Alejandro Bedoya, right, delivered a sterling performance Saturday
in a reconfigured midfielder that yielded a 3-1 Union win over Chicago.
(Mikey Reeves/DFM)

Jim Curtin heard you, dear citizens of Twitter, and decided to change his formation as a result.

OK, no, that wasn’t the reason that Curtin flipped the Union from the 4-2-3-1 into what is more of a 4-1-4-1 Saturday, a move that certainly contributed to a 3-1 win over the Chicago Fire. To what degree is debatable. Curtin pushed the right tactical button by clamping down on the central midfield space afforded to Dax McCarty in a Fire side deprived of Juninho and Bastian Schweinsteiger. But the efficacy of Saturday’s switch has limits, and no one was more cognizant of that than Curtin, who cheekily faced up to a question about the formation change with a response that deserves to be published in full:

“Yeah you know, people get caught up in the graphics and how they get put out and as soon as I saw the graphic get put out that I figured that you would probably come with that as the first question. To be honest, it's still a 4-2-3-1, you know, just because it's written that way on a schematic that comes out, it's the difference between a yard or two in either direction. If you look, go back and watch the tape, as we will as well, by design we still always had someone next to Warren, so it is still the 4-2-3-1. The best thing about the formation is there can be fluidity in it. Warren is a guy who is a ball winner. We thought, matchup-wise, he's obviously been in good form and what Chicago likes to do, we thought that it was important to invert the triangle a little bit in some moments to get pressure to Dax McCarty, who for me is the engine of that team. So, yes, on paper it looks a little different. The running of five, six yards a little more forward from Alejandro defensively and from Haris is a little bit of a change, but still the same formation, the same idea, same principles that the guys, as you saw, when they execute them, are pretty dangerous and tough to play against.”

It’s been two and a half years since Curtin has done anything even remotely as different as this in his formation, so the temptation could be to read too much into it. So let’s assess what this move does, and what it doesn’t do moving forward for the Union.

- It does … minimize a weakness and maximize a strength. We can argue until we’re blue in the face whether Ilsinho and/or Roland Alberg has been given too many opportunities this season. There’s no rationale I’ll allow for saying that Warren Creavalle should be starting fewer than 10 MLS games. He’s just a better player than that, and his failure to find the field regularly lands squarely on the lack of attacking creativity in the other five members of the midfield/forward six. In this regard, it’s a smart move by Curtin given the constraints of his roster.
Read more »

UNION (4-2-3-1) 

Blake 

Fabinho-Marquez-Tribbett-Rosenberry 

Carroll-Barnetta 

Pontius-Alberg-Ilsinho 

Sapong 

Bench: McCarthy, Yaro, Gaddis, Creavalle, Fernandes, Le Toux, Herbers

Red Bulls (4-2-3-1) 

Robles 

Lade-Perrinelle-Collin -Zizzo 

McCarty-Felipe 

Grella-Kljestan-Muyl 

B.Wright-Phillips 

Bench: Reynish, Zubar, Bilyeu, Zubar, Duvall, Davis, Veron, Etienne 

Preview 

- Jim Curtin isn’t one to change after a clean sheet. So coming off last week’s blanking of D.C. United, he sticks with Ken Tribbett even though Josh Yaro is back from suspension. Tribbett’s physicality will be helpful against Bradley Wright-Phillips, though he has to be careful to limit his penchant for stepping into midfield rashly, since the Red Bulls’ creativity can punish the slightest of openings. Tribbett’s passing also gives him an edge; it was when the Union made a concerted effort to split the center backs wide, get fullbacks forward and drop the central midfielder deep to receive possession that they started making progress against the Red Bulls in the Open Cup win two weeks ago. 

- Without injury restrictions, the Union go with their prized front five, naming an unchanged XI from last week. The danger of Dax McCarty as a late runner in the box and as a deep-lying connector for 1-2s puts a big responsibility on Roland Alberg and Tranquillo Barnetta to be vigilant tracking back.

- The Red Bulls are playing a third game in seven days, so the lineup is a mashup of the last two. Damien Perrinelle makes his first start of the season after knee surgery last October. He pairs with Aurelien Collin, alleviating the need for Ronald Zubar to start a third game in seven days. Alex Muyl gets the start as Gonzalo Veron has failed again to prove he’s worthy of playing every game.

UNION (4-2-3-1)

McCarthy

Fabinho-Edu-White-Gaddis

Carroll-Pfeffer

Le Toux-Maidana-Ayuk

Sapong

Bench: Blake, Marquez, Vitoria, Barnetta, Fred, Casey, Aristeguieta

New York Red Bulls (4-2-3-1) 

Robles 

Wallace-Miazaga-Perrinelle-Lade 

McCarty-Felipe 

Grella-Kljestan-Sam 

B.Wright-Phillips 

Bench: Reynish, McLaws, Ouimette, Davis, Abang, Zizzo, S.Wright-Phillips

Preview

- All eyes are on one name on the bench: Tranquillo Barnetta. The Swiss player – maybe the Union’s biggest ever acquisition who was unveiled Friday – makes the bench as anticipated. He required a week of intercontinental transit to seal his move to Philadelphia, so he’s not 90-minutes fit, but he could play some role in this contest.

- Brian Sylvestre’s hand laceration wasn’t the subject of much discussion this week, and it didn’t preclude him from training. But he’s out of the 18 today, with John McCarthy getting the nod in goal. McCarthy was stellar last week against the Red Bulls.

- Among the starting XI, emphasis will be placed on the Union’s central midfield pivot that will be without Vincent Nogueira for the majority of August. It’s Zach Pfeffer’s time to shine: He was hit-or-miss last week against D.C. United, with some good moments and some bad, and with as outstanding as Nogueira has been, especially going forward, the onus is on Pfeffer to step up big time. 

- Ray Gaddis makes his 100th start today, a remarkable accolade for the hard-working fullback. Here’s what he had to say on the matter earlier in the week. He’s just the second member of the 2012 SuperDraft class to hit 100 MLS starts. 

- For the Red Bulls, no shocks in the starting lineup. Kemar Lawrence has the week off to recover from the Gold Cup. Shaun Wright-Phillips makes the matchday 18 after being signed midweek. One oddity is that Dax McCarty, like Pfeffer, had a midweek flight to Colorado for All-Star festivities (Pfeffer in the Homegrown Game).

 

Wednesday's edition of the Daily Times, featuring Danny Cruz.

Philadelphia Union (4-2-3-1)

MacMath 

Gaddis -Edu-White-Williams 

Carroll-Nogueira 

Wenger-Maidana-Le Toux 

Casey 

Bench: Blake, Fabinho, Berry, Fred, Wheeler, Brown, Cruz

New York Red Bulls (4-4-2) 

Robles 

Oyongo-Miazga-Olave-Duvall 

Alexander-McCarty-Cahill-Sam 

Henry/Wright-Phillips 

Bench: Meara, Kimura, Sekagya, Lade, Akpan, Convey, Bover.

Game Preview

- Jim Curtin is forced to bring in fresh legs thanks to the red cards to Amobi Okugo and Michael Lahoud in the draw with Colorado Saturday. That means that he gets to delay for a week the question of how Vincent Nogueira and Cristian Maidana coexist in midfield, with Nogueira taking deep-lying role alongside Brian Carroll. It’s Nogueira’s first league appearance since June 7, John Hackworth’s last game in charge.

- There’s a shuffle in the backline, too, with Maurice Edu back from suspension and Ethan White having done enough in a good showing against Colorado to earn a second start. (That means Austin Berry is still looking for his first minutes since the New England loss May 17.) The last time the teams played, a 2-1 win for the Red Bulls in Harrison, right back Ray Gaddis had one of his most difficult games of the season thanks to Peguy Luyindula and Eric Alexander. This time, Fabinho appears to be the weak link, headed to the bench so Gaddis (at the left) and Sheanon Williams can man the flanks. It’s the first time Fabinho hasn’t started since May 3 in Seattle.

- For the Red Bulls, who enter on a five-game unbeaten streak, Dax McCarty makes his return to the starting lineup, pairing with Tim Cahill in the center. That battle for central midfield supremacy is one where the Red Bulls have the edge on paper and Carroll and Nogueira will have to work hard to overturn. Up top, you know what you’re getting with MLS goals leader Bradley Wright-Phillips and assists leader Thierry Henry.
- Apparently the effects of the Shane O’Neill tackle are lingering with Danny Cruz, who is on the bench as Andrew Wenger starts for the first time since May 17. Brian Brown is on the bench yet again looking for his debut.

- The Union get a little bit of a break with Luyindula’s cryptic absence. Philly native Bobby Convey is among those on the bench, which runs pretty thin for the Red Bulls.  

Official lineups:

New York Red Bulls (0-2-2, 2 points)

Robles

Kimura-Olave-Holgersson-Pearce

Alexander-Juninho-McCarty-Steele

Cahill (c)

Luyindula

Bench: Castano, Miller, Digao, Sam, Bover, Akpan, Henry

 Philadelphia Union (2-1-0, 6 points)

MacMath

Williams-Okugo-Parke-Gaddis

Cruz-Carroll(c)-Lahoud

MFarfan

Le Toux-McInerney

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

The talking points:
Not many shocks from the Red Bulls. Fabian Espindola was widely expected to be out, and Thierry Henry's fitness was a serious doubt. He starts from the bench, as does much-maligned defender Roy Miller and newly-acquired striker Andre Akpan. If Peguy Luyindula and Tim Cahill don't produce in attack, expect the hook to be quick. Thomas Holgersson and Jamison Olave get another game to gel in defense. Expect Dax McCarty to do the dirty work in the midfield. Juninho will have to get forward and pull the strings of the the attack.
For the Union, few surprises. The same backline is trotted out again for the fourth time in as many games (fifth if you include the Pumas friendly). Danny Cruz is recovered from his broken nose. It could be a very narrow formation if Michael Farfan sits off the shoulders of the strikers. Sebastien Le Toux and Jack McInerney unsurprisingly pair up top again, with Conor Casey on the bench. Leo Fernandes makes the bench as does Greg Jordan, the only defender on the bench, despite being loaned to Harrisburg earlier this week.

Courtesy: Getty

There's no Roger Torres, and they won't be battling for first place ... but that doesn't mean this year's initial meeting of the Union and New York can't be entertaining.

Don't believe me? Take John Hackworth's word for it.

“I don't think they like us and I don't think we like them. What more do you need?" the Union assistant coach said the other day. "They're close to us (geographically). They're ahead of us in the table. We're obviously very hungry to get a result Sunday."

Riding a two-game skid, the Union (2-5-1) need a win over the Red Bulls (6-3-1), who are on a three-match winning streak. A win last April against NYRB, with the help of a second-half tally from late sub Torres (above), helped keep the Union in first place well into June.

Even though Torres is out, still nursing his ACL/MCL woes, the Union are optimistic they can net a win. And the Red Bulls know it. Here's what a few guys had to say to Big Apple Soccer:

"They're going to be tough," said NYRB's Dax McCarty.

"I'm expecting a tough, hard game," teammate Juan Agudelo said. "It's always tough going to Philly."

So while it might not be the marquee game everyone's expecting, Sunday's matchup at PPL Park, a 12:30 kickoff, will be worth watching.