Andre Blake spent most of his rookie season on the bench
or the practice field, but he showed his ability
for Jamaica this week. (Times File)

For all the hype surrounding Andre Blake 10 months ago when the Philadelphia Union made him the first goalkeeper ever taken No. 1 in the MLS SuperDraft, the 2014 season was spent on the sidelines with most of the talk of his potential staying just that. Two MLS matches, two U.S. Open Cup ties against lower-division sides and an international friendly isn’t exactly a large body of work to judge progress or value for the club. There was some good, some less than stellar and a lot more of, well, promises that lacked in-game information to back them up.

In at least one sense, though, that promise seems to have manifested itself in the performance Blake just authored with the Jamaican National Team.

Tuesday night, Blake finished up a performance in the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup that showed his obvious ability: Three days short of his 24th birthday, Blake earned the Golden Gloves award for the tournament, giving up just one goal in four matches in leading the Reggae Boyz to the title of the eight-team tournament on home soil.

The Golden Glove Award goes to Andre Blake of Jamaica
— Official J.F.F (@ItsTheJFF) November 19, 2014

In keeping with the basic script Blake followed for the Union, there were stops and starts, like what sounds like a goalkeeping error that cost his team a win in the opening 1-1 draw with Martinique.

Beyond that, though, there were very few points of criticism. Blake kept clean sheets in wins over Antigua and Barbuda (3-0) and Haiti (2-0) to make sure Jamaica finished atop Group A with seven points from three matches. (It was also fueled by three goals from Vancouver's Darren Mattocks, while Leeds' Rodolph Austin won the most outstanding player award.) In keeping with his shades-of-brilliance reputation, the Haiti win included a save of Emmanuel Sarki late on.

In the final Tuesday against Trinidad and Tobago (sadly, sans Keon Daniel), Blake helped keep the game scoreless through 120 minutes. In the penalty kick shootout, Blake started with a stop of (an admittedly poorly-taken) spot kick by Soca Warriors captain Kenwyne Jones. Blake got a hand on the second attempt before it snuck into the side netting, then watched as the fifth and final attempt sailed over the crossbar to lead Jamaica to a 4-3 advancement in PKs. (Video of the PK shootout is here.)
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Few players in Union history left as confusing an imprint as Keon Daniel, whose three-plus year stint with the club officially came to an end Tuesday with the termination of his contract by mutual consent.

Keon Daniel, seen here against D.C. United last year,
was let go by the Union Tuesday. (AP)

His presence has elicited hopefulness, exasperation, devotion, confusion and dissatisfaction, among a wide continuum of other sentiments. Finding a simple summary for Daniel's 64 MLS appearances is well-nigh impossible for a player that has embodied both a major tactical problem and significant solution at versions points in his career.

The contradictions begin with Daniel's very stature. At a formidable 6-1, he was often the most physical of presences among slighter midfielders like Roger Torres and Brian Carroll. Yet he rarely played like it.

His 14 goals in 59 appearances for Trinidad & Tobago indicate his offensive aptitude. His two goals and four assists in 64 games for the Union suggest otherwise. At various times, he's represented for the Union their most attack-minded option, or their most physical, or their most technical.

His two goals are evidence of the promise that has always been so seductive for two Union coaching staffs. The first, June 11, 2011, against Real Salt Lake, was the kind of heads-up hustle goal a player of his stature would find on a somewhat regular basis based on his physicality alone. Instead, it stood alone for him. Statistically, that 2011 season in which he had a goal and two assists in 18 games (nine starts) is remarkably his most productive. (Go to the 1:35 mark below.)
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Any conversation about the demise of the Philadelphia Union’s season seems to inevitably arrive at the same impasse, as far as John Hackworth is concerned. Yes, the Union won some games they probably shouldn’t, the coach will relent, but there were certain calls that went against the Union that hampered their chase of a playoff spot.

At the risk of the going down that same road – and trust me, that drum has been thoroughly beaten at PPL Park in recent weeks – the Union’s season does boil down to a few key moments. The team’s fate was ultimately sealed but its alarming propensity to turn wins into draws (or worse). (As a quick editorial note: I think it was a fair fate; teams that have to scuffle for draws against Toronto and D.C. United a total of three times this season don’t deserve postseason soccer. There are certainly an equal number of breaks that shouldn't have gone the Union's way that did. )

Below are five moments, a cumulative matter of inches, that stood between the Philadelphia Union and the playoffs … perhaps, the Supporters’ Shield.

A big (Le) miss



It was a long, long time ago, however similar the weather Saturday may have been to opening day March 2. The opener for the Union against Sporting Kansas City goes down as a 3-1 loss, but what is missed in that score line is the fact that the Union not only scored first, but had a chance to score several more times. The most clear-cut opportunity was this miss by Sebastien Le Toux, 1-v-1 against Jimmy Nielsen, one of several times this season the Frenchman’s finishing has been less than spot-on (plus more later). I won’t pretend that this miss would’ve somehow turned the Union into world-beaters. But up 2-0 inside of a half hour against the eventual runner-up in the East would’ve certainly made a strong case for three points in the opener, and then who knows…

The hand of Gonzalez(es)



Yeah, there’s no way we get out of this without validating at least some of the woe-is-me rhetoric circulating PPL Park. Let’s set aside for a moment that the Union squandered a second-half lead in this one, or that they allowed a significantly weakened Seattle side to squeak away with a point at PPL Park, or the fact that the two Danny Cruz goals scored in as many minutes accounted for 67 percent of his offensive production and a staggering quarter of the goals from midfield all season. Had any of those issues been rectified, that May 4 afternoon or as the season wore on, this analysis might be academic. As it is though, the Union were wrongly denied a penalty in this case, the ball clearly striking the outstretched arm of Seattle defender Leo Gonzalez off a Conor Casey shot. Referee Jorge Gonzalez didn't see it that way, though. Little did they know it would be the start of the fifth penalty-free season in the last 14 MLS seasons.
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Yet again, this appears to be another week of tactical change for the Philadelphia Union. Facing a daunting task in needing to get a result in Montreal, manager John Hackworth is not only facing the prospect of reintroducing two players in Sheanon Williams and Fabinho back from suspension. He’s also having to cope with the loss of Michael Farfan to a yellow-card ban just as his form has improved, and the likely absences of Sebastien Le Toux (foot) and Michael Lahoud (ankle).

If Hackworth is looking for a reason to hope amid the changes, perhaps nothing provides more reassurance than the play of Matt Kassel last week against D.C. United.

Four days later, at his weekly press conference Wednesday, Hackworth was still extolling the virtues of Kassel, inasmuch as they served as an example for others to emulate this week.

“Matt Kassel’s performance in DC is probably going to go under the radar screen a little bit, but he deserves a ton of credit because he was so important to us battling back in that game,” Hackworth said. “He played at right back in the first half. He played kind of a hybrid left back/left midfield position in the second half. He got us to a point in the game where we could put Jack on the field and get a result. Guys like Matt and other guys are really valuable, and it’s just good to see that those guys are taking their opportunities at this time. We might have the same situation this weekend.”

Indeed, Kassel’s performance was important, if understated, in the Union salvaging a draw Saturday. It was in the game’s first minutes that Le Toux tweaked his foot injury, straining to make a clearance from a right-back position he was playing for the first time in his Union career. That’s when Kassel started warming up, and by the 16th minute the pain was too much for Le Toux to continue. Read more »

D.C. United (3-4-3 or 4-5-1)

Hamid

Iapichino-Woolard-Korb

Kitchen-Neal-Jeffrey-DeLeon

Silva-Pontius-Doyle

Bench: Willis, Martin, Seaton, Nyassi, Pajoy, Porter, Shanosky

Philadelphia Union (4-2-3-1)

MacMath

Gaddis-Parke-Okugo-Le Toux

Carroll-Daniel

Farfan-Kleberson-Cruz

Casey

Bench: Nikolov, Kassel, Gilberto, Fernandes, McInerney, Wheeler, Hoppenot

- Questions abound here that won’t be answered until kickoff. On what side does Sebastien Le Toux, the organization’s all-time leading scorer, play as a fullback? (I’d guess right.) Who occupies the central role in the midfield attacking triumvirate? (I’d go with Kleberson.) And which sides do Danny Cruz and the other midfielder occupy? (Who knows?)

- Here’s one thing you knew for sure: That the Union was likely going to utilize two holding midfielders – as it did against Sporting Kansas City – to aid the rebuilt backline that is missing Fabinho and Sheanon Williams due to suspension. Michael Lahoud would be the logical choice to pair Brian Carroll had he not been missing due to injury, but instead it’s Keon Daniel, who could provide a little more going forward.

- It’s an interesting Union bench. Gilberto makes his first appearance after it was all but said that he wouldn’t have a role this season, while Matt Kassel is the nearest approximation to a defensive sub. The biggest role of the group today could be played by Aaron Wheeler, especially if this game becomes the type of ugly, set-piece game it has the potential to be.

- And there’s a bit of confusion at the D.C. XI. It’s possible the Perry Kitchen slots into the center of defense, making it a 4-5-1. But as written, it appears to be a 3-4-3, which would be, uh, unusual. Either way, look for Nick DeLeon and Chris Pontius to be manning the flanks and attacking the fullbacks. Luis Silva should slot into the space behind Conor Doyle.

Philadelphia Union (4-1-3-2)

MacMath

Gaddis-Parke-Okugo-Williams

Carroll

Fabinho-Farfan-Cruz

Casey-McInerney

Bench: Nikolov, Kassel, Daniel, Kleberson, Le Toux, Hoppenot, Wheeler

Toronto FC (4-4-1-1)

Bendik

Bloom-Caldwell-Henry-Morgan

Rey-Russell-Hall-Convey

Osorio

Dike

Bench: Frei, Agbossoumonde, Elmer, Earnshaw, Bekker, Lambe, Wiedeman

- No real surprises for the Union today. Knowing the stakes and their need to take the game to Toronto, you’d expect them to deviate from the two holding midfielders they used successfully last week against Kansas City. Brian Carroll sits back in midfield by himself, but the attacking trio of Kansas City – Fabinho, Michael Farfan and Danny Cruz – is preserved. Jack McInerney comes in for Michael Lahoud to pair Conor Casey up top.
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Philadelphia Union (4-4-2)

MacMath

Gaddis-Parke-Okugo-Williams

Fabinho-Carroll-Daniel-Cruz

Le Toux-Casey

Bench: Nikolov, Lahoud, Torres, Farfan, Wheeler, Hoppenot.

Houston Dynamo (4-4-2)

Hall

Crevalle-Boswell-Taylor-Sarkodie

Johnson-Clark-Barnes-Davis

Bruin-Weaver

Bench: Marscheider, Ching, Cummings, Chabala, Lopez, Ownby, Carrasco. 

 - John Hackworth promised changes, and he’s delivered. Sort of. A beleaguered midfield gets a boost on the wings with Fabinho, who had deputized for the suspended Amobi Okugo in defense, coming in to presumably play on the left with Danny Cruz going to the right. Sebastien Le Toux moves up top to pair Conor Casey at his more natural striker position, while Jack McInerney heads to the bench.

- What isn’t changed, however, is the Union’s predictability in attack. With Keon Daniel in the center, there’s still an attacking stagnancy there, and the onus will be on Fabinho and Cruz to provide crosses to the two, 6-foot target met. Creative.

- But the Union may have a change of pace available on the bench in Roger Torres, who’s been limited to just 37 minutes in three MLS appearances this season. That breakthrough comes at the expense of Kleberson, who is not included in the 18-man roster today.

- Houston will have the services of newly-acquired Servando Carrasco, picked up from Seattle in exchange for Adam Moffat Friday, on the bench. Will Bruin and Cam Weaver start up top with Giles Barnes and Brad Davis doing the majority of the creating in midfield thanks to Oscar Boniek Garcia’s suspension.

- Let’s not mince words here: Both teams are winless in their last four. A win by either side puts the other team into full tailspin mode. The Union could put five points between them and the Dynamo tonight with a win. This is a game playoff teams must win.

It’s becoming apparent that the problems of the Philadelphia Union are myriad. It’s been 220 minutes since they last scored a goal. They have just three wins in their last 12, two coming against conference bottom dwellers Chivas and D.C. United. Since Aug. 1, their total of five points is second-lowest in MLS. For the first time since late May, they are saddled with a negative goal-differential.

Through it all, though, one area of the Union’s recent futility has stood apart: The midfield. And the possible solution, one that is looking manager John Hackworth squarely in the face, is one that will likely go unexplored.

Is Amobi Okugo the answer
to the Union's midfield struggles? (Times Files)

The problem
Just how difficult has it been for the Union midfield? Well, it depends on perception. Defensively, the Union have managed to recover from a rough start to the season to present pretty stout resistance to opponents. But the realization is setting in that such defensive solidity comes at a steep offensive price, and the Union have been woeful in that regard this season.

It’s easy to see tactically. The Union’s deficiency of midfield depth has caused them to play Sebastien Le Toux out of position all season. Danny Cruz’s performances have been inconsistent. Keon Daniel has struggled to grasp the notion of an “attacking midfielder.” Michael Farfan has constantly underwhelmed. And creative players like Kleberson and Roger Torres haven’t been able to get on the field for whatever reason.
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About all you needed to know about the Union’s latest uninspired performance, a 1-0 loss at San Jose late Sunday night, won’t make the highlight reels, even for the Earthquakes. As the game went into stoppage time, San Jose sub Steven Lenhart ragged the ball to the corner flag to waste time. He proceeded to earn a corner kick, a second corner, a foul by Brian Carroll, another foul on Carroll, then a throw-in. About two minutes of the Union’s comeback effort was wasted 115 yards from its goal.

That image perfectly encapsulates the Union’s night. Even when they went up a man thanks to Rafael Baca’s red card in the 57th minute (the 11th shown to a Union opponent this season), they showed little fight and even less purpose until later. The problems, in list form:

- The Union have one goal in the last 374 minutes. They haven’t scored in 220 minutes. John Hackworth can play his cards close to the vest all he wants on his attack, but there are problems. Big ones.

- The Union are creating chances, though. The issue is the lack of quality finishing. They forced four saves from John Busch, only Carroll’s late drive forcing him to a tough action. Sebastien Le Toux scuffed a shot and made an open chance into an easy roller on goal. Jack McInerney, his confidence no longer in the same time zone as he, missed a couple of chances. And Sheanon Williams and Keon Daniel hit posts. In the effort department, it was too little, too late. Read more »

Philadelphia Union (4-4-2)

MacMath

Fabinho-Williams-Parke-Gaddis

Le Toux-Carroll-Daniel-Cruz

McInerney-Casey

Bench: Nikolov, Lahoud, Fernandes, Farfan, Kleberson, Wheeler, Hoppenot
Montreal Impact (4-4-1-1)

Perkins

Brovsky-Nesta-Ferrari-Camara

Romero-Bernier-Bernardello-Mapp

Felipe

Di Vaio

Bench: Bush, Nyassi, Warner, Arnaud, Lopez, Pisanu, Paponi

- Well, apparently the Union have found the cure to the common sprained ankle. Both Ray Gaddis (after a two-game absence) and Keon Daniel (injured last week) are back after ankle knocks. That makes the maneuvering in the back, particularly, quite simple, with Sheanon Williams moving centrally to replace the suspended Amobi Okugo and Gaddis moving to right back. We’ll see how solid their fitness is; this isn’t exactly the kind of Impact team to rush iffy players out against.

- Jack McInerney returns to the starting XI after a one-match absence. He scored last time out against Montreal, and he’ll pair with Conor Casey, who’s been really good at creating goals of late, for himself and others.

- No big surprises for the Impact. Former Union midfielder Justin Mapp will patrol the wing. The big matchup for the Union is how Brian Carroll and company are able to negate Felipe, operating in the hole behind Marco Di Vaio.

- Daniel has shown some questionable judgment in terms of attacking and retreating this season. He must press Patrice Bernier high when the MLS All-Star is in possession, or the Canadian will pick the Union apart with his superb distribution from deep in midfield.

Union manager John Hackworth
On having two goals called back:"It’s hard. I think there’s some plays that are made early in that second half, and we felt like we did all the right things coming out of the locker room at halftime and had the momentum and we get the equalizer and we feel like we got the go-ahead goal … twice. For whatever reason, the officials felt otherwise. It’s incredibly hard to take that part of it, because it changes so much. And then you’ve got to give New England credit because they were really good. Kelyn (Rowe) has two fantastic goals, and they kept going after it and obviously the momentum dramatically shifted after that. Strange, strange night. We’re just left wondering how at his level, some of that can happen."

On the pace of the game early:
The first half was strange for us too because Keon Daniel rolls his ankle, he can’t play, and that effectively it exactly where Kelyn gets his first goal from. We get in good positions, and we just didn’t execute. We had six corner kicks in the first half and several crosses and entries into the box and the quality was missing. We talked about what we’re good at and what we needed to do in the second half, and I think we came out and did those things. It’s hard to swallow.

On coming back from the loss:
A loss is a loss. At the end of the day, that’s not what we came up here to do. So we have to keep it in perspective. We’ll do what we do after every game, win, lose or draw, we’ll look at the video and try to make a lot of corrections and try to make a game plan for next week.
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Philadelphia Union (4-4-2)

MacMath

Fabinho-Parke-Okugo-Williams

Le Toux-Carroll-Daniel-Cruz

McInerney-Casey

Bench: Nikolov, Farfan, Hoppenot, Fernandes, Lahoud, Kleberson, Wheeler

New York Red Bulls (4-4-2)

Robles

Sekagya-Olave-Holgersson-Miller

Alexander-McCarty-Cahill-Steel

Espindola-Henry

Bench: Meara, Sam, Lade, Barklage, Luyindula, Maizga, Obekop

- The thinking once was that the Red Bulls went as did Thierry Henry this season. There's an addendum to that: The Red Bulls are a different team when Henry and Fabian Espindola start. They've started together 16 times this season, and the Red Bulls are 8-4-4 in those games. If you exclude early-season stumbles, they are 8-2-2 in the the last 12 games in which both have started, including a recent 4-1-1 stretch interrupted last week in Columbus when Henry didn't travel. Their working relationship and able to create chances and goal from nothing will severely test Amobi Okugo and Jeff Parke in a way Peguy Luyindula simply couldn't in two starts against the Union this season.

- It's unfair to think of Roy Miller as the liability he has been in the past (though that could service at any time). But it'll be interesting to see how the Union attack the Costa Rican left back. Do they put Danny Cruz up the attacking right? Or do they break up the burgeoning chemistry between Sebastien Le Toux and Fabinho, making his second straight start at left back? I'd expect Cruz to take on the job.

- Still no Kleberson. That samba beat sounds more ghostly by the day. We'll see if Keon Daniel learns from the errors John Hackworth admitted he made last week.

- Interesting that Oka Nikolov makes his first MLS gameday roster in favor of Chris Konopka.

The Union did what they had to Saturday, pure and simple. It wasn’t always pretty, and it certainly wasn’t as effective as it could have been, but the Union need what was needed in dispatching a youthful D.C. United side, 2-0, at PPL Park. A few stray observations.

- I guess when the Union win, I should start with a positive. So how about this: Fabinho is a very good left wing option. Much of the Union’s struggles in the first half were because they went almost exclusively down the left with Sebastien Le Toux and Fabinho, deputizing at left back for Ray Gaddis. That lack of balance effectively shut Danny Cruz out of the game, and he didn’t have much influence before being withdrawn for Michael Farfan as a defensive sub. Cruz has played a lot and is a high energy guy, so Fabinho could be a good option if Cruz needs a break at some point.

- The Union peppered D.C.’s cage with 22 shots Saturday. Only three were off the boot of Jack McInerney. His first effort was his best, a top poke in the fifth minute that forced a reflex save from Bill Hamid to push it over the bar. But McInerney has to shoot more. He’s mired in a seven-game scoreless slump (yeah, we’ll use that word), and he played like it at times with his over deferential, pass-first mentality at times. When you consider the midfield options around him consist of Brian Carroll (two goals in MLS play, one scored with his back), Michael Farfan (one MLS goal, not from the run of play), Cruz (two MLS goals in one furious two-minute span against Seattle set against the backdrop of a generally misfiring eye for goal) and Keon Daniel (five shots on goal all year), there’s not much reason to lay the ball off. Good scorers shoot their ways out of slumps; that’s what McInerney must do.

- Among the myriad problems in the first half with the Union’s attack was this: With Casey and McInerney drawing D.C.’s back four backwards, who was the most advanced central player to fill in the space created in the 18-yard box and above? That would be Carroll and his aforementioned goal prowess. The central midfield spot remains a problem for the Union. Daniel, for some reason, constantly wanted to drop back and let Carroll go forward. Farfan wasn’t great in that role last week. And Kleberson, again for some reason, didn’t feature. If Daniel is going to push that far back, they’d might as well put Michael Lahoud out there to be a more effective and more consistent holder and set Carroll go forward.

Philadelphia Union (9-7-7, 34 points)

MacMath

Williams-Okugo-Parke-Fabinho

Carroll

Le Toux-Daniel-Cruz

McInerney-Casey

Bench: Konopka, Farfan, Kleberson, Lahoud, Kassel, Wheeler, Hoppenot. 

D.C. United (3-15-4, 13 points)

Hamid

Korb-White-Shanosky-Riley

Porter-Kitchen-Jeffrey-Kemp

Martin-Doyle

Bench: Willis, Woolard, Jakovic, Seaton, Thorrington, De Rosario. 

- Let’s not beat around the bush: This isn’t a D.C. first-team side. Dwayne De Rosario is hobbled and on the bench. Luis Silva is apparently still suffering from concussion symptoms thanks to former Union defender Bakary Soumare in the U.S. Open cup semifinal midweek. Also absent is Nick DeLeon and Chris Pontius. Conor Doyle and Jared Jeffrey have played two MLS games, as has Conor Shanosky. Collin Martin has played one. James Riley (age 30) is the only player over the age of 25 in this side, making it D.C.’s youngest in history. Heck, they couldn’t even fill out a full substitutes’ bench of seven. This is a team that the Union must beat today.

- Now for the how. No slight on Doyle, but if the Union can’t keep a clean sheet against this team, that’s a problem. D.C.'s first teamers have scored 13 times in 22 matches, and these are the guys who don't usually make the cut. If the Union somehow fail to beat this team, you might as well call off the hunt for the playoffs.

- Might be something to watch: This will be Bill Hamid’s first start in the league since June 29. He missed five games as part of the U.S. team at the CONCACAF Golf Cup, then has been benched as Joe Willis has been hot of late.

- No surprises for the Union, really. Ray Gaddis misses his first game of the season with an ankle injury. In his place will be Fabinho, as was expected. The other change from last week sees Michael Farfan head to the bench for Keon Daniel, back from his one-game suspension. Still no Kleberson, though.

- Sebastien Le Toux has five goals and two assists in his career against D.C. United. Those numbers look good to improve tonight.

Another day, another Brazilian. That seems to be the m.o. for John Hackworth's era of the Philadelphia Union. The latest acquisition dancing to the Samba beat is Gilberto dos Santos Souza Junior.

Let's sum up what we know. He's Brazilian. At soon-to-be-25, he's not exactly young, not quite old. He's an interesting physical specimen at 6-2, 180. He's a holding midfielder. He last played for Clube Atletica Sorocaba in the Campeonato Paulista. That's the top flight not in Brazil, but in the state of Sao Paolo, though it does includes games against giant clubs like Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos and Sao Paolo. 

We also know that he's not this Gilberto (Silva, formerly of Arsenal). Or this one, though they may have played together at America Mineiro. Or this one. Or this one, though someone earlier today erroneously updated the current club to the Union. (And why were so many babies born in 1976 named Gilberto?)

We know he played 16 games and scored one goal this year for Sorocaba, per the Union release. Per this source, it's the only goal he's scored in 63 league matches in his career spread across a variety of competitions, from six matches in Serie A with Mineiro in 2011 to a stint in Serie D the previous season. So let's use a couple of videos (at bottom of post).

Here's what else is known. Gilberto was deemed important enough to occupy an international roster spot. By my reckoning -- and reinforced by the team sheet the Union distributed against Stoke City Tuesday with a column listing "status" -- Gilberto is the sixth international player on the team. The others: Fellow Brazilians Fabinho and Kleberson, Keon Daniel, Roger Torres and Oka Nikolov. Of the group, four have been acquired by Hackworth in 14 months. Four are midfielders.

You can debate what the ramifications of the Gilberto signing are. Whether or not he plays a role this season remains to be seen. It should be noted that both of his countrymen had international experience before coming to the Union this season, surely helping them integrate into the side faster. The midfield is crowded as it is, so a move to clear space could be coming (and I think of the above list, the target to be moved on is pretty obvious and logical).

Could he be viewed as a possible long-term replacement for Brian Carroll? Maybe. But for the time being, adding another midfielder for a team already scrambling to shoehorn three forwards onto the field on a regular basis doesn't seem to be one the club envisions as having an immediate impact.

Also this video from Vimeo that can't be embedded here

The Philadelphia Union manager had plenty to say after his team's two-game road trip and with a crucial game looming against Chivas USA at home Friday. Here are the details:

On the lack of playing time for Roger Torres:
The same thing we see and expect from every player on our roster. There’s effectiveness, there’s a commitment, there’s a preparation before you ever get on the field that you can play the game at the level that we’re demanding and that you know your role and responsibilities within the structure of our team. Don’t get me wrong, I almost feel like I’m defending our staff because we feel like we like Roger. He’s here for a reason, but he’s not playing for a reason as well, and there’s other guys who have continued to stay ahead of him and there are guys that have risen above him, and Roger understands that. But when he gets an opportunity like he did in Houston, he has to make the most of it. We’ve had several discussions as a staff, with Roger, he’s still a young guy that we believe in, we want him to be successful here, but a lot of that has to do with Roger and what he does on and off the field.

On what role new acquisitions Fabinho and Oka Nikolov will play Friday:
I haven’t made that decision yet. As with anybody that we bring in, at two different positions, they’re battling with other players on the roster. We don’t really want to rush a guy, but at the same time if a guy is ready and if he’s done it in training and had the kind of games for him to prepare, we’ll give them a chance. For both of them, we’re happy where they are and haven’t made the final decision on anyone.
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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.
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As July dawns, the Philadelphia Union undertake one of the toughest swings of the season, hitting the road for two games in four days against Real Salt Lake and Houston. Here are manager John Hackworth's thoughts from Tuesday's conference call:

On expectations for this road trip to Salt Lake and Houston:
I think a great outcome would be that we win one of these and tie one of them, so if we got four points. Obviously six is the best, but realistically, and I don’t even know if four is realistic with these two opponents, but I think for our team right now, we’re going in with the mindset that if we can get a draw out of one of these and a win in one, it would put us in really good position

On replacing Jack McInerney the next few games:
It’ll be more based on the matchup. We’re playing two tactically very different teams on the road, and so I think our system and our tactics will change and be dictated by our opponent as we go. We certainly have some good options with Jack being gone, but we’re going to try to make sure we utilize our strengths and see if we can’t take advantage of some of our opponents.

On the tactical flexibility provided by Sebastien Le Toux:
I think it’s extremely important. It gives us some very good options, especially when you’re going on the road and need to have a little bit of an element of surprise sometimes, you want to have that. Sebastien has clearly done very well for us wide, and that’s certainly an option to stay there or we can play him up high, which is a position that he has done very well at for this club in the past.
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Philadelphia Union

MacMath

Gaddis-Parke-Okugo-Williams

Le Toux-Carroll-Farfan-Cruz

Casey-McInerney

Bench: Konopka, Albright, Torres, Wheeler, Fernandes, Hoppenot, Kassel

FC Dallas 

Fernandez

Benitez-Hedges-Zimmerman-Watson

Jacobson-Michel-Jackson

Castillo-Cooper-Perez

Bench: Seitz, Nunez, Ferreira, Warshaw, Woodberry, Keel, Hassli 

- Danny Cruz appears to have overcome what sounded like a pretty severe ankle knock to get in the starting XI. We’ll see which side he starts on.

- This is the chance for Michael Farfan. Without Kleberson, Michael Lahoud and Keon Daniel, Farfan returns to his preferred central midfield role. We'll see if he can make a mark on the game in the same way that Daniel has of late.

- As far as Dallas, they’re just going to go for it, it appears. They have Kenny Cooper and Blas Perez in the same side, a bit of a rarity this year. Instead of former MVP David Ferreira operating in the slot, they’re going with more width in the form of Fabian Castillo opposite Jackson. That’ll be a stiff test for the Union defense, both in limiting service from the wings and cutting out the aerial threat presented by the two tall forwards.

The powers that be over at MLS headquarters put together an article Friday that divulged this impressive fact: The CONCACAF Gold Cup features 32 players from MLS rosters, tied for the most all-time at the biennial tournament. With that many pieces gone, it’s worth exploring the impact on a playoff race that has the makings of a good one. So team-by-team, here’s who is missing.  

Los Angeles' Landon Donovan headlines
the U.S. team for the Gold Cup. (Associated Press)

Eastern Conference

Montreal: None.
Talk about the rich staying richer. That’s what happens when the Eastern Conference leaders have just five players hailing from Canada, only one of whom sees regular time. They dodge a bullet with the somewhat surprising exclusion of Patrice Bernier, the guy who directs their midfield, but that’s really the only close call.

Union: M Keon Daniel (Trinidad and Tobago), F Jack McInerney (USA).
Losing the co-leading scorer in MLS for up to five games is a big blow, as is Daniel’s absence given a rash of injuries in the midfield. But they get it paid forward from their opposition. Of the five games McInerney would miss, four are against Western Conference teams. And as we’ll see shortly, Real Salt Lake, Houston, Portland and Vancouver all face significant losses. (The other game is Chivas, so there’s that.)

New York: D Roy Miller (Costa Rica).
A few months ago, losing Miller wouldn’t have seemed like such a big deal. But Friday’s news that Heath Pearce could be done for the year with hip surgery leaves the Red Bulls shorthanded at the back. All this for a team that has given up seven goals in its last three matches – the latest installment a pretty memorable one for Union fans in which the other healthy fullback, Brandon Barklage, was absolutely torched in the first half – and faces visit from Houston and Montreal book-ending a trip to Colorado. That’s tough.

Kansas City: D Mechack Jerome (Haiti), F Peterson Joseph (Haiti).
Sporting KC loses a pair of guys who’ve played well recently. But Jerome’s exit is mitigated by the return of Matt Besler (even if Jerome is technically a right back). As far as Peterson, Peter Vermes is already searching for ways to re-integrate Kei Kamara (back on loan from Norwich) and Teal Bunbury (back from a knee injury) into the side, plus there are high hopes for Dom Dwyer after he scored 328 goals for Orlando City this year. And there’s the fact that Graham Zusi, Besler and Benny Feilhaber were among the 12 players from the preliminary 35-man squad left off the final roster. With home games against Columbus, Vancouver, Toronto and a trip to Chicago, SKC could be poised for a run.

Houston: D Corey Ashe (USA), F Will Bruin (USA).
On paper, the Dynamo lose two key players. But it’s not that bad because, A) They get Oscar Boniek Garcia and Brad Davis back from World Cup qualifiers; B) Bruin has been struggling up top and may have been headed for more time on the bench anyway (paging Omar Cummings), and C) It could’ve been worse had Tally Hall not ended up as the odd goalkeeper out and been called up just to sit the bench. Plus, after injuries forestalled it, Ashe really deserves his first cap. Oh yeah, and a bye week means the Dynamo only play three matches during the Gold Cup.

New England: None.
This really couldn’t come at a better time for the Revs. Not only are they 3-1-2 in their last six, there really were few choices for possible call-ups. Juan Agudelo has played just once in 20 months for the U.S., and Jerry Bengston is persona non grata in his native Honduras. With games against San Jose, Colorado, Columbus and D.C., all weakened by the Gold Cup, there's a chance at some serious points.

Columbus: F Jairo Arrieta (Costa Rica).
You could say that Arrieta is a big loss for the Crew. But the reality is that the forward has played just four games since the beginning of May. In those games, Columbus is 0-3-1, having scored just two goals. With LA, Portland and New England looming, they’ll need to figure something out quickly.

Chicago: GK Sean Johnson (USA).
The Fire are undefeated in their last five matches and finally starting to make up ground in the East, making this a bad time to lose their goalkeeper. We’ll see what Paolo Tornaghi, he of four MLS matches worth of experience, has to bring to the table.

Toronto: D Ashtone Morgan (Canada), D Doneil Henry (Canada), M Kyle Bekker (Canada), M Jonathan Osorio (Canada).
The four youngsters have combined to play 30 matches for two-win Toronto, a team that has had 25 different players start a game this season (by comparison, the Union have had just 16). If you’re in the Toronto area, I’d beware: Just about any able-bodied male is being drafted into the side these days.

D.C. United: GK Bill Hamid (USA).
Hamid is a loss, but he hasn’t exactly had the best of seasons (as the Union demonstrated back in April). The bigger story is that D.C., an anemic offensive team, gets to hang onto Dwayne De Rosario and Kyle Porter. Plus, with Joe Willis filing in, maybe the defense will get it together finally.

Western Conference

Portland: M Will Johnson (Canada), F Frederic Piquionne (Martinique), M Rodney Wallace (Costa Rica).
The West-leading Timbers have no doubt been the story of the season. So what does Caleb Porter’s brand of beautiful soccer lose? Try six goals and an assist from Johnson, four and five from Wallace and one and three from super sub Piquionne. The team that travels to PPL Park July 20 will have plenty of options left, but it won’t exactly be full strength.

Real Salt Lake: F Alvaro Saborio (Real Salt Lake), GK Nick Rimando (USA), D Tony Beltran (USA), M Kyle Beckerman (USA).
Is there a team harder hit than the second-place squad in the West? When the Union come to town July 3, they’ll face a team whose depth will be severely tested. Gone is one of the best goalkeepers in MLS, who started 16 games this season, and Beckerman, a strong candidate for U.S. captain and the fulcrum of the RSL attack (not to mention the only MLS midfielder called up). Beltran, seen as a rising defensive star, has started 15 matches, and despite playing just eight matches, Saborio is the co-leading scorer with four goals. At least they get Luis Gil back from the U-20 World Cup.

Dallas: F Blas Perez (Panama).
The conundrum this year for Dallas – if a team with three losses in 16 matches can be said to have one – has been regularly getting Perez and Kenny Cooper in the same starting XI. Cooper should step right in for the Panamanian.

Los Angeles: F Landon Donovan (USA).
Lando’s return from Jurgen Klinsmann's wilderness is the story of this Gold Cup squad at the outset. For the Galaxy, the news may hasten the search for another designated player. But with Robbie Rogers playing regularly, Pablo Mastroeni providing midfield depth and Jose Villareal back from the U-20 World Cup, there’s ample cover. Plus they get to keep Omar Gonzalez away from international duty.

Vancouver: GK Simon Thomas (Canada), M Russell Teibert (Canada), D Carlyle Mitchell (Trinidad and Tobago).
For the next month, the Union turn into fans of Canada. If Canada can make it to the quarterfinals July 21 – a daunting task given a group with Mexico and Panama, and the fact that they have to finish as one of the top two third-place teams – it would rule out Portland’s Johnson from the trip to Philly. Should they make the semis, Teibert, a sudden revelation for the Whitecaps, would be in doubt for when the Union travel to British Columbia July 27. Mitchell (two starts this season) and Thomas (third stringer) aren’t big losses.

Seattle: M Mario Martinez (Honduras).
The surprising call-up of Martinez has cast doubt upon his loan arrangement with the Sounders. But when you consider that Brad Evans and Eddie Johnson were on the preliminary American roster, it could’ve been a lot worse for Sigi Schmid.

Colorado: None.
Like the Rapids need more guys missing for one reason or another. And they get Shane O’Neill back from the U-20 World Cup.

San Jose: D Nana Attakora (Canada), M Martin Chavez (Honduras), D Clarence Goodson (USA), F Chris Wondolowski (USA).

Nothing’s gone to plan for the Earthquakes this season. So what’s a little extra? Now the challenge of climbing out of the lower reaches of the Western table must proceed without MLS MVP Wondolowski. Even the well-meaning acquisition of Goodson will have to be delayed until at least August. They'll also miss Attakora and Chavez, who played significant time this season. For a team desperately looking for someone to step up, it’ll have to be some unusual suspects rising to the occasion in the next month.

Chivas USA: D Steve Purdy (El Salvador).
Purdy’s most illustrious qualification is that he’s played only three games for a Chivas USA team quickly going down the tubes, having picked up one point from the last 30 available. Hard to dig deeper into the bedrock they’ve hit.