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

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


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

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

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

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

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

(MLSsoccer.com)

Welcome to the final match of the regular season. Here's a look at John Hackworth's starting lineup for today's match against visiting New York Red Bulls:

• GK ... MacMath
• DF ... Gaddis, Okugo, Valdes, Lahoud
• MF ... Albright, Carroll, M Farfan
• FW ... Daniel, Cruz, McInerney
• Bench: GK Konopka; MF Torres, Gomez, Pfeffer; FW Hoppenot, Hoffman, McLaughlin.

A note or two about the lineups:

Albright gets the nod. The season's ending the way it began, with defender Chris Albright getting a start. The veteran back, who hasn't cracked the starting lineup since March 24, got the nod. The lineup card says he'll be in the midfield, but it might be a more defensive role, with Ray Gaddis and Michael Lahoud stretching the field on the wings.
Adu, where are you? Midfielder/forward Freddy Adu did not make the starting XI, or the gameday roster. Adu will finish the season having started only one of the final six games, playing only 58 total minutes
Le Toux --- remember him? The Red Bulls will bring ex-Union player Sebastien Le Toux off the bench, if he plays at all. The MLS Best XI choice in 2010 has gone from starter to sub in NY.

(Times / JULIA WILKINSON)

One guy in this photo was passed over for John Hackworth's starting XI. The other is serving a one-game suspension.

The Union's lineup tonight vs. Real Salt Lake takes on a unique look. Here it is:

GK ... MacMath
DF ... G Farfan, Valdes, Okugo, Gaddis
MF ... Lahoud, Carroll, M Farfan, Gomez
FW ... McInerney, Cruz
Bench ... Harrison, Albright, Lopez, Adu, Daniel, Martinez, Hoppenot

A few notes about the 18:

• Where's Freddy? Well, Hackworth wasn't kidding. He said earlier in the week that it wasn't in the Union's plans to make Freddy Adu a 90-minute player. Tonight, he most certainly will not be, as he will come off the bench -- if he enters the match, at all. It's the first time since July 21 (at NYRB) that Adu isn't in the starting lineup. But considering he wasn't selected to the gameday roster that day, you have to go back to June 30 (at Houston) to find the last time Adu came off the bench for the Union.
• Midfield mix. This is the first time Hackworth is fielding a midfield with his three best possession men, between Mike Lahoud, Gabriel Gomez and Brian Carroll. Since the midfield has been their weakness, it'll be interesting to see how aggressive the Union can (and likely will) be tonight, with that trio on the field at the same time.
• No Sheanon, no problem. Because Sheanon Williams is serving a one-game, red-card suspension, rookie Ray Gaddis will hold down the right back slot. It's Gaddis' ninth start of the season, but only his third since June 23 (vs. SKC).
• Cruz'ing up top. Danny Cruz gets a second consecutive start in the attack since being acquired by the Union. Hackworth's trying him up there with Jack McInerney. Maybe it'll spark more than the 0.833 goals per game (five goals) they've average in their last six league matches.

(Times file / COLIN KERRIGAN)

First impressions are a funny thing. For Bakary Soumare, who made his first appearance for the Union with only 13 games to go in the season, his first impression carries significantly more weight.

“You've just to go to be able to string together a few wins,” Soumare said. “You've got to go on a streak and, next thing you know, you're back up there with everybody else. You're right. The window is closing, but it's not closed yet.”

Soumare's first look at the Union – from the pitch at PPL Park – was ugly. The Union dropped a match in befuddling fashion, looking lost in a 3-1 loss  to visiting Chicago. They lacked energy and form, defended poorly and really – really – hurt their playoff chances.

Late-sub Lio Pajoy (pictured) and the Union got bullied by the Fire. At no point did the Union give their fans an indication that they were going to win the match. That's a bad sign for a club that needs a lift just to get back into the race.

Listen, it's difficult to sit here and declare the Union as a non-contender for the MLS Cup Playoffs when they have a baker's dozen left on the schedule and a few in hand against the teams they're chasing down. But this one had ugly written all over it.

“It's an extremely disappointing match,” said Union interim manager John Hackworth. “It's not the kind of performance that is acceptable to us in any way, shape or form. That being said, I would take some responsibility for that result, as well. I don't think our team was ready for Chicago in the first half and, clearly, that is my responsibility.”

So where to from here? Well, the Union are 15 points out of the fifth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. A win would've slimmed that deficit to nine.

“It's one of those games in-conference,” Soumare, the centerbac
k, said. “It's a six-point swing and, especially at home, you want to get these points. Not only do you want to get these points, but you want to avoid (letting) the teams ahead of you to get those points.”

The Union aren't making their lives any easier.

• Hackworth said Gabriel Farfan played in the midfield, occupying Michael Lahoud's slot, and Ray Gaddis took over Farfan's at left back because they “deserved opportunities.” Hackworth added: “I wanted to make sure I gave guys opportunities when they've really been working hard in training.”
• Sheanon Williams has a nickname for Soumare. He calls him 'The Moose.'
• These last two defeats – at Montreal, vs. Chicago – represent the first losing streak for the Union in Hackworth's tenure as coach.

(Times/ROBERT J GURECKI)

Next Wednesday, Aug. 15, is one of FIFA’s preordained international friendly days. They’re fun for soccer fans, bad news for contending clubs.

That being said, Union manager John Hackworth said there’s a chance centerback Carlos Valdes (Colombia) and midfielders Keon Daniel (Trinidad and Tobago) and Gabriel Gomez (Panama) might get call-ups for their respective nations’ senior teams.

The biggest absence to fill would be that of Valdes, the club’s captain and one of its All-Stars. This would be Valdes' first national-team call-up since 2010, prior to joining the Union.

“We’ve got to figure that out with Carlos,” Hackworth said. “We’re still trying to finalize his travel plans with the Colombian federation. Hopefully, he’s available for us Sunday. If he’s not, we’ll deal with that.”

Assuming Bakary Soumare is fit --- for real, this time, as opposed to when Hackworth said a week ago that he'd be ready for selection against Montreal -- there shouldn't be an issue. But if the Union have to go with a central defense tandem of Amobi Okugo, a natural midfielder who was played well above average at centerback, and rookie Ray Gaddis, that could create problems. There's also Sheanon Williams to slide into that spot, too. So plenty of options, but having Valdes is the best one.

(Associated Press)

The other day, Zac MacMath walked into the media room at PPL Park … wearing a worn-out T-shirt and form-fitting running shorts.

If the guy doesn’t feel at home, he does a good job hiding it.

In his first season as the Union’s starting goalkeeper, MacMath has played, spoken to the media, and communicated with his teammates like a savvy veteran. He’s played beyond his years, as a second-year pro. You could argue he's found his comfort zone.

No one -- not even MacMath -- is willing to sweep under the rug a couple of the head-scratching goals he's given up. A few times this season, he's made himself tall by making a step on the ball by racing from the goal line. And he's looked bad in the process. MacMath admits he misread the ball on which he gave up a goal last weekend in a win over New England, in which a 30-yard blast dipped more than once. But that's where MacMath has stood tall in the locker room, fielding judgmental questions from reporters without skipping a beat.

MacMath cites mental preparation as his biggest challenge this season, which has seen him post the fourth-most shutouts (five cleansheets) and the seventh-best goals-against average (1.18 GAA) among keepers with at least eight starts.

“I think the toughest part is mentally staying in every game,” MacMath said. “Every week, I know I’m the starter and I have to come to practice motivated and continue to work hard and learn from my mistakes and go into every game keeping my team in it.

“A lot of goalkeepers have different things they do. I try to keep my eyes on the ball and each half, in different increments, try to mentally focus and communicate with the team and keep my body warm.”

MacMath’s benefited from the strength of his backline, which features left back Gabriel Farfan, right back Sheanon Williams and centerbacks Carlos Valdes and Amobi Okugo. At times, he’s had Danny Califf – a veteran, and the Union’s former captain – at his disposal. But there have been other times when MacMath has had to cover for rookie Ray Gaddis, who’s gotten a number of spot starts.

And chances are, MacMath’s numbers will only improve whenBakary Soumare makes his debut. The 26-year-old centerback, Soumare – signed June 23 – is expected to play Saturday at Montreal, according to Union interim manager John Hackworth.

Union rookie Raymon Gaddis will miss Saturday's match at Houston with a one-game suspension, Major League Soccer's Disciplinary Committee announced Thursday.

The right back also incurred a fine of an undisclosed amount.

Gaddis recklessly tackled Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza in the 24th minute of the Union's 4-0 victory June 23. Espinoza had already played the ball when Gaddis tackled him high, drawing a yellow card. (Video of the tackle is embedded above.)

The absence of Gaddis should not be such a burden for the Union, assuming regular right back Sheanon Williams can return from a right big-toe fracture. Wednesday, Union interim manager John Hackworth spoke promisingly of Williams' progress and said Williams' return wouldn't be out of the question.

(Greg Carroccio / Philadelphia Union)

The Union pulled off something that, outside of their locker room, not too many people would've predicted.

How about a 4-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City ... to snap a seven-game winless streak ... for a team that, entering the night, had scored only eight goals all season?

"This was big, wasn't it?" rookie Antoine Hoppenot asked, rhetorically.

Yeah, it kinda was. The Union had been written off this season, left for dead after an abysmal start to the season was part of the reason Peter Nowak got canned. So to break out with four goals against the Eastern Conference's second-place team, against a goalkeeper (Jimmy Neilsen) many had penciled in as a favorite to start the MLS All-Star Game, this one was out of left field.

Is 'stunning' the right word? If you ask Freddy Adu, it is.

"It is. With our team, we haven't had a lot success this season," Adu said. "This game was huge for us. This was very important for us."

Here's a quick rundown of the accomplishments from Saturday night's win: John Hackworth picked up his first victory as manager, Hoppenot scored his first career goal in MLS, Jack McInerney (who had a brace) scored his first goals in 322 days, and Zac MacMath posted his fourth shutout.

That's a lot to happen in one night.

“Everybody brought it today," Adu said.

And that's what it might take for the Union to dig out of their hole in the East.

#       #       #       #       #

A few notes and quotes from the locker room:

• Roger Torres, who was set to sub on in the 90th minute, never got his chance. He had to go back to the bench because he had forgotten his shin guards. "I would've been in trouble," he said.
• Zac MacMath, who took a knock to the head in the 89th, said he's OK. Having missed action with concussions this season, and playing without a helmet, MacMath drew widespread concern. "He hit me in the back of the head a little bit," MacMath said. "I'm not sure if he meant to do it or not, but just a little knock. Nothing serious."
• Ray Gaddis is a fan of bowties. He was rocking the unique look while fielding interviews from his locker. “Back home, if you don't have a good suit, that's bad. It's expected of you," the rookie right back said. "It's an expectation of your mom, too. I come from a church-going family, so I'm used to wearing suits and getting it all together. Chris (Konopka) has his variety of bowties, so it's always good to see what he brings to the table.”
• John Hackworth broke some news in the postgame presser. Here's the lowdown: "First announcement is I heard that if we score more than three goals, Great Clips is going to give free haircuts to everybody at PPL tonight," Hackworth said. "I guess we all get free haircuts." Better get in line: 18,207 attended the match.
• Peter Vermes is a man of few words. "They deserve the three points," the SKC coach said. "We didn't play well and they did." And that was the extent of his press conference.

(Times staff / COLIN KERRIGAN)

Union starting XI just announced for tonight's match against Sporting Kansas City. Here it is:

GK MacMath
DEF G Farfan
DEF Valdes
DEF Okugo
DEF Gaddis
MF M Farfan
MF Carroll
MF Lahoud
MF Adu
FW McInerney
FW Pajoy (pictured)

A couple observations here:
BACKLINE: With Sheanon Williams listed as 'out' in the injury report with a right big toe avulsion fracture, you knew the Union were going to have to get creative. So Ray Gaddis is back at right back, and we get to see more of Amobi Okugo paired with captain Carlos Valdes at centerback. Never a bad thing.

MIDFIELD: Nothing doing here. As John Hackworth said this week, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. So you get the same lineup the Union tossed out there a week ago. Good to see Hack sticking to his guns.

FORWARD: A little different look here, with Lio Pajoy returning from his one-game suspension and knocking Josue Martinez from the starting lineup. I still think Pajoy, who's been a step too slow this season, has something to prove before he gets playing time ahead of Martinez. But that's not up to me, now is it? Also, Jack McInerney gets his second consecutive start. Great opportunity for the kid to have at it. He's been champing at the bit since the end of last season and had been denied the chance. Let's see if he's as aggressive as he was a week ago.

Here's the Union's bench for tonight:
GK Konopka
DEF Lopez
MF Daniel
MF Torres
FW Hoppenot
FW Martinez
FW Perlaza

If I'm Hackworth, I'm looking to Perlaza, Martinez and Hoppenot to give me a lift if the Union trail late. As far as we can tell, Torres is not 100 percent -- per Hackworth -- and could be a liability if he rushes back for more than garbage time.

(Times / JULIA WILKINSON)

This isn't breaking news, but ... the Union aren't playing well. At least not against MLS competition, they aren't.

So it shouldn't surprise anyone that Union boss Peter Nowak said Monday, in advance of the Union's fourth-round U.S. Open Cup match at D.C. United Tuesday night, the Union are not taking this tournament lightly.

“Success breeds success,” Nowak said, in a conference call with reporters. “That's why I was very extreemly disappointed. We lost the game to New York and played a good feisty game (in a draw) against Dallas and we made progress. ... In (a loss to) Toronto we were very passive. That's not the way we play. That's why I was disappointed. Right now is a good opportunity for all of us to step in the right direction and make it good again.”

Look at it this way: If the Union steal a win from D.C. at the Maryland Sportsplex, they'll host a June 26 Open Cup quarterfinal against either MLS rival New York Red Bulls or the Harrisburg City Islanders, their minor league affiliate. There's plenty of incentive here to win Tuesday night.

“We treat all these games with respect,” Nowak said. “I've been preaching for years, that everything starts in training. ... You can't take these games lightly like the other (MLS) teams did, because then you'll be eliminated.

"It's important to show up. Whenever you put it all on the plate, you can have a good result.”

INJURY NOTES: Nowak said goalkeeper Zac MacMath will find out Tuesday morning whether he'll have clearance to return from a concussion. ... Centerback Sheanon Williams has had "problems with his big toe," but he should be OK. ... Right back Ray Gaddis is "still recovering from the flu virus, the bug," said Nowak. No word on whether he'll be available.

Califf (Associated Press)

Angel (Getty Images)

As Sunday creeps closer to Monday, the rumored trade taking Danny Califf to Southern California seems to strengthen.

The latest word on the Web has Califf heading West, with Jack McInerney, for Chivas USA's Juan Pablo Angel. Early Sunday afternoon, we didn't even have that much detail.

Union boss Peter Nowak confirmed Sunday, following their 3-2 loss to New York, what had been kicked around online for nearly a day: That the Union, teetering on the brink of relevance, are listening to a trade offer for Califf.

But is this the right decision for the Union?

From Nowak's standpoint, it seems like an easy decision. The Union's strength is, and has been for two seasons, on the defensive side of the ball. So Califf, the 32-year-old captain of the Union, becomes expendable, especially when Chivas is waving Angel, a 36-year-old striker with a proven track record for scoring goals in bunches, in the Union's faces.

From the fans' standpoints, it's not so clear. The supporters of the Union see their team casting off another fan favorite – like when they traded Sebastien Le Toux Jan. 31 and released goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon a day later.

There's also the dollars-and-cents angle of this.

The Union, at 2-6-1 and closer to the Eastern Conference's cellar than its surface, are pointed toward a losing season. Through nine games, they've made the leashes for SuperDraft picks Chandler Hoffman and Raymon Gaddis longer than most of their untested rookies in previous seasons. And the Union's technical staff has made it clear that, if provided the chance to play Homegrown Players Zach Pfeffer and Cristhian Hernandez, they are more apt to take those opportunities than pass on them.

So trading Califf seems like a natural fit for a team that, on the surface, looks like it wants to get younger while shedding salary in the process. Win-win, right? Not necessarily. Califf made $250,000 in base salary in 2011, as reported by the MLS Players Association in September. And Angel? He made $1.25 million according to the same report.

According to MLS Pressbox, Angel is a former designated player, which means his salary has drastically decreased. Only $350,000 of a DP's salary counts against his team's cap. So if Angel's DP tag has been removed, his salary might be comparable to, if not lower than, Califf's.

That makes acquiring Angel appealing to Nowak and the Union. That is, before you allow the opinions of Califf's teammates to factor in. Califf is “the good guy” in the locker room who always “looked out” for the younger guys on the team, according to Sheanon Williams. Fellow centerback Carlos Valdes, the captain of the Union in Califf's five absences this season, called Califf “the leader inside the field.”

It's a toss up. Just depends on which side of the coin you stand.

Times / JULIA WILKINSON

Zac MacMath, the goalkeeper suffering from concussion-like symptoms this week, will start Sunday's match v. New York Red Bulls.

MacMath was included in the Union's starting lineup, which was announced 15 minutes ago.

The 20-year-old MacMath, who's been troubled by concussion-like symptoms since May 5, when he took a knee to the head from Seattle's David Estrada, had been listed as 'out' in a May 8 injury report, then upgraded to 'probable' May 11.

MacMath owns a 1.12 goals-against average and three clean sheets this season.

Other interesting observations from the Union's starting XI v. NYRB:

• No Califf. Centerback Danny Califf will miss his fifth game of the season, presumably with the left hamstring strain that has saddled him since last month. 
• Backline mixup. The Union list Michael Farfan, Ray Gaddis, Carlos Valdes and Sheanon Williams as their starters at defender, but offered no further clarity. If Gaddis, who's most comfortable on the right, starts there, that would seem to push Williams to centerback. Assuming that's how they take the field, the Union might use Farfan as an attacking piece on the left, perhaps providing that connecting link between the defenders and midfielders that has been so lacking for the Union.
• Two forwards. The Union saw what a three-forward formation provided May 9 in a friendly win over FC Schalke 04. So today, they will start Lionard Pajoy and Danny Mwanga up top.

There are two ways to diagnose Raymon Gaddis' performances in a Union kit:

For one, he's a rookie who Saturday was making only his third career start. But, on the other hand, he's playing on a backline that had a reputation for stout, stingy, goal-preventing play.

Something had to give against San Jose, and it was the latter.

The Earthquakes prevailed, 2-1, against the Union. It wasn't exclusively because of Gaddis' play, but rather a confluence of related events, that led to the Union suffering their first loss since March 24.

Consider...
The Union are strapped on the backline because of left back Gabriel Farfan's three-game suspension (one down, two to go -- by the way). And because offseason get Porfirio Lopez clearly has fallen out of favor with the Union technical staff (Saturday, Lopez was a healthy scratch who didn't make the gameday 18), that left Chris Albright as the only other defender available.

So what took place against the Earthquakes was a number of players lining up out of position. Sheanon Williams, a rock at right back, shifted to the left to cover up the absence of Farfan, and Gaddis played the right. But Williams, who is not naturally left-footed, did as much as he could to hold down that spot. That often left the Earthquakes picking correctly which side to attack, leaving Gaddis to mark guys like Steven Lenhart (who had two goals) and MLS leading scorer Chris Wondolowski.

Whoops.

“I think (Farfan's suspension) changes us a lot due to the fact that, No. 1, Sheanon goes out on the left, where he's not as comfortable," said Union centerback and captain Danny Califf. "So you take him off the right, where he's not only comfortable but he also is a huge part of our offense, and you put him in a spot where he's not as comfortable and that takes away our left-sided attack out of the back.


Califf continued: “Nothing against Sheanon, but he's not left-footed and he's not used to playing there. He's athletic, but he's not going to give you anything (there). It's hard, right? He just can't do what Gabe does on the left. He gives us that on the right, but it's just not there on the left. It's kind of a dynamic of our game that's completely lost. Not only do we not have the left, but now we don't have as much on the right."

Califf, playing the role of a good captain and one unwilling to throw a rookie under the bus, said there's plenty the Union can do to help Gaddis adjust. Here's Califf's strategy:

“I think Ray does a great job, but he's still a kid and he's still got a lot of inexperience and he shows flashes of being a brilliant player, but he needs more games," Califf said. "When we lose Sheanon on the right and an attacking guy on the left, it hamstrings us when we're trying to play out of the back. … A lot of times we have to be there for him a little bit more – try and talk to him a little more than we necessarily talk to Sheanon and organize him more. It's not fault of his own, but it's something we now need to address as a group a bit more. I think that will help him if we can establish somebody who can play in front of him on a more regular basis, so that he can develop a relationship with the guy in front of him. That will be huge."

Looks like the Union have a tiny issue on their hands. They hadn't given up a goal in 408 minutes and, Saturday, they relinquished two in a span of 17 minutes.

If they can't find the right grouping to play in front of goalkeeper Zac MacMath, they might have trouble ... beginning this weekend in Seattle.

(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.

The Union began the weekend in ninth place in the Eastern Conference table. After Saturday's road win at Chivas USA, they're in sixth ... and they're only three points from second place.

From ninth to sixth, and maybe second by next weekend.

That's quite a turnaround. And that's largely thanks to Zac MacMath.

A second-year goalkeeper and first-year starter, MacMath posted his third consecutive clean sheet Saturday in a 1-0 victory over Chivas. The shutout extended MacMath's scoreless streak to 332 minutes. He hasn't given up a goal since the 28th minute of a 1-0 loss at Chicago March 24.

Here's the skinny: Until the Union establish any degree of consistent offense, they're going to need to lean upon MacMath.

The Union average less than a goal a game, with four in six matches. That means Union manager Peter Nowak will take extra effort in making sure his backline is working to its fullest potential, so that the Union can score early and hold a one-goal advantage.

“You can see that we bunkered in a little bit," MacMath said Saturday. "We had to. We were down two guys (following red cards to Gabriel Farfan and Keon Daniel). We just stayed together as a team, communicated and worked really hard.”

Centerbacks Sheanon Williams and Carlos Valdes played well against Chivas. As did Raymon Gaddis, making only his second start in MLS. But Gabriel Farfan fell victim to chippiness late, getting issued a red card in the final minutes. With Danny Califf on the mend, it looks like Porfirio Lopez would be a safe bet to return to the lineup next weekend.

All of that amounts to MacMath playing well under pressure. He's made nine consecutive saves in a span of four games. He's going to need far more than that if the Union want to continue their ascent in the Eastern Conference table.

(Times staff photo / JULIA WILKINSON)

So the streak is over. The Union, who hadn't scored in 241 minutes, not only got a goal, but they also picked up their first win of 2012 by topping Columbus, 1-0.

What does that mean for the season? Here are three observations from Saturday's victory:

1. This defense can carry the Union. How often have the Union had to rely on Sheanon Williams, pictured, to play centerback? Umm...never. So when pressed into the spot by a pregame warmup injury to Danny Califf (hamstring tweak), Williams handled it admirably. That also meant Raymon Gaddis, a SuperDraft selection, got his first start and playing time. All told, the Union backline -- with goalkeeper Zac MacMath -- kept the Crew off the scoresheet and extended their opponents' scoreless streak to 252 minutes.

2. Why so conservative? The Union scored a first-half goal off a penalty kick, then turned around their game and went all defensive. They hadn't been generating enough offensive runs and scoring opportunities to make it worthwhile to sub out Freddy Adu in the 62nd minute, but that's what happened. For a team that hadn't found the back of the net in the better part of three matches, the Union needed to keep their foot on the pedal and, instead, they pulled back and tried to preserve the one-goal cushion.

3. A must-win that the Union won. How often are we five matches into the season, and the Union are faced with a must-win scenario? Saturday presented one, with middle-of-the-road Columbus in town. Peter Nowak's club had to have this one, with a West Coast roady to Chivas USA next up, followed by a home date with San Jose and another trip West to visit Seattle. Two of those teams are near the top of the Western Conference table and, while the other isn't, it's always daunting to cover 3,000 miles and pull off a victory. The Union needed three points against the Crew, and they got them.

Also:
**Rookie Antoine Hoppenot, a supplemental-draft pick, made his debut when he checked in for Lionard Pajoy in the 90th minute.
**When Gabriel Gomez converted a penalty kick in the 37th minute, he became the second player in franchise history to score a PK goal. The only other: Sebastien Le Toux.
**Adu got 63 minutes in his first playing time since returning last month from the United States U-23s, who failed to qualify for the Summer Olympics.

(Photo: Associated Press)