Brotherly Game: All Posts by Phil Moore

When your biggest strength becomes a weakness

2019-11-08T11:38:00-05:00

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

A reflection on Andre Blake’s 2019 season

When a team has moderate success, it’s almost easier to pick out their true flaws than compared to when they are playing very poorly. You could have had endless debates about the things the Union needed to change heading into this season, but after seeing the team play some great soccer this year, you start to truly see the team’s weaknesses. Surprising to probably everyone is that one of the biggest weaknesses the team had this season was the play of their All-Star goalkeeper Andre Blake.

While everyone can point to his terrible performance against the Red Bulls in the playoffs, I think his performance for basically the entire year was disappointing. There were some of Blake’s trademark quick reaction saves (mostly caused by poor positioning to begin with), but beyond that, Blake had the worst season of his professional career. He did deal with a groin injury part of the way into the season, and who knows if that may have bothered him further into the year, but he had career worsts in save percentage (59.4%) and in goals against average (1.58). It’s not super fair to compare Blake’s full season stats to Matt Freese’s 5 starts, but the academy product and youth national team keeper bested both of Blake’s numbers significantly.

To put Blake’s stats this season in context of the entire league, he was the 13th ranked goalkeeper in goals against average, and not even ranked in the top 20 in the league for save percentage. Add those two together, and I think you can say that Blake may have been the weakest part of the starting 11 this year.

There are obviously multiple factors contributing to why the Union were unable to keep clean sheets, but Andre Blake’s subpar play is definitely one of them. For this team to compete with the top teams in the league, consistent goalkeeper play is a must.

Barring Raymon Gaddis, the backline for the Union is quite young. With youth, it’s generally proven that having an experienced veteran leader is beneficial to their growth. I think Aurelien Collin was that veteran leader for the center backs, but I think Blake should really be that leader on the field going forward. While he’s not very outspoken, he still should demonstrate command over a youthful defensive unit, but I can’t say I’ve seen him communicate with his teammates in the ways the historically great goalkeepers usually do.

I recently went to rural Jamaica for Pro Bono physical therapy work, and while I was there, I was curious to see what locals thought of their national team goalkeeper and captain. Most of the youth I met thought he was great, but one person really gave me an interesting perspective. This man was a former FIFA referee who was forced to retire due to a vehicular accident. He told me that he thought Andre Blake should really be a better leader for his teammates, and that as long as he’s captain, he needs to do more. He really wanted to see him be more outspoken in the locker room and on the field. While I think those criticisms may be a tad unfair, I also think Blake isn’t ever going to be that outspoken guy. There is value in quiet leadership, and Blake is obviously a great example of a true professional.

Personally, I think Blake will have a bounce back year next season, but if not, Matt Freese should be ready to take the reigns. A team is only as good as its weakest link and the Union can’t really afford another year in net from Blake like this season if they have high ambitions. The good news is I’m confident that one of either Blake or Freese will be able to take them a step further next season.

“O. Zero. None. Zilch.”

2019-09-18T10:47:00-04:00

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Why not chartering flights next week sets the Union up for failure

Flying commercially next week? So are your favorite Philadelphia Union players…. 4 TIMES! Time is recovery, and the Union are choosing to spend extra time in busses and at the airport instead of resting.

Jonathan Tannenwald of the Philadelphia Inquirer helped shine a light on the chartered flight issue in a great article earlier this week.

The Union’s itinerary next week is a game Sunday night in Harrison, NJ (which is right next to the Newark airport) drive back to Philly after the game, fly to San Jose the next day, train in San Jose Tuesday for their game Wednesday. Game and then recovery overnight Wednesday before flying back to Philly Thursday, then two days later fly to Columbus on Saturday before their third away game in a week on Sunday. If that doesn’t sound exhausting to you, you’re probably an MLS team owner or Don Garber’s lawyer in the upcoming CBA negotiations.

On top of that terrible travel schedule, the Union have used, in the words of captain Alejandro Bedoya, exactly “O. Zero. None. Zilch.” of their allotted four chartered flight legs this season. Yes, most teams don’t use all of the allotted four, but the Union have a legitimate chance at winning the East and hosting several playoff games if they finish strong. Spending an extra couple hundred thousand to help boost the chances at an additional several million dollars in revenue from hosting playoff games seems like a logical choice.

A chartered travel schedule for this upcoming week could look like this instead.

Game Sunday, stay overnight in Newark for recovery. Fly out of Newark on a chartered flight to San Jose Monday morning. Train on Tuesday and play Wednesday. Spend Wednesday night recovering in San Jose before chartering a flight to Columbus Thursday, and then train two days there before playing Sunday. Heck you can even fly commercial back to Philly after that.

Now I will say I’m no expert in coordinating travel, but it’s easy to see that the second scenario seems a lot less stressful on the players, who are already dealing with three away games in eight days. Not using any chartered flights this regular season also does little to change the public’s perception of a penny hording Union ownership group.

The Union have responded to the criticism with a statement from Ernst Tanner basically saying they’re happy with the travel arrangements and they don’t need to charter a flight. CBO Tim McDermott also defended the ownership group by tweeting “Ownership has never denied the team going charter. If Ernst felt it was best then that’s what we’ll do”.

It’s obvious that Bedoya disagrees with that sentiment from his tweets, and I’m definitely going to side with the captain on this one. As amazing as Ernst has been, none of the teams he’s been in charge of in the past have had to travel like MLS teams do. If this decision was solely his, and he truly believes their current travel arrangements give them the best chance at winning, then I’d have to argue that that’s a mistake. My personal thought is that the team is trying to do what they’ve always tried to do, win with as little money spent as possible. If they come out of this with three positive results next week, then props to the players, who are trying to accomplish something incredibly difficult without the travel luxuries given to the other top teams like LAFC.

Time is paramount for recovery, and no matter how you put it, not chartering flights this next week decreases the amount of recovery time for the players. Not using any charter flights this entire regular season continues to propagate the belief that the current ownership group isn’t willing to spend anything extra to try and gain a competitive advantage. When a team has a chance to do something truly special you’d like to see the organization and ownership throw their full support behind them, unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be the case.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

It’s a good time to be a Philadelphia Union fan

2019-08-12T11:30:00-04:00

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Thoughts after a less-than-stellar win against Houston.

It’s good to be a Philadelphia Union fan right now. Between the big wins, sold-out crowds, being first in the East, and Bedoya making national headlines last week, there hasn’t ever been a time quite like this in Union history.

Everyone should savor the moment, because there are 22 teams in the league wishing they were leading their respective conference. As the season winds down, each game takes on a new sense of importance, and this win against Houston is bigger than it may seem on the surface. The remainder of the home games this season are all going to be big tests. A newly revamped DC United, league-leading LAFC, a surging Atlanta United, and a challenging NYCFC all come to town looking to knock them off their perch. The next month or so is crucial, and in some ways, make or break for this team. People are still skeptical of the team’s potential due to inconsistent performances since the all-star break, but we should let the standings speak for themselves. With eight games to go, the Union are in first.

That being said, head coach Jim Curtin was clearly not happy with his team’s performance against Houston. After the game he said, “Our roster and our talent level is too good for a performance like tonight…If we want to be now mentioned in the elite teams in this league, a performance like this is nowhere good enough.”

While I love that Curtin is really pushing this team to be their best, I tend to disagree with the fact that this was a performance that is abnormal for a top team in the league. Yes, LAFC is winning games at a rate higher than any team in league history, but if you’ve watched Atlanta or really anyone else this year, the best teams have found ways to win games even when they don’t play well. In this league, everyone is inconsistent. Winning is all that matters in my book, and the Union accomplished that this week like they have so many times this season when they haven’t played their best.

It’s probably best summed up by Houston’s goalscorer tonight, Christian Ramirez, who after the game said, “Two unlucky bounces and (Philadelphia Union) capitalized and that’s why they’re top of the league right now, on this side of the conference.”

Tactically, Houston deserves tons of credit for their approach. They played almost a 4-man front line that pinned the Union back and made Jack Elliott and Aurélien Collin try to pick out line-splitting passes for much of the game. Curtin acknowledged that this caught them off-guard a little bit, and Houston’s game plan was quite effective till Jamiro Monteiro and Ilsinho came on. Marco Fabián tended to drift back and out to the left, leaving himself with fewer chances to make impact plays on the night. Haris Medunjanin was lying too deep in the first half, unable to truly get into the attack. Kacper Przybyłko, who scored and had a few really good moments, had more than a few poor back passes when he had space to turn and take on his defender. Too many times the Union turned it over before even getting it to the final third.

While Houston was successful in disrupting the midfield and the attack, the defense only really gave up two scoring chances on the night, one which Ramirez finished. The performance was never going to be as good as the dismantling against DC last week, and was probably poorer than most of us expected, but the team still got the result and everyone who was there will tell you they had a great time.

Sold out crowds automatically make the game day experience more fun, but something special occurred last night as well. After the Union scored the eventual winning goal, the new supporters group, Keystone Ultras, started a cheer and eventually they got everyone in the stadium in on it. Besides the Union chant on corner kicks, there have been close to zero full-stadium cheers, and that was one of the coolest atmospheres there’s ever been in the stadium.

Cheers still going pic.twitter.com/BarXehd7l6
— Brotherly Game (@BrotherlyGame) August 11, 2019

Tonight shows that winning puts the butts in seats regardless of the location of the stadium, and selling out a game against a lackluster Houston team is a big feat for the organization, considering their attendance struggles in the past few years that everyone’s loved to talk about.

Tonight was a big win for the team, and based on Curtin’s post-game reaction, I’m sure he’s going to keep pushing the team to make sure they’re not satisfied with anything other than complete domination. As I said, it’s a great time to be a fan of this team right now, and their performance tonight, while not the prettiest, demonstrates a change in this organization’s view of success. Here’s to continued wins and hopefully an elusive home playoff game to cap this historic season.

Philadelphia Union made the most of their national spotlight in D.C.

2019-08-05T10:34:22-04:00

Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

The Union captivated their national audience in more ways than one with their 5-1 victory over D.C. Sunday night

Wow, what a game. Any time the Union win I am proud, but I’ve never been prouder to be a fan of this team than I am right now. Between some amazing transitional play, great tactical and lineup changes, a heartfelt message and a coach and organization backing up their player in the face of possible scrutiny, this is what sports are all about.

People may say that they want to keep politics out of sports, but tonight isn’t and shouldn’t be about politics so to speak. It should be about an incredible team performance (with a billion different storylines) and an incredible gesture by a true leader acknowledging the pain many communities in the U.S. are going through right now due to mass shootings.

When Alejandro Bedoya scored in the third minute and ran over to the on-field microphone to deliver the message, “Hey Congress, do something. End gun violence now, Let’s go.” tonight became more than just about the result. There are people that will take offense to Bedoya’s message, and to be honest, a soccer article like this is no place to discuss the merits of different potential solutions to preventing mass shootings, but without a doubt, we should all want innocent people to stop being killed.

Bedoya’s message obviously resonated with many people, quickly becoming one of the tops trends on Twitter in the U.S., with a huge outpouring of support. With the game being nationally broadcast on FS1, the news of Bedoya’s message spread like a wildfire online.

In the post-match interviews, Curtin said he was “on Ale’s side” and went on to call for change himself. The MLS Players Association also came out in full support of Bedoya’s comments during and post-game.

“Before I’m and athlete, before I’m a soccer player, I’m a human being first,” Bedoya said post-game. This stuff affects me”

He went on to say: “I’m dropping my kids off at school and I’m looking around paranoid thinking about exit strategy, when I’m at the mall or movie theatre, when I’m at a concert or a festival down the street, big gatherings. Something’s got to be done. It’s gotten to the point where we’ve almost become numb to it, and that’s a big problem”

Our captain taking a stand for what he believes in is something we should celebrate. Bedoya grew up in Florida not far from Parkland High School, and knows many people personally affected by the horrible shooting that happened there. He wants a better and safer world for his kids to live in, and he took his opportunity tonight to deliver a message in the nation’s capital.

ON TOP OF THAT, he scored and the team demolished DC United 5-1. Curtin’s tweaks to the lineup made all the difference and Warren Creavalle played possibly his best game ever for the Union. Marco Fabián was able to stay higher up the pitch to find balls in more dangerous areas, scoring a pair of goals and adding an assist as well. Kai Wagner was incredibly dangerous going forward, picking up another assist. The defense, while not maintaining the clean sheet, disrupted DC’s attack for the majority of the match, and while United looked dangerous at times, the Union were dominant on Sunday night.

There’s a lot to be excited about as a Union fan right now. First place in the east, a HUGE road victory, Wooten looking like a great signing, and players back from injuries.

Most exciting to me is that the Union were not just in the spotlight of the league, but in the entire sports and social media world because our captain Ale Bedoya stood up for what he believes in. That, to me, is a really special and incredible thing, and I hope that Bedoya is welcomed back to Talen Energy Stadium on Sunday with deafening cheers on Sunday.

Things we learned from the Union’s win against Chicago

2019-07-22T11:17:00-04:00

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Fighting Fire with Fire

Saturday’s 2-0 win, courtesy of a nasty strike from Marco Fabián and a sealer from Anthony Fontanta in the crazy heat over Chicago, was the Philadelphia Union’s first clean sheet since the May 18th 0-0 draw with Seattle. The team looked much better than against RSL last week, but still has a lot of room to improve. Here’s four things we learned from last night’s victory.

The team played better Saturday, but is still inconsistent

There have been times this season that the Union have been firing on all cylinders. Usually that happens when Jamiro Monteiro on the pitch. The Union obviously still missed Monteiro’s hustle and creativity on Saturday, but they showed flashes of the high intensity pressure we’re used to seeing with him on the field. The several minutes leading to Anthony Fontana’s goal were fantastic from the Union and they were finally rewarded with the second goal to put the game away. Those bursts of high pressure seem to be coming much less frequently than they were earlier this season, or almost not at all in the RSL game, but the improved performances from Aaronson and Fabián were key to last night’s win. If they want to keep their spot top of the table in the east, they need to figure out how to keep the intensity up even toward the end of a long season.

Kai Wagner may be a more key player to this team than Monteiro

I know, I know. I’m crazy for implying that Jamiro isn’t the most key player for this team going forward, but after last night’s performance from Wagner, I’m sold on his importance to the team. We looked absolutely abysmal against RSL with Kai off the pitch, and while we didn’t look particularly good against Chicago, he played a role in both of the goals we scored. His simple first-time layoff to Fabián was perfectly weighted, although that was not nearly as impressive as him fighting though contact while going to the ground before delivering a deflected cross right to Fontana. The work rate on the second goal was the fight the Union need every game. Without Wagner, our options are very limited at left back, and he’s probably the single most irreplaceable player in the squad for that reason. Keeping him healthy is a must if the Union are going to make a playoff run. Missing him due to yellow card accumulation next week against Montreal will be a big loss.

Marco Fabián was signed to score that goal (and hopefully more like it)

Let’s be honest, that goal was hotter than the temperature at kickoff. Long range strikes come few and far between for the Union. As a team that’s mostly fed off crosses for the majority of recent history, it was fun to finally see someone take a shot from distance that was actually on target. The goal also came off a set piece, which along with corners, the Union have been pretty poor with all season. Hopefully we can see some more Marco magic, and that this goal and improved performance will just be the start of him starting to play at a high level consistently for this team.

CJ is still CJ

The CJ Sapong we know and love is still the exact same player as the one that was traded right before the season started. He had two quality chances off headers for Chicago, which he fired (almost unsurprisingly) straight at Blake. While he may be in a good run of form, scoring 9 goals for Chicago so far this season, the Union are a much better team now than they were with him as their main scoring threat. I’d have to say the Union won the trade with Chicago, especially after last night’s performance from CJ. If you’re reading this CJ know the fans still love you, and you’re still an amazing person, we just may be a tad happier without you.

What were your takeaways from Saturday’s game? Let us know in the comments!

Talking Real Salt Lake with Lucas Muller from RSL Soapbox

2019-07-13T10:07:00-04:00

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Lucas gives us an inside look at this year’s RSL squad ahead of Saturday’s match

The Union head to Rio Tinto for their only match this season against RSL and play them away for the first time since a 1-0 loss in 2017. Getting us caught up on RSL is Lucas Muller, an editor at fellow SB Nation site RSL Soapbox. You can see my answers to his questions about the Union on the RSL Soapbox site.

How is this team different than the team that the Union beat 4-1 last season?

Much like 2018, the 2019 iteration of Real Salt Lake are consistently inconsistent. That 4-1 loss was right after a win and followed by three wins. We’re seeing similar results this year, though the offseason moves do feel like an upgrade. The biggest issue for RSL in 2018 was the lack of a true center forward. Rookie Corey Baird and MLS newcomer Damir Kreilach did well to step into that role, but it’s not the ideal spot for either player.

The signing of Liberian forward Sam Johnson has been a huge value add. The 26 year old is the first true striker the club has had since Alvaro Saborio was traded to DC United in 2015. He’s been a breath of fresh air for the attack and leads the team with 8 goals this season. Luckily for Union fans, he’s injured and unlikely to feature in this game.

Two other valuable players that are new to the team are Donny Toia and Everton Luiz. Toia is a 27 year old left back who was a homegrown product for RSL, but was released before ever seeing minutes with the team. His addition to RSL has allowed Aaron Herrera to shift from left to right back, which is his natural position. Everton Luiz is an absolute destroyer in the midfield. The Brazilian bounced around Europe before coming to RSL on loan. He was injured for a stretch, but when he’s fit, he changes the game for Real.

RSL has had some impressive wins this year over teams like Atlanta, Toronto, and SKC. What’s been the key to success when you’ve beaten good teams?

RSL are a much stronger team at home and all those wins came at Rio Tinto Stadium. In my mind, the Atlanta and Toronto wins felt more similar than the win over Sporting Kansas City, who our fans very much dislike. In the ATL and TOR wins, Jefferson Savarino and Bofo Saucedo both scored. Some of those goals were truly incredible. The team did a good job of attacking from the wings and were able to create some real magic, even from outside the box. In the win over Kansas City, it felt like the Sam Johnson had the finishing touch, though other players did much of the work. He scored both goals in the game, but that first goal was something the team had worked on in practice and I was able to see them do something almost exactly the day before in training. A lot of credit goes to the coaching staff for that goal.

The team has conceded a fair number of goals this season, but the backline has grown a lot this year and when they’re on point, they can put together some incredible performances. Those games serve as great examples of a backline in form.

Coming off of a tough loss in the 93rd minute to San Jose, how do you expect this team to respond?

That loss was a huge disappointment and it should light a fire under the team. They played well throughout that game, but a quick corner was all it took for San Jose to snatch all three points at the death. They’re a team that’s better than that kind of lapse and they know it. Being at home is always a huge boost and Mike Petke won’t be happy about that result. The Union will certainly be a tough challenge and not being able to score a goal without Johnson is a concern. If they can lineup like they did last year, with Kreilach as a false 9, that may be their best plan of attack.

Przybyłko saves Union with late equalizer

2019-07-07T20:19:50-04:00

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

A late Kacper strike and some early Marco magic wasn’t enough for the Union to come out with all three points today in a disappointing showing at home.

In a strange match, the Philadelphia Union and Orlando City SC finished even at two. After severe weather last night caused the game to be postponed until this afternoon, both teams appeared lethargic and sloppy. In the end, bookending goals from Marco Fabián and Kacper Przybyłko ensured a point from the home side, but a dominant Union side was disappointed not to take all three.

The Union started the game quick, with a perfectly placed header from Fabián in the fourth minute off a nice Fafa Picault cross. Despite their great start, they were unable to capitalize on their dominance in possession for the rest of the half.

The second half was more of the same for the Union, but Orlando was able to convert on two set-piece goals—a free-kick and a corner—to take the lead. Dom Dwyer found the equalizer with the back of his head in the 67th minute, acrobatically redirecting Nani’s service. In the 81^st minute, Santiago Patiño put his side ahead on a corner after Blake spilled the ball right into his path.

Talen Energy Stadium was quiet for much of the second half, but was willed back to life in 90^th minute when substitutes Matt Real and Anthony Fontana combined to put Kacper in behind. Kacper coolly curled it past Orlando goalkeeper Brian Rowe, who kept Orlando in the game with several big saves throughout the match. A few minutes later, Real connected on a cross to Jack Elliott, who put a strong header on frame, but Rowe stood on his head to deny the defender the winning goal.

Orlando came into this game down two starters (Sacha Kljestan and Robin Jansson due to red cards) and bunkered in early, placing eight guys deep behind the ball. They had only a single attacking chance from the run of play (a Dom Dwyer shot that Blake stonewalled), and are very lucky to be going home with a point considering what they were up against.

The Union had a different look today, with Jamiro Monteiro out with an ankle sprain and Marco Fabián returning to the starting lineup. Marco went 67 minutes, showing a good work rate and some attacking flair in his first start since May 11^th. The midfield was more free-flowing, with players more prone to switching than we’ve seen in past games, but part of that was due to how deep Orlando sat today.

Aaronson had a nice game before being subbed off, playing multiple attackers into good positions, but the team looked flat for much of the match. His fellow academy products, Real and Fontana, provided a big spark off the bench which proved to be crucial to the Union getting a result today.

Aurélien Collin, who started in place of Auston Trusty, turned over the ball too many times, and Kai Wagner didn’t provide the attacking spark that we’re used to seeing on the left wing. On top of that, Santos showed very little off the bench to get him a spot in the 18 when everyone’s healthy, especially since new striker Andrew Wooten will be available for the next match.

Jim Curtin called it “a really disappointing day” in the post-match presser, and Kacper said that today felt like a loss. Overall, the result is disappointing, but not terrible thanks to Kacper’s 90^th-minute strike. The team continues to struggle breaking down teams that bunker in, but four points out of six against Orlando is still positive and the Union are five points clear at the top of the East. They will look forward to no more two-game weeks until late September.

What did you think of today’s match? Let us know in the comments!

Injury Report: Ilsinho questionable, Creavalle working way back

2019-07-03T11:27:00-04:00

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

A look at who’s out for this week’s games against Orlando.

The Philadelphia Union will be playing their third and fourth game in just two weeks. That alone figures to create some roster shake ups, so lets take a look at the injuries affecting Jim Curtin’s team selection this week.

Who’s Questionable?

Marco Fabián
Marco has met all the goals the training staff has set for him in order to return to the field following lingering left ankle problems. The team is being more cautious in returning him to the field after they rushed him back too early after the initial sprain. Ankle injuries can linger on if aggravated multiple times so I expect a cautious return to the pitch for Marco. I’d expect to see him off the bench in one of the games this week.

Ilsinho
Ilsinho picked up a slight knock against NYCFC and is questionable to play Wednesday against Orlando. Jim Curtin called the injury minor and I’d expect him to be back in time for a trademark substitute appearance in Saturday’s home game.

Michee Ngalina
The striker is also listed as questionable on the MLS injury report with a lower body injury.

Who’s Out?

Warren Creavalle
Warren will be out for Wednesday’s game against Orlando, and likely won’t be back for Saturday’s rematch after he suffered a fracture of his right foot in the lead up to the gold cup for Guyana. Warren has been spotted training on the side in practice so a return toward the end of next week is possible.

Olivier Mbaizo
Mbaizo will be out until probably mid-August after having a meniscectomy to repair a torn meniscus. Due to his extended absence, the Union brought in former Orlando City and NYCFC right back RJ Allen to provide cover for Ray Gaddis.

Philadelphia Union halfway home

2019-06-25T09:26:54-04:00

Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

A look back at the first half of the season and how the Union have defied expectations all the way to first place at the midpoint in the 2019 MLS season.

If you had told me before the season that the Philadelphia Union would be in first place in the east halfway into their 2019 campaign and looking at having a chance to host MLS Cup, I would have told you about 15 reasons why that wouldn’t and couldn’t be the case.

Maybe that’s the negadelphian coming out in me, but I think it’s safe to say that the Union have defied everyone’s expectations (including their own).

Sporting Director Ernst Tanner originally said there would be a learning curve to his new system, but that seemed only to last for their first two games of the season. They started in the worst possible way, losing 3-1 in the season opener against Toronto FC at home, but came on incredibly strong, only losing once in their next 11 games after the loss at Sporting Kansas City. Not to mention they’ve battled numerous injuries and dealt with missing players for international games incredibly well. Everyone seems to be on the same page, and the roster is without a doubt the most talented it’s ever been.

What went right

Ernst Tanner
Ernst has been making moves that have absolutely improved this entire organization, and done so in an open fashion endearing himself to the entire fan base. His personnel decisions have all been positive moves, and if there was such an award, he would be sporting director of the year. While Earnie Stewart laid some of the framework, Tanner has taken this organization from a lower middle of the league team to cutting edge in terms of scouting, training and academy development. Tanner has signed impact players such as Kai Wagner, Jamiro Monteiro, as well as strikers Kacper Przybylko, Sergio Santos, and now Andrew Wooten. All of the trades he’s made in the league have set him up to bring in better players and he’s doing all of this while working within the confines of a limited Jay Sugarman budget.

Sticking with Jim Curtin
Jim has truly been given the reigns after not really having any freedom to experiment tactically under Stewart. Numerous times this season, his substitutions have made impact plays to win games, and tactical shifts have been crucial to the Union’s second half success. Sticking with Jim wasn’t a popular decision, but it has most certainly been the right decision.

What’s been surprising

Ambition
The Union organization was really on the brink of losing much of the fan base for good. Last year’s finish epitomized mediocrity and the fans have seen enough mediocre soccer in the last 10 years to not be disillusioned with a single big name signing (Marco Fabián). The team has gone out of its way to improve as the season has gone on, showing that it really wants this to be the year they win in the playoffs and actually make a push to win the league. The Monteiro and now Wooten signings illustrate a turning point for the direction of this organization. They’ve now shown they desperately want to win and win big which up to this point, they haven’t made a real effort to do.

Kai Wagner
The German third division left back was not expected to be an impact player for this team when he was brought in. He immediately won the starting spot over Matt Real, and has been one of the top three left backs in MLS so far this season. I thought it was just a small time move when they announced it, but Ernst proved me dead wrong.

Road Results
The Union have never been a good road team, but they have already won three road games this season. Last year they didn’t pick up their first road win until July 11. With a road-heavy second half of the season, look for their good form on the road to continue.

What do they need to do in the second half of the season

Sign a right back who is an attacking threat.
I love Ray Gaddis. He’s a hard worker and a solid defender. What he is not is an MLS Cup caliber starting right back in a system that requires him to contribute significantly to the attack. He is the obvious weakness on paper, and short of Ale Bedoya switching to right back (which I personally think would be awesome), upgrading that position should be the number one focus for the summer transfer window. This team is a right back version of Kai Wagner away from being an MLS Cup favorite, and if Sugarman really wants to change our perspective of him, he should shell out some money for one more player.

Win at home
They play 10 of their last 17 matches away and if they are going to have any hope of finishing the season in first, or hosting a playoff game, they need to take care of business at home, including during a crucial three-game home stand against DC, Atlanta and LAFC. They’ve had a few disappointing results at home this season (Namely against Portland, Colorado, and Toronto) but with the schedule the way it is, if they can’t get results at home, they’ll be setting themselves up for another disappointing end to the season.

Clinical Finishing
For this team to be real MLS Cup contenders, Fabián needs to be playing and playing well. The midfield, when healthy, is as dynamic as any team in the league, but the final third has still been a problem for them at times this year. Hopefully Wooten continues his fine run of form (13 goals in his last 17 games in Germany) and the attack starts consistently finishing the chances handed to them.

Overall, I’m pumped to see where this team goes this year. Its never been more exciting to be a fan of this team and hopefully the city starts to truly recognize that there’s something special happening in Chester this year.

What do you think about first half of the Union’s season? Let us know in the comments

Union ride Ilsinho’s monster second half to a 3-2 comeback victory over the visiting Red Bulls

2019-06-08T23:41:32-04:00

Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

The Union come out on top after burning the Red Bulls in more ways than one on Saturday night*

The Philadelphia Union stayed top of the East after overcoming a 2-0 halftime deficit courtesy of some Ilsinho magic.

The Brazilian playmaker came on for Brenden Aaronson in the 53rd minute and single-handedly brought the Union back from the brink of another disappointing home result. After giving up two sloppy goals against the run of play, a sold-out Talen Energy Stadium was silent as the team walked off the field at halftime. It seemed to be a repeat of the past few home games where the team struggled to be clinical in the final third after dominating possession, but when Ilsinho’s substitution was announced the crowd roared back to life.

Ilsinho didn’t disappoint, immediately running past his defender after being subbed on. Seven minutes later, Ilsinho ghosted his defender on the wing and played a beautiful cross into Monteiro who put it in the far corner past Red Bull keeper Luis Robles. Just one minute later (in the second quickest pair of goals scored in Union history) Ilsinho took on three defenders after a pass from Bedoya and finished past Luis Robles to tie the game. Ilsinho wasn’t done yet though, and he buried the rebound after Robles made a fantastic save on Jamiro Monteiro’s penalty to complete the comeback, and give the Union a crucial 3-2 victory heading into the Gold Cup break.

In the first half, the Union were forced into playing compact soccer, concentrated mostly on the left side of the torn-up pitch. Divots were flying and the Red Bulls were able to force the Union into turnovers before they could get the ball into dangerous spots.

The Red Bulls opened the scoring in the 29th minute off of a devastatingly clinical counter. Kai Wagner gave Kyle Duncan too much space and he played the ball perfectly to an onrushing Kaku, who finished it past Blake.

Three minutes before halftime the Red Bulls scored again after a miscommunication from the defense. Brian White chipped Blake in the middle of two defenders, and Blake really should have come out and grabbed the ball.

Sergio Santos had a great look at goal in the first half and should have put the Union in front 1-0 after being played through by a great ball from Alejandro Bedoya, but his shot just missed, skimming off the top of the cross bar, and the Union finished the half only registering a single shot on goal.

But soccer is a two-half sport for a reason and the Union could have easily scored two or three more goals than they did in the second half if Robles didn’t stand on his head several times. Ultimately, Ilsinho’s pure skill, and the tactical switch to the 4-2-3-1 made the difference in what could have been another frustrating night. Once Ilsinho came on, the Union played less compact offensively and used the wings to create space in the middle.

Jim Curtin said it best in the post game presser, “Ilsinho’s good at soccer.”

The Union’s comeback victory over a Red Bull team that had gone 5 matches unbeaten registers as one of their best and most important victories in team history. The second half performance could be the defining moment of this season.

Blake deserves a shout out for some great second half saves to keep the Union in the game and Bedoya had an assist, and earned the penalty after what looked like a deliberate cross into a sliding defender’s outstretched arm in the box.

This team has flaws, namely poor finishing and a lack of final third creativity when Ilsinho’s off the pitch, but they have the potential to be the best team in the East at the end of the season. Sure, the defense needs to be cleaner than they were tonight, and yes, the team can’t expect Ilsinho to rescue them every game, but the backbone of this Union squad is strong and the comeback tonight showed that they believe they can beat anyone and everyone.

* Two wooden Red Bulls were burned in the parking lot before the game by the Sons of Ben

Burn the Cows!!! pic.twitter.com/3SMY9zgcrK
— Sons of Ben (@SonsofBen) June 8, 2019

What did you think about the comeback win? Let us know in the comments!