Kevin Kratz, left, from his days with Eintracht Braunschweig
playing against Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga in 2013,
seems an odd fit for the Union. (AP)

Usually when the Philadelphia Union make a personnel move, this space is reserved for figuring out how he’ll fit in the team. Today, the objective is simpler: Make sense of what in the world Kevin Kratz is.

The Union signed Kratz Thursday, hours ahead of the MLS roster freeze. Already with 28 players on the roster, they’ve loaned Cole Missimo to Bethlehem Steel for the rest of the season to accommodate Kratz. Where they are on internationals, who knows? It’s a moving target.

Anyway, back to Kratz, who’s played in 277 matches in Germany. The plurality of those came in the 2.Bundesliga (108), most recently with SV Sandhausen. He has 14 games and one Bundesliga goal in Eintracht Braunschweig’s one top-division season in 2013-14. In short, he’s got a CV similar to what Walter Restrepo’s could look like in a few years. Or, honestly, a slightly improved Kai Herdling. 


Kevin Kratz 2015-16 Sandhausen (Bundesliga 2) from Justin Stone on Vimeo.

All that would be fine if not for:

1.) The glut of midfielders the Union have;

2.) The fact that Maurice Edu’s presumed return would put both Brian Carroll and Warren Creavalle on a bench that would also feature either Tranquillo Barnetta or Roland Alberg and now Kratz (Also, judging by this exhaustingly curated marketing video that for some reason brought this to mind, he’s also played out wide a fair bit, another area of Union strength);

3.) Its connection to the news that Barnetta could be returning to Switzerland after the season.
Read more »

There is goalkeeping news surrounding the Philadelphia Union’s meeting with Toronto FC, and for once, it’s not involving the Union.

While there’s a little intrigue in Philly – Jim Curtin said Wednesday that he’s leaning toward John McCarthy as the starter for a fifth straight game as Andre Blake continues his recovery from knee surgery – it’s the visitors to PPL Park that will have a goalie change, which involves a familiar face.

Toronto manager Greg Vanney said this week that if starter Joe Bendik, who is suffering from a plantar fascia strain in his foot, can’t go, Chris Konopka would be the starter.

Vanney: "Joe Bendik is questionable due to a foot injury. Chris Konopka would start if Joe can't go." #TFCLive

— Toronto FC (@torontofc) April 30, 2015

Well, Bendik is listed as out on MLS’ injury report, and while a post on TFC’s site has him officially questionable, the team’s probable lineup features Konopka in goal.

If Konopka gets the nod, it’ll be his second MLS appearance in his sixth MLS season. The 2007 SuperDraft pick and native of Toms River, N.J., spent three seasons playing for Irish clubs Bohemians, Sporting Fingal and Waterford United.

Konopka’s last MLS appearance came with the Union May 26, 2012, the final MLS match in Peter Nowak’s reign, against … you guessed it, Toronto. That game, a 1-0 loss at BMO Field, was the first win for Toronto after nine straight losses to start a season that featured just five wins, one of the worst in MLS history. The goal was provided by ill-fated designated player Danny Koevermans, who called time on his career after a litany of injuries. It’s worth taking a look at the lineups, which included the unforgettable left-flank pairing of midfielder Kai Herdling and back Gabe Farfan. Who would’ve imagined Nowak was losing the plot?
Read more »

Kai Herdling's time with the Union has run its course.

The German import, who arrived in Philly on loan April 16, has returned to Hoffenheim 1899 two weeks ahead of schedule and in time for its preseason. Herdling's loan was set to expire June 30.

It's conceivable that the return of Roger Torres, whose injury precipitated the loan of Herdling -- a midfielder/forward -- in order to fill a void.

“We would like to thank Kai for his contributions to our club over the last two months,” Union interim manager John Hackworth said in a statement. “He was a consummate professional and it was a pleasure to have him as a member of our organization.  We wish him the best of luck with his career in Germany.”

Herdling joined the Union in the days after Torres sustained a knee injury in an April friendly. Expected to handle some of the connecting passes between a formidable backline and an attack that -- seemingly -- was one touch shy of scoring, Herdling was to be a goal producer. It didn't exactly work out that way, but that's not to say Herdling's loan was a lost cause. (After all, he was a stellar translater when German club Schalke 04 came to town.) In all seriousness, he was a good teammate and a veteran presence that a green Union team could always use. 

Considering Herdling hasn't played all that much of late, his presence on the pitch won't exactly be missed. We'll see what Hackworth has to say about it Wednesday afternoon during his weekly presser.

(Associated Press)

Saturday night, the Union are going to be without Lio Pajoy.

While basic logic would dictate that new-guy Jorge Perlaza, pictured, would get the nod to start against D.C. United, Union manager John Hackworth said the other day, 'Hey, not so fast.'

Hackworth said he and the technical staff haven't had too much time to watch Perlaza, for whom the Union traded last week with Portland, and he added the opportunity to play Saturday is up for grabs.

“We got to see (Perlaza) for the first time earlier this week and (Tuesday in a friendly with Harrisburg)  for a half," Hackworth said Wednesday, after his hire as the Union's interim boss. "We're going to go through the next two days and see if he's the best option for us to put on the field. If he is, he'll get that opportunity, but there are some other guys in there that certainly are fighting for that spot."

Pajoy, who has three goals, will serve a one-game suspension for what the MLS Disciplinary Committee deemed a reckless tackle against Toronto FC. So if Pajoy is unavailable, and Perlaza isn't an automatic starter, that means one of the Union's younger strikers could get a shot to crack the starting XI.

Among those who could get the nod are:

• Jack McInerney, 19, the third-year forward who has played all of 93 minutes this season and who last fall was rated as one of MLS' top 24 under 24.
• Cristhian Hernandez, 18, a Homegrown Player who has made two MLS appearances in cleanup time.
• German import Kai Herdling, whose loan expires June 30. 
• Chandler Hoffman, 21, the first-round SuperDraft pick whose MLS playing time has been limited but has impressed in friendlies.
• Antoine Hoppenot, 21, the supplemental-draft choice who netted the game-winner against D.C. in a fourth-round U.S. Open Cup match.

If not Perlaza, who do you think has earned the chance to start Saturday at forward? Let the debate begin.

(philadelphiaunion.com)

It's an obvious question that has no simple answer.

The Union, owners of Major League Soccer's most-anemic offense, traded one of their goal-scoring threats this week when they shipped Danny Mwanga to Portland.

They picked up forward Jorge Perlaza in the process, but the move begged the inquiry, 'Where to from here?' Who carries the torch for a team that -- like Toronto FC -- has scored the fewest goals, with only eight?

Union boss Peter Nowak might have said it best Thursday.

"Why (make this trade) now?" Nowak said, rhetorically. "If you look at the standings and you look at the goals we scored, we can't rely on one guy who can score. It's Lio (Pajoy) or Gabriel Gomez (pictured above). We have to be dangerous up top. These youngsters … they're moving along, but they're not there yet. We cannot wait until it's too late. This kind of stuff is important to give (Perlaza) a couple weeks to establish himself to make sure we give him enough time to know the team. … We cannot fool ourselves with our position in the standings.”

Here are three ideas and observations for how the Union can turn around their season, beginning June 16 when they resume MLS competition with their home match with D.C. United:

1. One (striker) is the loneliest number. The Union have tried their luck with a one-striker formation, leaving Pajoy up top to create off what the midfield gives him. So far, he has only three goals. Gomez has four. Eleven matches into the MLS slate, it's time to try something new. The only way for the Union to determine what they have at their disposal is to throw their forwards into the fire. How about a two-forward look with swift youngster Jack McInerney taking the lead, with Pajoy -- who's a step or two slower -- creating more by playing off him? What about putting Josue Martinez, who's proven himself of late, and Perlaza on the wings with Pajoy as the center-striker, using three strikers to stretch the opposition's backline? What the Union have attempted hasn't worked. So why not try something different?

2. Give the keys of the offense to Perlaza. If the Union aren't willing to try the latter, perhaps the next-best option is putting the offensive workload in Perlaza's hands. He'll have the trust of his Colombian countrymen, with whom -- Nowak assures us -- he'll work well. He demonstrated in Portland that his speed, agility and skill have the potential to break down opposing defenses and, as seen in 2011, he thrives as a center-striker. Giving Perlaza these next two friendlies as a chance to get accustomed to the Union, in advance of that June 16 match, and then turning him loose might be exactly what Perlaza -- who hasn't scored since Aug. 20, 2011 -- needs in order to break a 786-minute scoreless stretch.

3. Don't count on much from Roger Torres. The crafty Colombian midfielder, due back tonight from a two-month injury layoff for a friendly against Reading United AC, is skilled. He's that connecting pass between the midfield and the attack that the Union desperately need. But Torres should be eased back into the mix. Consider: Torres has played more than 70 minutes only eight times since joining the Union in 2010. It's more realistic to allow Torres to progress slowly the next three weeks while Kai Herdling plays out the final weeks of his loan, which expires June 30. That's how the Union can ensure they'll get the best out of Torres in the season's crunch time.

Hey, just some ideas.

The Union scored first, endured an equalizer and buried an 88th-minute goal to defeat Schalke 04, 2-1, Wednesday night in a friendly at PPL Park.

Here are two storylines worth looking into from tonight's game:

1. Carlos Valdes played 90 minutes.
With defensive depth lacking, as Danny Califf and Chris Albright were missing in action per Peter Nowak's doing, someone was going to have to bite the bullet and play 90 minutes. That ended up being centerback Carlos Valdes, who never left the pitch.

That's what Union assistant John Hackworth told reporters afterward.

“The reason was, we only had a limited number of substitutions, so we knew we had to have a couple guys go the full distance for us," Hackworth said. "We wouldn't have done it unless he was (up for it). Carlos is a true professional. He told Peter yesterday, 'I feel fine, I'm fully recovered from Seattle so no problems.'”

Still, why risk injury to one of your finest players in a meaningless game?
 

2. Chris Konopka has a sense of humor.
The Union's third-string goalkeeper, Chris Konopka doesn't get interview requests all too often. So when he was asked to speak following their win over Schalke, Konopka opened up.

He tied his tie while giving an interview, then teased rookie teammate Jimmy McLaughlin for being unable to do the same. Konopka told reporters McLaughlin, his roommate, often leaves the PPL Park locker room before the game ends "to go home and do his tie in the mirror, because he can't do it."

Then, Konopka explained who from the Union inspired him against Schalke. Read this:

“Yesterday in training, literally the first five minutes of a short-sided game, I let a ball go in and (Zach) Pfeffer scored on me," Konopka said. "I basically curled up into a ball. I made myself small. The first thing I had to get into my head was to keep myself big. I'm a big guy – 6-foot-5. The more I make myself big, the less they have to shoot at the goal."

# # # # # # #

A couple odds-and-ends notes from the game:

• Danny Mwanga might have a future as a broadcaster. He eavesdropped on interviews with Konopka and Chase Harrison, sticking his iPhone over reporters' shoulders and up to the goalkeepers' mouths. 
• Game-winning goal-scorer Chandler Hoffman swapped jerseys with Schalke's Jermaine Jones, of the United States national team, in the moments after the match. 
• Though it hit the crossbar, Harrison had Schalke's PK sniffed out from the start. Harrison said Kai Herdling, a German who's quite familiar with Schalke's Lewis Holtby's tendencies, told him Holtby goes "down the middle" on penalty kicks. Trouble averted. 
• PPL Park security wouldn't allow Pfeffer -- by this time, wearing a button-down and a blazer -- into the mix zone area afterward...at least not until Pfeffer pleaded with the guard, saying, "But I'm a player." The guard took Pfeffer at his word, and let him in.
• The "official attendance" released by Union officials was 7,464. Sorry, but there's no way 7K were at PPL Park. Don't buy it.

Courtesy: PhiladelphiaUnion.com

Two weeks ago, following his first appearance with the Union, Kai Herdling declined to comment. He cited his inability to speak English as the reason.

Tuesday, he had no such qualms.

Part of the reason, though, was because his employer splurged. The Union hired a German-to-English translator not only for Herdling, but for their guests -- FC Schalke 04. The teams will play a friendly Wednesday night.

Herdling understands English, though he has difficulty speaking it. His progress in overcoming the language barrier was on full display Tuesday, and it shows Herdling's serious about learning English. (Perhaps to extend his loan beyond June 30? Just saying.)

Here's what Herdling had to say, during his first press conference since the striker/midfielder signed with the Union last month:
What's the adjustment been like?
“I feel like I need a little more time to adjust and get used to the environment. So far, it's been pretty good."

Do you feel like you're almost there?
“I feel good, but – as I said – it's been an adjustment so far. I'm confident it'll be better for me. I'm over the jet-lag at this point."

What's the difference between German teams, like Schalke, and the Union?

“The main difference is the way the game is played. It's more about athleticism and physical strength. In Germany, it's more about tactics."

Since Peter Nowak is, likely, the only person in the Union organization who can speak German, have you had discussions with him?
“So far, I've had a very good connection with Peter. I actually understand a lot of English. I'm just having trouble when some people speak fast. It's hard for me to understand fully. But Peter's been helping me a lot."

Without trying to do so, San Jose coach Frank Yallop diagnosed the Union's problems quite accurately Saturday night.

"Sometimes," Yallop said, "football is cruel."

Indeed it is. The Union (2-4-1) learned that the hard way, in falling to the Earthquakes (6-1-1), 2-1, behind a 93rd-minute goal from Steven Lenhart.

An argument can be made that the Union showed reluctance to push offensively until Lenhart, who had a brace, scored the first of his goals in the 76th minute.

“If you look at the amount we possessed the ball in comparison to San Jose tonight, it's not good enough,” said Danny Califf, the Union's captain who returned to the pitch after sitting the last two games. “When you defend for 75 to 80 percent of the game, you get tired and when you get tired, mistakes happen.

“There's no way around that. If we're going to get out of this up-and-down thing and be successful over the long haul of the season, we're going to have to establish better possession.”

"We were a little more reserved. We were dropped a little far off," said Union assistant coach John Hackworth. "We made adjustments in the locker room and came out and put them under a little pressure in the second half and changed the game."

And when two forwards were on in the later minutes?

"I liked our chances at that point," Hackworth said.

In summation, here are the opportunities the Union had prior to Lenhart's goal:

• 34th minute: Freddy Adu takes a corner. Nothing.
• 37th minute: Adu takes a restart. Nothing.
• 55th minute: Kai Herdling heads Adu's corner. Wide right.
• 72nd minute: Lionard Pajoy makes a good run. No shot.

"In the first half, really, I think we made life easier for them," said forward Danny Mwanga, who wasn't utilized until being subbed on for Pajoy in the 75th minute.

Aside from Gabriel Gomez's goal in the 83rd minute (pictured), the Union had nothing going.

Really, there was nothing there for the Union, which is a cause for concern for a team that harbors six strikers on its roster. How much longer can the Union allow their offensive woes, which include scoring only five goals in seven matches, be allowed to persist?

*   *   *   *   *

Fun fact: Kai Herdling doesn't speak English. Well, at least that's what he told reporters afterward. Here's how he described his performance: "Give me one, two weeks. I'll be OK." (If you can't write a story around that quote, you're just not trying hard enough.)

(Photo: Philadelphia Union/Greg Carroccio)

We're less than a half-hour removed from kickoff at PPL Park, and here are some observations on the Union's lineup tonight against the San Jose Earthquakes:

Califf's in, Carroll's out. Centerback and captain Danny Califf returns to the pitch for the Union after missing two matches with a hamstring tweak. Ironically, that's the same ailment keeping Brian Carroll out. The defensive midfielder is missing his first match of the season.

Where's Porfirio Lopez? The Union invested a lot of energy and money in securing Lopez to bolster a backline weak spot, on the left side. What does it say about Lopez if the Union value the play of rookie Ray Gaddis and the fitness of veteran Chris Albright over him?

What's up, Kai? The Union welcomed German import Kai Herdling Thursday, 10 days after signing the forward/midfielder to a contract. He's in the starting XI. Let's see what he brings to the offense.

Homegrown kids. Cristhian Hernandez, who has played all of 18 minutes this season, and Zach Pfeffer, who hasn't played at all, are subs on the gameday roster. I'm not saying you have to play the kids, but if you show them a commitment, you better get them minutes at some point. Otherwise, what good is it for their progress?

ON THE WEB: Check out my feature, in Saturday's Delco Times, on goalkeeper Zac MacMath. The second-year pro hasn't permitted a goal in 332 minutes, a franchise record.

It looks like the Union will be without Peter Nowak for Saturday's match against visiting San Jose.

The Union boss was dismissed from last weekend's 1-0 win at Chivas USA when he stepped onto the pitch to contest a red card issued to Gabriel Farfan in the 86th minute and to break up the shoving match between players from both teams.

Wednesday, during his weekly press conference at PPL Park, Nowak said he didn't want to get into details, but said he's expecting to be suspended once "the verdict," he said, comes in from MLS.

By MLS rules, Nowak will not be permitted to view the Union's home game from the sideline at PPL Park. Instead, he will be in a private suite. His communication level with his players will be restrained, however.

So without Nowak, how does the Union's lineup change?

Will assistant coaches John Hackworth and Rob Vartughian have their hands tied on the backline, with centerback Danny Califf returning from a hamstring injury and left back Farfan serving a one-game suspension? Will the assistants try their hands at a two-striker configuration? Will they play Kai Herdling, the German midfielder they signed a week ago, who is expected to arrive Thursday?

What's your take on what the lineup will look like? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

(Times staff photo / JULIA WILKINSON)

Think the Union don't know they're having a tough time scoring?

Monday, they announced the signing of yet another striker, the sixth on their roster, in an attempt to snap out of a goal-scoring malaise that has limited them to three tallies in five matches.

Enter Kai Herdling, a 27-year-old German midfielder/forward who's on loan with the Union until June 30, according to one report, with an option to stay on with the Union until the end of the calendar year.

Per Union and MLS policies, the terms of the agreement with Herdling will not be disclosed.

If nothing else, Herdling provides the Union with a temporary fill-in for Roger Torres, the crafty 20-year-old midfielder who will be out at least for another six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair his balky left knee.

What the Union are hoping for is Herdling to take to MLS the way he had in Germany. With Hoffenheim II, the reserve team for Hoffenheim 1899, Herdling ranked second in the league with 14 assists. Last season, he tallied 19 goals in 30 appearances as Hoffenheim II's captain.