UNION (4-2-3-1)

Sylvestre

Fabinho-Edu-Marquez-Gaddis

Carroll-Nogueira

Pfeffer-Maidana-Ayuk

Sapong

Bench: Blake, White, Williams, Fred, Wenger, Casey, Hoppenot

Montreal Impact (4-2-3-1)

Bush 

Toia-Ciman-Cabrera-Oyongo

Bernier-Mallace

Duka-Piatti-Romero

Oduro

Bench: Kronberg, Reo-Coker, Donadel, Soumare, Tissot, Lefevre, McInerney

Preview

- As I alluded to in the preview, a lot of the focus on this sloppy day will be on the wings. Two of the most consistent performers for Montreal are Ambroise Oyongo and Donny Toia. They’ll be on the right and left, respectively, pitted against Ray Gaddis and Fabinho. Getting to the byline in the wet conditions will be vital. It’s also an area in which the Union, thanks to the rotation of Sheanon Williams, Fabinho and Gaddis, have some of their freshest legs.

- Montreal makes five changes from midweek, including former Union man Bakary Soumare headed to the bench for Victor Cabrera. Dily Duka is one to watch back from injury, while Patrice Bernier and Callum Mallace mean the Impact make wholesale changes in central midfield.

- Much of the attention will be trained up top for both teams. Dominic Oduro starts up top for the Union, but Jack McInerney will likely feature at some point, returning to PPL Park to play against the club that drafted him and for which he is the second-leading scorer all-time. The Union’s danger man is CJ Sapong, who is tied with McInerney for the franchise record of most consecutive games with a goal scored with four. He has six goals this season. Both sides of the McInerney-Andrew Wenger trade start on the bench tonight.

In recent weeks, the Philadelphia Union have not been shy about professing their admiration for Carlos Valdes, a player who has been an all-star in their ranks and who for a time wore the captain’s armband. As Valdes and his Colombia teammates prepares for a historic quarterfinal tie with Brazil Friday, the subject of Valdes’ potential return to the club which owns his rights is a hot topic in Philadelphia.

The possibility of a return to Philadelphia for defender Carlos Valdes,
here tussling with Japan Keisuke Honda in a World Cup Group C match
June 24, has been a popular conversation for the club in recent days. (AP)

Interim manager Jim Curtin weighed in on the matter Wednesday, detailing a number of the obstacles that stand between the Union and a reunion with Valdes, from within MLS and outside it.

Among the highlights from Curtin is the declaration that the Union, “would like to make him one of the top-paid center backs in the league,” while the skipper later allowed that the designated player avenue could be open to Valdes to come back in the league. (You’ll recall that the Union have two designated players under contract this season – Maurice Edu, Cristian Maidana and definitely not Vincent Nogueira – giving them the flexibility to add a third.)

Let’s provide some context to that by looking at how Valdes’ compensation measures up league-wide.

First, the Union are on the hook for $295,000 for Valdes in the 2014 season, per the MLS Players Union, an amount deferred from the salary cap with the defender on a season-long loan. How much of that is actually paid to the player by the Union or what fraction is divvied up through San Lorenzo, the Argentine club he is on loan to, falls within the murky dealings of MLS. The last time Valdes suited up for the Union was in 2012, when his guaranteed compensation was $268,000.

So if the Union are determined to, as Curtin indicated, make Valdes an offer that significantly ups that amount to secure his services, what would that entail?

Well, it may be surprising that defenders are not terribly well compensated in relative terms in MLS. Based on April 2014 salary figures from the MLS Players Union, only one defender (No. 11 Omar Gonzalez at $1.25 million) ranks among the top 19 salaries. The only defender joining Gonzalez in the top 25 salaries is New England’s Jose Goncalves at $479,000, the 20th-highest-paid player. Gonzalez is the only defender with a (non-young) Designated Player contract, though Goncalves is the highest earner in the league not to be denoted as a DP. (Portland’s recent signing of English defender Liam Ridgewell adds a second DP, though his salary won’t be made available until August.)
Read more »

The Union are certainly putting a major emphasis on this year’s MLS SuperDraft (Thursday, Noon), and not just because it’ll be hosted by the city of Philadelphia.

Brek Shea, a No. 2 pick of the
not-too-distant past. (AP)

So let’s look at some historical perspective. The connection between the No. 1 pick and the most successful career in a draft is tenuous at best. Only once has the No. 1 pick been MLS rookie of the year – it’s a name Union fans have a piqued interest in, Maurice Edu in 2007. On only one occasion has the No. 2 pick turned into the rookie of the year (Jay Heaps in 1999), and never has the No. 6 pick been crowned MLS’s top rookie. That doesn’t mean there’s hasn’t been quality available at both spots, especially for attack-minded players at No. 2.


The Union have never held the No. 2 pick; the only time they’ve ever picked sixth was in 2010, when they got Amobi Okugo.

Here’s a look at some notable recent picks at each position: 

Recent No. 2s 

2013: Carlos Alvarez, M, Chivas USA
2012: Darren Mattocks, F, Vancouver
2011: Darlington Nagbe, F, Portland
2010: Tony Tchani, M, New York
2009: Sam Cronin, M, Toronto
2008: Brek Shea, M, Dallas
2007: Bakary Soumare, D, Chicago
2006: Mehdi Ballouchy, M, Real Salt Lake
2005: Brad Guzan, M, Chivas USA
2004: Chad Marshall, D, Columbus
2003: Ricardo Clark, M, NY/NJ

Recent No. 6s

Read more »

The Philadelphia Union made a personnel move Friday, trading reserve goalkeeper Chris Konopka to Toronto FC for a third-round pick in next year’s MLS SuperDraft. Perhaps the most stirring revelation of the trade is that what the Union got in return actually existed.

First, there’s Konopka, the 28-year-old ’keeper who joined the Union in 2012 and for whom Toronto is his fourth MLS stop. He made just one league appearance in nearly two years with the Union, a 1-0 loss to none other than Toronto May 26, 2012. Three days later, Konopka shut out the Rochester Rhinos, 3-0, for the Union’s first ever win in the U.S. Open Cup.

Konopka served as the backup for the first 24 league matches of the 2013 season behind Zac MacMath, who’s played every MLS minute and leads the league in shutouts. A knee injury kept Konopka out of the matchday 18 since Aug. 17, and he has been supplanted by veteran summer signing Oka Nikolov. 

Konopka, who was recently named one of the Philadelphia Daily News' Sexy Singles, was a bit of a fan favorite as backup goalies tend to be. He tweeted Friday morning:

I'd like to thank everyone at the @PhilaUnion for all the support over the past 2 yrs! Ill always look forward to coming back! #PhillyLove
— Chris Konopka (@ChrisKonopka414) September 13, 2013

As for the SuperDraft, which will be held in Philadelphia in 2014, the format has apparently changed. Instead of two rounds with a four-round supplemental draft, the latter has been eschewed for just a four-round SuperDraft this season, a fact that MLS never directly announced (there's even still info on the MLS site touting the supplemental draft).

However many rounds the league finally decides the draft will entail, the Union will be armed with an a bevy of picks. In addition to their four allotted picks, the Union have Chivas’ first pick thanks to the Gabriel Farfan trade, Chicago’s second-rounder in exchange for Bakary Soumare and a conditional pick acquired from Los Angeles in return for Chandler Hoffman.

The Supplemental Draft has been pretty friendly to the Union, as they've managed to extract the likes of Antoine Hoppenot in 2012 and Leo Fernandes in the final round of 2013. (Konopka, it should be noted, was picked in the third round of the 2007 Supplemental Draft by Kansas City.)

The league has jockeyed back and forth with the Supplemental Draft, twice dropping it then reinstating it, the last time being in 2011 after a two-year hiatus. Among the players to come through the Supplemental Draft process through the years: Adam Jahn (2013); Aaron Schoenfeld, Greg Klazura, Brian Rowe and Andy Rose (2012); Ryan Richter (2011); Chris Tierney (2008); Steve Purdy, Kosuke Kimura and Daniel Woolard (2007); Jordan Harvey, Andy Gruenebaum and Daniel Paladini (2006).

With the close of the MLS transfer window comes the inevitable move from the MLS Players Union to release salary figures for all players and teams in the league. The figures for the Union are listed below, the three summer transfer window signings’ totals in bold.

A few takeaways from the numbers (and if you want a more league-wide perspective, check this entry at The Goalkeeper blog):

- The Union haven’t done a whole lot in the summer transfer window. But what they have done, it appears, are solid pieces of business. Fabinho is only counting $78,000 against the salary cap for someone who has played in all four – likely five by Saturday – games for which he’s been available. He’s more expensive than the starter, Ray Gaddis, but then not many teams have regulars playing at that high of a level for league minimum. It’s possible that Oka Nikolov may not play this year in a meaningful match. If he doesn’t, the fact that he’s making the league minimum makes it almost inconsequential. And then there’s the future project that it appears Gilberto is destined to be. His base salary is less than that of Cristhian Hernandez, so let’s control the expectations.
Read more »

Philadelphia Union (4-4-2)

MacMath

Gaddis-Parke-Okugo-Williams

Cruz-Farfan-Carroll-Le Toux

McInerney-Casey

Bench: Konopka, Fabinho, Lahoud, Kleberson, Fernandes, Hoppenot, Wheeler

Chicago Fire (4-4-2)

Johnson

Anibaba-Berry-Soumare-Segares

Nyarko-Larentowicz-Lindpere-Alex

Rolfe-Magee

Bench: Tornaghi, Jumper, Paladini, Pause, Duka, Amarikwa, Santos

- Similar situation for the Union with Danny Cruz on the left of midfield and Sebastien Le Toux on the right. Michael Farfan slots in centrally for the suspended Keon Daniel. We’ll see if the Union opt for a flat midfield four or more of a 4-1-3-2 with Brian Carroll as the lone holder. That may be an option to provide high, attacking pressure.

- Finally, it seems like the Union have a balanced bench. They’ve got a defensive option in Fabinho, they’ve got attacking midfield options in Leo Fernandes and Kleberson, the thunder and lightning forward tandem of Aaron Wheeler and Antoine Hoppenot and the long-missing defensive midfield option in Michael Lahoud. That’s what a professional bench should look like.

- The Fire’s recent goal-scoring success has been based largely on Mike Magee, but it’s also the spaces he opens for the likes of Patrick Nyarko and Chris Rolfe. The Fire benefit when the game gets stretched and they can counter attack, and they’ve already said they’re going to target Jeff Parke when they’re moving the ball in space. That puts a big onus on both Amobi Okugo to stay with Magee and the midfield to stop the runs of Magee and Nyarko before they become problems in the attacking third.

- I think the Union get a bit of a break with Dilly Duka starting on the bench. He’s been better of late and would stretch the field vertically and horizontally on the opposite wing as Nyarko, opening space for Rolfe and Magee.

- Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson is back in net after five games missed with the U.S. National Team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Paolo Tornaghi deputized admirably for him.

- The Fire have given up just two goals on crosses and three on corners. With big defenders like Bakary Soumare and Austin Berry, the Union better have a second plan to get the ball in the net.

The math isn’t favorable for the Philadelphia Union.

No, this calculation has nothing to do with altitude or travel times or anything like that. It’s all about who’ll be on the field Wednesday night at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Could Antoine Hoppenot make his first MLS start
of 2013 Wednesday night against Real Salt Lake?
(Times Staff/ERIC HARTLINE)

In 17 matches this season, the Union have had 16 players start, tied for the lowest in MLS. Exclude goalkeeper Zac MacMath, and you’ve got 15 outfield players. Two of those players, Bakary Soumare and Gabriel Farfan, have been traded. Two (Keon Daniel and Jack McInerney) are on international duty, and two (Michael Lahoud and Kleberson) are likely out due to injury.

Do the subtraction and there’s one inequality that stands out for the Union: Nine players who’ve made starts in 2013 in line for 10 outfield starting spots Wednesday. It means someone who has yet to start this season will have to make their bow. So just who is that?

First, it’s worth looking at the stats for the Union in terms of games played. The Union have had 11 players start at least 10 matches; only Houston (11), FC Dallas (12) and New York (13) can say that. And the Union are tied with the Dynamo for least players to start a match at 16.
Read more »

If there was one question for which Philadelphia Union John Hackworth was looking for clarity in last week’s friendly with Reading United, it was if he had the kind of defensive depth that he’d hoped, the kind that made the trades of Bakary Soumare and Gabriel Farfan in the last month workable.

The answer originally looked murky. And then, thanks to one of the unlikeliest of sources, it showed shocking clarity.

An injury at the last minute meant that fans were forced into a bit of double-take when reading the starting backline: Don Anding, Matt Kassel, Chris Albright and Aaron Wheeler.
Wait, that guy who made his MLS debut just days earlier as a striker and darn near picked up his first career assist? Yeah, that guy.

The ability of the 6-4, prototypical center forward Wheeler to deputize in the center of defense was at the tip of the tongue for Hackworth four days later when reviewing the takeaways from the friendly at his weekly press conference.

The performances in the 2-0 win over the Union’s developmental partner in the USL Pro division may not have changed who will be on the pitch Wednesday when the Union travel to D.C. United for the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, but they certainly change the equation moving forward, Wheeler being among the main catalysts for that change. Read more »

The long-awaited departure of Bakary Soumare, whether it’s a habit among the Philadelphia Union to admit it or not, leaves a hole in the backline in terms of depth. For a team that has just navigated a stretch of three games in eight days, has another such streak looming and faces several more should the progress as deep in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as they did last year, reinforcements are needed.

With Soumare headed to Chicago in exchange for a second-round SuperDraft pick and allocation money, the third-string center back appears to be Sheanon Williams, the starting right back. Paired with the trade of Gabriel Farfan to Chivas last week, that leaves the fullback options as Chris Albright (36 appearances in the last four-plus years), Matt Kassel (two career MLS appearances) or a converted midfielder like Michael Lahoud. So here are three possible options for the Union. Read more »

Union manager John Hackworth was unavailable for his weekly press conference Wednesday, so assistant coach/technical director Rob Vartughian stepped in. Here's what Rob had to say.

On the challenge on heading to Montreal:
They’re obviously a good team. They’ve ahead of us in the table. They’re sitting on 20 points through 10 games, and they’ve got some really good pieces and they’re dangerous. We’re pretty familiar with them. We’ve watched a ton of film on them. They’ve got a guy in (Marco) Di Vaio who’s got six goals who’s up top and they have experience all through the field, whether that’s (Alessandro) Nesta. They’ve got Felipe, who’s a very good player, Justin Mapp, who we’re all familiar with, who’s a very good player. They’ve got some really good pieces, so we obviously started that preparation right after Chicago, and I’ll think we’ll be ready to go once Saturday rolls around.

On where the trip to Montreal ranks:
I think they’re all tough. It’s tough to go into anyone else’s park and play. And this is a good team, it’s an experience team. In terms of where it ranks, I don’t know if I could put a ranking on it so to speak, but our approach has been the same for all the road games, so we’re not going to waver or do anything different than we have in the past and treat it like all the other ones.

On Kleberson's continued place in the starting XI:
We felt good about it. Kleberson was going into his second game, second start, and played a good game. Same for Michael (Farfan). But I would say that about generally all the guys that have been given the opportunity in the midfield. We’re happy for Kleberson and what he’s been able to bring in the two games that he’s played. He’s given us good minutes and he’s given us a little something different than maybe what we weren’t getting, but I think the players around him complement him well, whether that’s Michael, whether that’s Keon (Daniel), whether that’s Brian (Carroll), Danny (Cruz), you name it. That’s been good, and we’ve liked what we’ve seen.
Read more »

Philadelphia Union (4-1-3-2) 

MacMath 

Gaddis-Okugo-Soumare-Williams 

Carroll 

Farfan-Kleberson-Cruz 

Le Toux-McInerney 

Bench: Konopka, Albright, Daniel, Torres, Fernandes, Casey, Hoppenot

Chicago Fire (4-4-2)

Johnson

Segares-Anibaba-Berry-Thompson

Duka-Pause-Laurentowiz-Lindpere

Rolfe-Nyarko
Bench: Tornaghi, King, Bone, MacDonald, Amarikwa, Videira, Alex

 - It seems like the lineup many have been waiting for has finally come to fruition. Gone is Keon Daniel after a lackluster midweek showing in a loss to Los Angeles. In is Michael Farfan, giving the Union what on paper appears to be its best midfield foursome. Kleberson returns in the middle to be the fulcrum of that advanced triumvirate.

- Bakary Soumare starts a third game in eight days with Jeff Parke not yet ready to go (my preview is grateful for that). Parke participated fully in training this week and was listed as questionable, but he doesn’t make the 18 on this cold rainy day.

- Conor Casey is on the bench for a second straight game in favor of Sebastien Le Toux, pairing Jack McInerney. With Casey and Antoine Hoppenot on the bench, expect changes.

- Chicago makes just one change this week, with the suspended Jeff Larentowicz returning to the lineup to replace Daniel Paladini. Sherjil MacDonald recovers from his bout of strep to make the bench after being out altogether last week, while Maicon Santos is dropped for the 18. The emphasis on speed in the forms of Patrick Nyarko, Chris Rolfe and Dilly Duka remains.

Philadelphia Union (4-4-2)

MacMath 

Williams-Okugo-Soumare-Gaddis  

Cruz-Carroll-Kleberson-Daniel  

Le Toux-McInerney  

Bench: Konopka, Hoppenot, Albright, Torres, Wheeler, Farfan, Casey
Los Angeles Galaxy (4-4-2)  

Cudicini  

Meyer-DeLaGarza-Gonzalez-Dunivant  

Donovan-Juninho-Sarvas-Magee  

Villarreal-Keane 

Bench: Rowe, Leonardo, Franklin, Cochrane, Garcia, Jimenez, Rugg  

- The day is here at long last: The first start for Kleberson, the Union’s newest designated player. Interestingly, though, it’s not in the position most would’ve envisioned with he and Keon Daniel in the side. Looks as though one will operate wide on the left in the position vacated by Michael Farfan; I’d expect a fair amount of interchanging though.

- After starting one game in 14 months, Bakary Soumare makes it two in four days. The trade of Gabriel Farfan Tuesday made any other combinations – such as returning suspended Sheanon Williams to the center of defense – untenable with a sudden lack of fullback depth (given the injury to Michael Lahoud, the top candidate as a deputy there). Williams is back at right back though, Ray Gaddis moving to the left.

- There’s also a change up top that comes as no surprise. The combination of Sebastien Le Toux’s assist on the game-winning goal by Jack McInerney over the weekend against Chicago and the fixture back-up made it an easy choice for the Frenchman to replace Conor Casey. Casey still makes the bench with Antoine Hoppenot and Aaron Wheeler. Plenty of attacking options there.

- For the Galaxy, both Robbie Keane and Todd Dunivant passed their fitness tests. That means Keane will pair Jose Villarreal up top with Mike Magee doing a lot of interchanging up top.

So, the biggest news from the Union may have come later in the afternoon Tuesday with the trade of Gabriel Farfan to Chivas USA. But manager John Hackworth had plenty to say on a variety of topics in the afternoon. Here are a few quotes that didn't make the cut.


On the extra motivation for Los Angeles:
We’re trying to just manage this three-game stretch in eight days, so our focus has been trying to prepare and recover from Chicago in a short amount of time, but the reality is that they’ll be a little more juiced. I don’t know if it’ll be in the legs, but it’ll certainly be emotional because there’s definitely a little more of a spotlight on you for sure. You’re playing at home, all of those kinds of things. Probably for our team, there’s probably a little bit of a feeling that people don’t give us respect right now, and even when we go and we win games, it doesn’t seem like we’re getting enough credit for it. I think having an opportunity to play LA at home is a really good game to try and make a statement, so I think there will be a little more motivation there for sure.

On the depth of his team:
It’s something we’ve talked about all year is that there were going to be times in the season where we had stretches where whether it was injuries, suspensions, just the number of games coming in a short amount of time where guys were going to get a chance. That proved to be very true Saturday in Chicago, it’ll be that way tomorrow night and I’m sure it’ll be that way against Chicago again.
Read more »

Once again the Union proved an ability to pick up points away from home, and despite playing on the backfoot for large stretches and failing to create much in the way of attacking verve, they managed to get the goal they needed in a 1-0 win at Chicago. Some quick reacitons:

- Jack McInerney showed exactly what makes him such a dangerous weapon. His goal off a quickly taken free kick showcased his ability to pop up out of nowhere and get a goal. He was clinical in the finish, and it's the reason why the Union start a difficult stretch with three points.

- Eyes were focused on Bakary Soumare, and I think he proved pretty conclusively that he's still an MLS-level defender. He may not be as quick as Jeff Parke, but he knows that and doesn't take the kind of risks that Parke does tracking the ball farther up the field. Since both Parke and Amobi Okugo prefer to play that aggressive style, it can open holes at times. But if Soumare stays home and cleans up the messes, he and Okugo could flourish for however long they play together. This was a tough matchup for Soumare with speedy guys like Chris Rolfe and Patrick Nyarko. But he did well in the face of that.
Read more »

For a second straight week, wantaway defender Bakary Soumare wasn’t in the Union’s matchday 18-man roster.

Two weeks ago in New York, it was written off to fatigue after national-team duty with Mali. This week in Columbus, after midweek assurances that he was training and in the selection mix, it may have been just another installment of manager John Hackworth’s desire to go for it away from home, naming a bench without a recognized defender for a second straight week.

A team official confirmed Sunday that Soumare didn’t make the trip to Columbus. Sunday evening, he was in Chicago, where he keeps an offseason home, taking in a match between his former team the Fire and New York.

Beautiful Day In Chi Town... Chicago Fire vs NY Red Bulls.. #mls #chicagofire #nyredbull #toyotapark #section8 twitter.com/BakySoumare/st…
— Bakary Soumare (@BakySoumare) April 7, 2013

It’s worth a wonder if the word “former” may soon be removed in front Chicago. The Fire, who only picked up their first win of the season Sunday, looked to be in dire straits. Manager Frank Klopas has found himself on the hot seat, vowing changes. Highly paid central defender Arne Friedrich has missed the last couple of games, and the defense has been atrocious (10 goals allowed in 5 games) to find them last in the Eastern Conference.

Because of injuries that have pulled the likes of Jalil Anibaba in from the fullback role, Chicago gave the first career start to left back Hunter Jumper Sunday while deputizing veteran midfielder Wells Thompson as a right back.
Read more »

While the frankness with which the news of Bakary Soumare’s desire for a move away from the Philadelphia Union was delivered Monday may have surprised some, the content of the message shouldn’t.

For Soumare to have gone from key acquisition last summer to starting XI frontrunner to persona non grata this young season raised some eyebrows, though mostly over doubts about his fitness. The suddenness of his trade request after not taking part in any of the team’s first three matches is startling to say the least.

Manager John Hackworth’s press conference Wednesday presented an interesting juxtaposition between the fervent search for closure in the transfer of Freddy Adu and what seemed like reserved hope that Soumare’s Union days are not over.

“I think what we need to do is make sure that we make a good decision for the Philadelphia Union and this organization, and this would include saying, 'is this good for us in all ways?,'” Hackworth said of the process of accommodating Soumare’s trade request, which it must be said is much different from the one involving his fellow West African former teammate Adu.

“I can’t tell you that it’s for money or for a trade or for a player. We would explore all those options, and have, to be very fair, for the last two weeks. It’s not like this is something new. It’s been going on. We’ve had some talks. We’re in a good position because we feel comfortable that Baky is still an important part of our team right now and will remain so until something happens.”

Part of the reticence to see Soumare go no doubt stems from a sense of a missed opportunity. Seeing a former MLS All-Star who played in Germany, is in his prime at age 27 and has height at 6-4 you can’t teach play only one game in nine months is cause for regret. Read more »

Philadelphia Union Starting XI (4-2-3-1)
MacMath
Williams-Okugo-Parke-Gaddis
Lahoud-Carroll
GFarfan-MFarfan--Daniel
Le Toux

Sporting Kansas City Starting XI (4-5-1)
Nielsen
Myers-Collin-Besler-Sinovic
Rosell-Nagamura-Feilhaber
Zusi-Bieler-Convey


Well, there are plenty of talking points with this lineup. Suffice it to say that surprises abound here in the first starting XI of John Hackworth’s first season opener. Where to begin?

Well remember all those stories about Amobi Okugo being in the midfield? Yeah, don’t worry about it. Appears he’s the choice to go with Jeff Parke in the center. Whether or not that’s a commentary on the fitness of Bakary Soumare will have to wait until after the game.

With Okugo in defense, it means Michael Lahoud will be pairing captain Brian Carroll in the center of midfield. Expect a lot of interchanging between Lahoud and Keon Daniel, as both are capable of filling their respective roles. Lahoud, as well as Ray Gaddis, are players that have impressed in preseason and forced their way into the side after perhaps being on the fringes when camp opened.

There are no surprises in Michael Farfan’s placement in the hole behind the central striker, but Gabriel Farfan, who deputized as a left back through most of last season, is a surprise inclusion in the midfield, his more natural position.

And for all the discussions of a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2, the first Hackworth lineup of the season features a lone striker in Sebastien Le Toux, not Conor Casey or Jack McInerney. Guess that's what Hackworth meant when he talked about installing different systems this preseason.
 The bottom line about this squad: Sporting Kansas City is a very good team with an outstanding midfield. Bobby Convey, Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi are hard-nosed, creative players who can control a game. The Union’s starters seem like a lineup of speedy players designed to clog the midfield and counter-attack. Le Toux, as the starting striker, is poised for that purpose with his blend of speed and hold up play.

When the Union clash with the Columbus Crew Wednesday afternoon (kickoff at 1 p.m. available online at MLS.com), they should see plenty of similarities in the yellow-clad team on the other side of the pitch.

After all, both are hard at work incorporating a bevy of new players into their scheme this offseason. The Crew, though, have had a little more practice at it.





Wednesday represents Columbus’ fifth preseason game, including a 1-0 win in their Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic over Toronto FC. But there are red flags for the team that finished sixth in the Eastern Conference standings last year to be wary of.

For one, they’ve scored only four goals in four games; only two have come from open play, including a perfectly executed corner kick from the foot of playmaker Federico Higuain to the head of new Brazilian defender Glauber against Toronto.

The Crew get an added edge with the return of Costa Rican international Jairo Arrieta from a national team camp with his county and venerable MLS stalwart Eddie Gaven from the birth of his second child.
Read more »

When it came time to pick a new captain in light of the departure of Carlos Valdes on loan, Brian Carroll seemed a pretty obvious choice to Union manager John Hackworth. But the skipper entering his first full season at the helm was just about as definite as to where he sees Amobi Okugo fitting into his squad.

How those two players fit may be one of the first conundrums in Hackworth’s newly minted 4-3-3 system.

“It’s still a little bit to be decided, but certainly having (Bakary Soumare) healthy and when Jeff (Parke) gets here from national team duty, I think you’ll see Amobi first and foremost in the midfield,” Hackworth said Monday at YSC Sports. “His versatility is fantastic for us. It gives a lot of questions to ask for the staff, which any coach wants to have. He’s one of our top returning players, so I would expect him to be in there somewhere no matter what, but it’s a good problem to have.”
Read more »

(Getty)

Amobi Okugo has played every minute of every match since John Hackworth grabbed the keys to the Union from Peter Nowak.

He hasn't played like he needs a break, either.

Fact is, Okugo has played well, whether it's been in the midfield or in the central defense, for the Union. The third-year player said Tuesday he's relishing his chance to play, and it hasn't mattered where on the pitch his minutes have come.

“Dosn’t matter,” Okugo said, on a phone call from the Philly airport. “I’ve shown that I can play two legitimate positions, especially with Carlos (Valdes) getting called up (to the Colombian national team) from time to time. It’s good to know I can play centerback, and it’s good Coach Hackworth has given me the chance to do that.”

Okugo shouldn't necessarily get cozy at centerback, with Bakary Soumare presumably returning to the pitch for the 2013 campaign at 100 percent. There's a reason the Union went after Soumare. It wasn't necessarily to shore up their defense in 2012, either, with Soumare still nursing a surgically repaired knee.

But like Okugo said --- doesn't matter where he's playing, so long as he's playing.

For more on Okugo and the Union, who are in Chicago Wednesday to face the Fire, pick up Wednesday's Daily Times.