(PhiladelphiaUnion.com)

Here’s a look at John Hackworth’s starting XI v. Houston:

GK … MacMath

DF … Williams, Valdes, Gaddis, Okugo

MF … M Farfan, Carroll, Adu, Lahoud

FW … Martinez, Cruz

Bench … Konopka, McInerney, Hoppenot, Albright, Torres, Hoffman, Daniel

One major observation on the lineup: It’s not good.

The Union have scored one goal in the last three matches, four in the last eight and they've been shut out 10 times in 27 matches. Simply put, that's not good. They're the second-lowest-scoring team in MLS.

And Hackworth's answer to that scoring drought is to throw out a lineup against the Dynamo that's bereft of Jack McInerney, Antoine Hoppenot and Chandler Hoffman? Granted, McInerney's scoreless since July 29, Hoppenot since July 8 and Hoffman since ... ever. (The rookie's never tallied in MLS play.) 

But so what? Union employees are walking around PPL Park today wearing buttons urging fans to 'RE-DOOP FOR 2013.' Here's a safe bet: If a loss is a loss, don't you think more fans are likely to re-up their season ticket plans having seen a couple goals? That being said, sacrifice something on the defensive end. What's the worst that could happen? They lose, 4-3? Couldn't be any worse than sending the fans to their cars after watching a 1-0 defeat, like Thursday's loss to D.C.

Hackworth should've gone to a lineup with more offensive firepower than the Delaware River fireworks display from July's MLS All-Star Game. Instead, he went with balance. And there's nothing wrong with that...unless you want to convince fans to RE-DOOP for 2013.