then-winless side "the worst team in the world", scored the game's only goal in the 88th minute to give Toronto that elusive first victory of the season in the club's tenth try. For Union fans, that loss stung in particular, and the change in leadership that followed came as little surprise. Toronto, too, opted to make a coaching chance soon after the match. That afternoon in Toronto has actually turned out to be something of a turning point for both Philadelphia and Toronto. The Union, under John Hackworth, look to be revitalized, and Toronto FC, under Paul Mariner, are unbeaten in five (one win, four draws) after starting winless in nine.

Since calling his team out, Koevermans has done something that, frankly, most athletes don't do: he's put actions behind his words. He's tallied in seven of Toronto's last eight MLS matches, including each of their last five. It's put him in a tie for third place in the entire league for goal scoring. The entire Toronto offense, really, which was anaemic prior to their coaching change (much like Philadelphia), has stepped it up, with a combined ten goals in their last five matches. This after scoring a total of eight goals in the preceding eleven matches. Funny enough, their offensive improvement has come after the removal of Aron Winter's 4-3-3 in place of a more traditional 4-4-2, while Philadelphia's been the exact opposite. John Hackworth's introduction of a 4-3-3 formation has served the Union roster much more beneficial than Peter Nowak's preferred 4-4-2 or 4-2-2-2. The red-hot Koevermans is Toronto's flagship offensive threat, but Ryan Johnson, who has started up top in every match this season for Toronto, is also dangerous. FC Dallas managed to shut them down pretty well this past Saturday, though, with the team registering a season-low in shots, with just eight attempts at goal.

It will be interesting to see how John Hackworth decides to manage minutes for his starters on Sunday, given that the team has a quicker-than-usual turnaround for their U.S. Open Cup semifinal match against Sporting KC on Wednesday. Typically, MLS schedules weekend matches on Saturdays and mid-week matches on Wednesdays, so the loss of a rest day makes this a particularly rough 96 hours for the Union. Hackworth has repeatedly emphasized how important the Open Cup is for his team and for the organization as a whole, so one has to assume that he will not be afraid to substitute out any of his core starters in the second half if he sees the legs getting heavy to ensure that they are fresh for Wednesday. Expect to see Antoine Hoppenot used as a super-sub once again, perhaps even a little bit earlier than he's typically entered matches. Perhaps the minutes crunch will result in some added opportunity for one or more of Josue Martinez, Jorge Perlaza, and Roger Torres (who has been on the bench, ready to come in if called upon, for a few weeks now) either tomorrow, Wednesday, or next Saturday against the visiting Montreal Impact.

Projected starters, injury reports, and assorted match notes after the jump...

Likely starters:

Philadelphia: MacMath; Gaddis, Valdes, Okugo, Williams; Daniel, Carroll, Lahoud; Adu, M. Farfan, McInerney

Toronto: Kocic; Morgan, Emory, Eckersley, Hall; Avila, Frings, Dunfield, Lambe; Johnson, Koevermans

Injury updates:

For Philadelphia, Chandler Hoffman (left big toe fracture), Krystian Witkowski (concussion symptoms), and Bakary Soumare (right knee meniscus recovery) are out. The availability of Sheanon Williams (right big toe fracture recovery) is "probable".

For Toronto, Stefan Frei (left lower leg) and Doneil Henry (illness) are unavailable. Nicholas Lindsay (left knee surgery recovery), Ty Harden (right adductor strain), and Adrian Cann (right knee sprain) are "questionable".

Of note:

Paul Ward is listed as tomorrow's match referee. In 35 career MLS matches, Ward has called an average of just over 23 fouls per match, given out an average of 3-4 yellow cards per match, handed out a total of 11 red cards, and has awarded a total of seven penalty kicks.
Carlos Valdes is one yellow card away from receiving an automatic one-match disciplinary suspension for yellow card accumulation.
Toronto has conceded within the first five minutes in each of their last two matches.
The Union and Toronto both avoided being called for offside in their matches on Saturday, the first time either of them had done so this season.
A remarkable 24 of Toronto's 30 conceded goals have been scored from inside the penalty area, which probably says all you need to know about how well most teams have done at breaking down the Toronto midfield and backline.

The Union go for another solid result to further their momentum under John Hackworth, with visiting Toronto FC vying to continue their unbeaten streak as they hope to get closer to breaking out of last place in the Eastern Conference. Defeating the team directly ahead of them in the standings, Philadelphia, would go a long way towards doing that. If you're heading down to PPL Park tomorrow, enjoy the match. If you're not, hope you can join us for a gamethread!