The Union's Josh Yaro, defending against Crystal Palace in a recent friendly,
is part of a rookie class that has contributed more than any other
in franchise history. (AP)

Thursday night, Keegan Rosenberry will represent the Philadelphia Union, along with Andre Blake, in the MLS All-Star Game. It’s a tremendous honor for a rookie to be playing with the league’s best and most expensive talent against a club with the quality and history of Arsenal.

But Rosenberry in particular symbolizes another aspect of the Union’s resurgence this season: His All-Star nod epitomizes a stellar rookie season being compiled by the Union’s SuperDraft picks.

Just 21 games into the season, Rosenberry has already set the Union record for minutes in a season by a drafted rookie. Likewise, the Union’s rookie contingent has bested the club mark for most combined minutes in a season by a draft class. In the process, they’re showing that the methodology of Earnie Stewart that prizes building through youth is on solid footing.

Here are the rookie numbers, which paint a rarely rosy picture for the Union:

Rosenberry has played every minute for the Union this season in MLS play, 1890 in all. He’s tied for second in MLS in minutes played, trailing only New York City FC’s David Villa (1906). Rosenberry is also one of three field players not to have missed a single minute for their teams this season, joining D.C. United outside backs Sean Franklin and Taylor Kemp (1800 minutes each).

Rosenberry’s total supplants the previous rookie mark for a Union draft pick, held by – appropriately enough – the man he replaced as the starting right back, Ray Gaddis. The second-round pick in 2012 logged 1,475 minutes that season, narrowly edging out Danny Mwanga in 2010 (1,461) and Michael Farfan in 2011 (1,460).

Rosenberry has vaulted past that with room to spare. And he’s still got nearly 40 percent of the season to go.

“I would date it back to day I was drafted, just how thrilled I was and blessed to have the opportunity to play for the team I wanted to, close to home and in a familiar organization,” Rosenberry said this week. “Every time I’m put on the field, it continues to build confidence that the coaching staff and the team believes in you, and it breeds more confidence. That I’m continuing to play and earn starts, it means I’m doing my job right or the way it needs to be completed.”

But it’s not just Rosenberry. The four Union SuperDraft rookies on the roster – Rosenberry, Josh Yaro, Fabian Herbers and Taylor Washington – have combined for 3,277 minutes. That exceeds the total set by six draft picks who made the roster in 2010 and logged a collective 3,087 for the inaugural Union. The Union’s rookie minutes bottomed out last year at a grand total of 12, all by the readily-released Ray Lee.

MLS minutes played by Union rookies per season.

Read more »

Union goalie Andre Blake will join teammate Keegan Rosenberry
in the 2016 MLS All-Star Game (AP).

Before the Union suited up against D.C. United Saturday night, the club got a pair of accolades that emphasize how far it has come this season.

Rookie Keegan Rosenberry and goalie Andre Blake were selected to the MLS All-Star Game as part of the fan XI vote. The MLS All-Stars will take on English giants Arsenal July 28 in San Jose.

Blake has played in all but one Union game this season, when the Jamaican was away with his national team at Copa America Centenario. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 SuperDraft is among the MLS leaders in saves and goals against average.

Rosenberry, the No. 3 pick in January’s SuperDraft, is the only member of the Union to play every minute this season. The right back also has one goal, coming against the L.A. Galaxy.

The two all-star berths for the Union are the franchise’s first since 2014 when Maurice Edu was selected as an injury replacement by coach Caleb Porter and played the second half of a win over German club Bayern Munich.

It’s the first time since 2012 that the Union have multiple all-star nods. That year, a contest hosted by PPL Park against Chelsea, featured Carlos Valdes (selected by commissioner Don Garber) and Michael Farfan (a last-minute replacement to fill out the bench). Valdes played 54 minutes, and Farfan logged 24 in a 3-2 win.

Other Union all-stars include Jack McInerney in 2013 (an injury replacement who played 33 minutes as a sub against Roma), Faryd Mondragon in 2011 (who played the first half, giving up two goals in a 4-0 loss to Manchester United) and Sebastien Le Toux in 2010 (who played the first half in a 5-2 loss to Man U).

When you’re coming off a 3-0 win at home like the Philadelphia Union Sunday, it’s easy to write off struggles from the penalty spot as easily fixable issues, ones the fortunately did not affect the outcome against New England.

Jim Curtin Wednesday more or less regarded the failures from the spot as an anomaly, and the numbers reinforce that. For one, there’s this stat on Revs goalie Bobby Shuttleworth, which is pretty impressive:

Bobby Shuttleworth the fourth GK in MLS history to save two PKs in a game (Tony Meola - 2002, D.J. Countess - 2003, David Ousted - 2015).

— Nicholas Rosano (@nicholasrosano) March 20, 2016

But even more illustrative of Sunday’s oddity is this stat: The Union missed as many PKs against the Revs as they had in their first six-plus seasons of MLS play. Here’s the breakdown by year, including John Hackworth’s infamously lamentable PK-free year of 2013, in which the Union scored on 20 of 22 penalty kicks awarded in MLS play until Sunday:

2010 3/3
2011 4/4
2012 5/6
2013 0/0
2014 7/7
2015 1/2
2016 0/2

The two misses were Michael Farfan against Sporting Kansas City in 2012 and Maurice Edu last year against Seattle, equaling the number of failed conversions proffered by Ilsinho and Sebastien Le Toux Sunday. For the Frenchman, it was his first missed PK in 14 attempts with the Union.
Read more »

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.)
Read more »

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 »

John Hackworth isn’t exactly a betting man. He’s not the type of manager who tries to play the role of master puppeteer with a group of players, not a coach who changes formations and lineups just because the club crest on his blazer tells him he can.

But Hackworth is making a gamble over the last month of the MLS season. He’s wagering that the team that has brought the second-year coach to the brink of playoff qualification but has lately looked less than playoff-worthy can finish the job. And lately, it’s looked like the chips have been stacked against him in the pursuit.

Maybe it’s that Hackworth has an idea of what cards are left in the deck – what the real value of potentially idealized bench options like Michael Farfan or Kleberson or Roger Torres are when the cards are laid out on the green stuff the next five weeks. Maybe it’s that Hackworth is a devotee of disseminating a steady message, has unwillingness to burden his players with their proximity to the panic button or simply respects them enough to know that they must know stakes at this point.

Hackworth didn’t sound Wednesday like a manager whose team has scored just once in five matches and picked up five points in the standings since the end of July.

Part of it, from the cynical perspective, reeks of complacency. “If you guys would’ve asked me that in February, that we would be in the thick of it” goes the popular Hackworth refrain, “I would take it, for sure, especially with five games to play.” Implicit in that statement is an acknowledgement that the Union team that spent the majority of the summer within striking distance of the Eastern Conference summit punched well above its weight and is returning to earth, quickly and with a thud. Read more »

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.
Read more »

With eight games left in the MLS season, it might be a bit premature to say that the Philadelphia Union’s playoff chances withered and died in New England during a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of the Revolution Sunday night. But then again, it might not. And with the myriad problems exposed by the Revs in running absolutely rampant on the Union, there’s reason to think that this has the makings of a turning point for the worse in the Union’s season. A few reasons why:

- Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way: Yes, the Union should’ve been up 2-1 when Conor Casey had the ball in the back of the net only to be wrongly called for a foul on goalkeeper Matt Reis. But the fact that they rolled up and died in the face of that adversity and capitulated four more times in quick succession after that is a major problem that goes beyond officiating. And let’s be clear: The Revs scored five times only with so-so finished. They had another five or so golden chances where the proper final pass wasn’t picked out.

- In a match like this, the best the Union can do is quarantine the problem. They didn’t. Amobi Okugo’s pair of late yellow cards means he’s suspended for next week’s visit by Montreal (and maybe the week after for accumulation; I'd have to check on that). That’s Eastern Conference-leading MLS, fresh off a 5-0 shellacking of Houston, with MLS leading scorer Marco Di Vaio in form. The options to replace him include Sheanon Williams, who was absolutely terrible Sunday, both with turnovers and this recurring delusion with charging into the box like he’s a forward that leaves the defense exposed and outnumbered. And if Ray Gaddis isn’t healthy, then Matt Kassel plays defense? Or Aaron Wheeler? For a team challenging for a playoff spot, that’s sad. Read more »

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.

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.

(Times staff / ERIC HARTLINE)

Jack McInerney will be an All-Star after all.
 

The Union striker earned a place on the gameday roster for Major League Soccer’s summer showcase match, being selected Sunday by All-Star Game manager Peter Vermes to replace New York midfielder Tim Cahill.

The MLS Stars will face AS Roma Wednesday night at 9 p.m. at Sporting Park in Kansas City.

For McInerney, the All-Star nod must feel like sweet vindication. The 20-year-old forward, who ranks fourth in the league with 10 goals in 19 matches, was passed over for the All-Star Game during the initial fan vote procedure, then by MLS commissioner Don Garber, who gets to add a few players of his own choosing to the roster.

McInerney had played off his omission coolly in the last couple days, upon returning to the Union from the first United States national team call-up of his career, though the fourth-year pro had to feel at least slightly jilted. When he got the call to join the American squad in Gold Cup pool play, he was MLS’ Golden Boot leader. When he returned, he had slid in the league’s scoring leaders list and been overlooked for an All-Star spot.

The All-Star selection is the first for McInerney, who was drafted seventh overall by the Union in 2010. The news must have made for a pretty epic Sunday for McInerney. Though he had been released from the U.S. team’s Gold Cup roster for the knockout stages, McInerney was in Chicago for the American team’s win in the Gold Cup final, and was tweeting pictures of himself from the locker room holding the championship trophy only minutes after his All-Star Game nod had become official.

Vermes’ selection of McInerney gives the Union at least one All-Star Game representative in each of the club’s four seasons of existence. Sebastien Le Toux played in the 2010 match, Faryd Mondragon got on the pitch in 2011, and Michael Farfan and Carlos Valdes both subbed on in the 2012 exhibition, which was played at the Union’s PPL Park.

There wasn’t a whole lot to write home about in the Union’s scoreless draw Saturday night against Portland. About the best thing you could say is that it was their first such scoreline in almost 11 months. In any case, a few points that deserve a little bit more air into them.

- Leo Fernandes is looking more and more like an MLS player with each appearance. When he came on for Michael Farfan in the 68th minute Saturday, it caused a few raised eyebrows. Farfan took a while to get into the game, but he was looking better after halftime and was about the only member of the Union able to keep possession in the face of Portland’s hard-pressing attack. But Fernandes proved to be a good choice by stand-in manager Rob Vartughian. He wasn’t afraid to mix it up, picking up his first pro yellow card, and his 87th minute volley went off the post and could’ve gone in. “It’s helping me a lot,” Fernandes said about his more regular time on the pitch. “I feel a lot more conformable when I get on the field. I don’t have as many nerves now when I get in. … Every game I’m getting more excited. I just try to help out the team.”

- Zac MacMath has taken his lumps this season (cough, Dallas, cough). But he deserves credit for being really good since then (as my colleague Chris Vito writes). He gave up two goals his next time out against Real Salt Lake, but you can’t fault him on that penalty that forced the Union to settle for a draw. Most importantly, he looked like he learned and grew from the failed punch incident against Dallas. He made a couple of great saves against Houston, where Ricardo Clark’s goal was hardly his fault. (I don’t know how much it mattered anyway; the Union sans most of their midfielders were never going to score that day.) And he was good against Chivas before tonight’s clean sheet. Quietly, MacMath has six shutouts, which puts him squarely in the pack among MLS starters, three off the joint leaders Donovan Ricketts and Bobby Shuttleworth. Read more »

Philadelphia Union (8-6-6, 30 points)

MacMath

Gaddis-Parke-Okugo-Williams

Cruz-Carroll-Farfan-Le Toux

Casey-McInerney

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

Portland Timbers (8-2-9, 33 points)

Ricketts

Harrington-Kah-Jean Baptise-Jewsbury

Chara

Valeri-W.Johnson-Nagbe

R.Johnson-Piquionne

Bench: Kocic, Miller, Zizzo, Alhassan, Zemanski, Valencia, Danso

- If Jack McInerney was fit, he’d be starting, that was the refrain we heard from John Hackworth midweek. He’s apparently fit, since he’s paired with Conor Casey up top. A guy who often plays like he’s got something to prove, a snub in four games with the U.S. national team plus falling behind in the golden boot race may have him primed for a big game.

- This game, quite simply, will be won in the midfield. Brian Carroll will have to negate the efforts of Will Johnson and Darlington Nagbe going forward, while Michael Farfan and company will have to make it uncomfortable for Diego Chara and prevent him from orchestrating from deep in the midfield.

- Portland struggled a bit last week with just Ryan Johnson up top, though they still managed to get the win against the Galaxy. They go for a more attack-minded set up this time with Frederic Piquionne up top as well. Don’t expect a low-scoring affair here.

- The Union have had a lot of success on set pieces and on crosses from the wing. While Donovan Ricketts has had a great season, he’s still prone to perplexing walks off his line for balls played in. Expect that to be a point of emphasis for the Union tonight.

For the umpteenth time this season, I leave the PPL Park pressbox not quite sure what I’ve actually cobbled together for a game story or fully sure of what happened in the closing minutes. The scoreboard reads 3-1 Philadelphia Union over Chivas USA, and the standings show that the Union are in second place in the Eastern Conference, one point from the summit. So there’s that at least.

Amid the myriad facts that didn’t fit into the game story, allow me a few here.

Leo Fernandes does battle with Chivas' Carlos Alvarez
in the rain during the Union's 3-1 win Friday at PPL Park.
(Times Staff/Robert J. Gurecki)

- First, this quote from Union manager John Hackworth is the best explanation possible of his ejection by referee Jorge Gonzalez. Hackworth admitted postgame that he will not be suspended for the next game despite being dismissed tonight:

“I was upset because I thought there was a penalty. I thought when Sebastien (Le Toux) was on the ground by the near post, I think the player on the ground clearly takes his elbow and knocks the ball. (As an aside, it looked like it was red-carded Josue Soto who did contact the ball at the near post. In any event, him trying to play the ball while on the ground is generally a foul if it happens anywhere else on the pitch.) That’s a handball. It’s in the box. I don’t think I was the only one who felt it was a pk. I tell the fourth official, probably a little too emotional at that point, that I think it’s a hand ball and how did they not see that handball. He, for whatever reason, told me, hey, next warning you’re gone. I hadn’t said anything; I don’t think I used any profanity, I don’t think I said anything too bad. But then Jorge, the referee came over, and I’m in the box and I say ‘how did you miss that handball?’ and I go through the motion of what the player did. And he threw me out. It’s interesting because I haven’t been thrown out in a long time, and usually you have to say something – I can’t say what because there’s probably kids listening up in the club – but you have to say something to get thrown out, and I guess my actions were a little bit too much.”
Read more »

Philadelphia Union (7-6-6, 27 points) 

MacMath 

Gaddis-Okugo-Parke-Williams 

Fernandes-Carroll-Farfan-Cruz

Casey-Le Toux

Bench: Konopka, Albright, Fabinho, Anding, Kassel, Hoppenot, Wheeler

Chivas USA (3-10-5, 14 points)

Kennedy

Soto-Vilchez-de Luna-Delgado

Villafana-Farfan-Mejia-Alvarez-Avila

Correa

Bench: McLain, Burling, Borja, Iraheta, Rivera, Bowen, Morales

- Leo Fernandes gets another chance to impress, his third straight start, but we’ll see where that comes on the pitch. Conventional logic would place him centrally next to Brian Carroll, but he could also occupy the wing, with Michael Farfan taking up the central role. Or Sebastien Le Toux could tuck into the midfield, adopting a 4-5-1 with either Farfan or Fernandes tucking in behind Conor Casey. There are options a plenty, and against a team like Chivas with less than a half dozen games under coach Jose Luis Real, Union manager John Hackworth probably likes having options. 
Read more »

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 »

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.

Saturday's date with Dallas looms large for the Union and dominated the focus of manager John Hackworth, midfielder Brian Carroll and Antoine Hoppenot in Wednesday's press conference. Here's some snippets of what they had to say.

Union manager John Hackworth
On the challenge presented by F.C. Dallas:
I think FC Dallas has had a pretty good start to the year. They’ve been at the top of the table the entire year. Right now they’re sitting third in the Supporters’ Shield, third in the West but have had a very productive start the first half of this season. They’re a very good team in all ways, and we don’t see many weaknesses in their lineup. They’ve been consistent with the way they’ve played, and I just think it’s going to be another big challenge for us here art PPL. The good news is that we can prove we can beat a team ahead of us in the table now, and this one is going to be a good battle because we’re both toward the top of the table.

On the effect of Dallas' date with Portland Thursday:
It depends. I have no idea how Dallas is going to approach their game against Portland. We’ll obviously keep a very close eye on it. But sometimes when you play those games in quick succession, they can actually get you in a little bit of rhythm, and other times, it can be a distraction especially with the travel. I hope it’s the latter for them. I hope they come in fatigued. But our expectation is that we’re going to play one of the best teams in the league Saturday. We’re certainly going to give their best. They’re a team that has been very tough to play against every single time out, and I expect a little bit of the same Saturday.

On avoiding a mental let down after New York:
It is a challenge, there’s no question. We need to try to do a really good job of staying focused and not still thinking about New York. So far this week, I think the team has responded very positively. From what our staff can tell and in the conversations we’re having in our training, we’re fully focused on Dallas, but I’m not going to lie to you and tell you it’s different. There is a normal little bit of let down because you build up to a rivalry game, you build up to the importance of trying to beat someone in front of you for the first time in a year, and that was a huge game. But we knew this stretch was going to be tough the whole time, so I think in our planning and the way that we presented it to the players, we talked about this four-game stretch to being pivotal to our success all year long. So hopefully I think they’ll be very up for it on Saturday.
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I’ll have a follow tomorrow and some columns next week where I’d like to explore a couple of things in more detail, but here’s three quick points that I see to be abundantly clear after the Union’s 3-1 loss to D.C. United.

1. Don Anding is an MLS player. Anding’s introduction in the second half breathed life into an otherwise dead Union team. He’s got the pace to play at this level and is a surprisingly physical specimen. He got the assist on Jack McInerney’s goal and had another dangerous cross that Sebastien Le Toux probably should’ve put in the back of the net, which could’ve tied the game and led to a very different result. John Hackworth’s system is meant to accommodate wingers, and Anding looks to fit the bill. That brings me to my next point …

2. A Danny Cruz-less half is not a good half for the Union. Formationally, the biggest change between the domination of Columbus and the limping against D.C. was Cruz, who missed with a shin contusion. With Michael Farfan in his place on the left trying to tuck in centrally and do whatever it is he’s been doing lately, the Union missed the attacking cattle prod that is Cruz’s game, not to mention the space among the defenders it opens for the likes of Conor Casey and McInerney (the former of whom did little). Anding appears to be cut from that same mold, which should make the likes of Keon Daniel and Farfan think twice about their job security, especially with the attacking contributions of Ray Gaddis and Sheanon Williams minimized this season. But more on that later.

3. A defense at sixes and sevens. What a horror show from the Union defense. Hackworth was accurate when he said they gifted Dwayne De Rosario two of his goals. Jeff Parke appeared to pick up a bit of a knock around the 70th minute, and was slow to cover DeRo on the second goal before the giveaway that led to the third. Amobi Okugo, who admitted not even realizing the third goal had developed until it was in the back of the net, was culpable on goal two. Against Columbus, you saw Dr. Jekyll; tonight was Mr. Hyde.