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Get to Know Your Local MLS Team: Philadelphia Union

Posted by Sean Maslin on May 13, 2013 at 3:45 pm Blogs/Media, MLS, Philadelphia Union

May 132013

gyi0060903353 Get to Know Your Local MLS Team: Philadelphia Union

Philadelphia Union Supporter’s The Sons of Ben

Founded: 2010

Where they Finished Last Season: 10-6-18 (Did not make the playoffs)

Pedigree: 2011 Eastern Conference Semi-finalists.

Rivals: D.C. United, New York Red Bulls.

Supporters: The Sons of Ben, The Tammany Saints, the illegitimateS, the Corner Creeps, The Bridge Crew, and the Bearfight Brigade.

Coach: John Hackworth

Top Returning Players: MF Brian Carroll, DF Sheanon Williams, MF Amobi Okugo, FWD Jack McInerney.

Key Additions: FWD Sebastian Le Toux (New York Red Bulls,) FWD Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids,) DEF Jeff Parke.

Key Departures: MF Gabriel Gomez (Atletico Junior,) DEF Porfirio Lopez (L.D. Alajuelense,) FWD Josue Martinez (New York Red Bulls,) MF Freddy Adu (Loan-Bahia.)

Young Player to Watch: FWD Jack McInerney, DEF Ray Gaddis

Outlook: A relative newcomer to MLS, the Philadelphia Union have shown in just three seasons that they are steadily building a team for future success. While many franchises have started off swinging in MLS, the Union have taken the path of developing young talent and taking their lumps in their first few seasons.

Although they did have some success in 2011 with a team featuring Le Toux, Colombian Goalkeeper Farid Mondragon, and Midfielder Freddy Adu, 2012 was more accurate about the team’s development. I have never been a fan of former Union coach Petr Nowak as he seems to be from the Bobby Knight mold of coaching: yell at your players, lose your marbles, and toss things around. For a young team like the Union that would seem to be counter-productive to development. So far, I really like the work that John Hackworth has done with the Union. Since taking over the Union, Hackworth has a record of 11-13-6, which is a dramatic improvement from their 2012 team under Nowak.With a team that has seven rookies on their roster and five players over the age of 30, their will be growing pains this season.

When you get a chance to watch the Union, the first thing that you notice is how good Jack McInerney is on and off the ball. As forward, his vision of the field is impeccable. He always seems to be able to find the open spaces in the defense and his excellent footwork. So far this season he has scored over 6 goals, which leads MLS, and I would not be surprised if he will score at least 20. Mr. Klinsmann, if you are looking for young American strikers have a bit of imagination to them, this is your guy.

What makes McInerney even more dangerous is that his strike partner Conor Casey. One of MLS’ most feared strikers, Casey has scored over 50 goals in six MLS seasons. A big tall forward, Casey is able to down headers into the box with ease and is able to take vicious hits from the defense and keep on trucking. While he and McInerney have taken a few games to mesh with each other, their work on D.C. United on Sunday shows promise for the two for the rest of the MLS campaign. Also, if you ever get the chance, make sure to watch Sheanon Williams take throw ins. He may not be able to do the cartwheel throw-in that impressed every high schooler in the 1990’, but he has a cannon.

While the Union’s offense seems to be clicking, their defense still leaves a lot to be desired. While watching them the past few matches, you could definitely tell that their backline is still trying to figure out their roles. Having a veteran defender like Jeff Parke should be able to provide some veteran leadership in what seems to be a very young group. The one player I was impressed during the D.C. United match was Ray Gaddis. A product of the University of West Virginia (go Mountaineers!) Gaddis was not fazed by the footwork of Raphael Augusto and Carlos Ruiz during the United match. Often you can tell the talent disparity in MLS by the players who get bought by the step-over move. Mr. Gaddis stuffed United on multiple occasions and showed incredible poise against seasoned strikers.

Even though Gaddis and Parke are quality players, players like Amobi Okugo and Bakary Soumare have not played to their caliber. And while Chris Albright may have been the future of U.S. Soccer 13 years ago, he should not be anything more than a bit player for this squad. Their goalkeeping is also suspect. Starting keeper Zac McMath has been very disappointing so far this year. On too many occasions he has made poor decisions on his clearances and does not seem to have his backline composed. Still, in what seems to be a running theme for this column, he is still only 21 years old and there is still plenty of room for growth. While backup Chris Konopka has some experience in MLS and in the League of Ireland (Ireland’s top flight division,) it may make sense for the Union to invest in a solid veteran backup as the season progresses.

I could write 20,000 words on the subject of Freddy Adu, the highs and lows of his career, how he has never lived up to his hype and who is to blame for that. I am not going to do that. He plays for Bahia, not the Philadelphia Union. I will say that at 23 (or even his real age of 27) he has accomplished quite a bit and still has plenty of time to do more . Playing professional soccer not only in the United States, but also in Europe and featuring for one’s national team is quite an achievement for any person. Perhaps he has not lived up to the expectations leveled on him. That is on him and the American soccer system. Nonetheless, I tip my cap to him because being able to do what he has done, even if he will never be the next Messi, is a pretty cool thing.

The Philadelphia Union are going to be one of the more interesting teams to watch this year. Not because they will be competing for the MLS Cup or the Supporter’s Shield. This team has the potential to be a serious player in Major League Soccer for many years. While a late season playoff push is possible, they just do not have the experience in the net or in their backline to make it to the fall football classic.

Beer of Choice:

HopBack Amber Ale, Troegs Brewing Company

While it would be easy to just say that if you are at a Union game that you should drink a Yuengling or a Keystone Light, both of which are Pennsylvania brews, the true gem of Pennsylvania breweries is the Troegs Brewing Company. A beer with 6% Alcohol By Volume, the Hopback Amber Ale has a nice mix of malt and hops which kind of works well the flashy playing style of McInerney and the simple, straightforward Casey. It also has a bit of a peppery, dry taste at the end of it which sums up the Union supporters pretty well.

Philadelphia Union forward Jack McInerney voted MLS Player of the Month

Posted by Matthew Martin on May 5, 2013 at 3:20 pm Global Football Today, MLS, Philadelphia Union

May 052013

Philadelphia Union forward Jack McInerney was voted Major League Soccer Player of the Month by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for the month of April in the 2013 MLS season.

Jack McInerney has had one of the best monthly performances in Philadelphia Union history. He currently sits atop the Budweiser Golden Boot standings with six goals (four scored in April), and is the youngest MLS player ever to do so. He won Player of the Week (week 8) with his standout two goal performance in the Philadelphia Union’s 3-2 victory over D.C. United.

McInerney has been a vital offensive force, scoring the Union’s only goals in their 1-1 draws with Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew. He has contributed to every goal scored by the Union in their first seven games of the season, a new club record.

The MLS Player of the Month is selected each month of the regular season by a panel of journalists from NASR. The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information and membership information can be found at http://www.soccerreporters.com/.

Sep 032012

Portland vs. Colorado

The Portland Timbers won back-to-back matches for the first time this season and finally escaped the Western Conference basement in a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids. Read more about this match on the GFT Portland Timbers blog.

New England vs. Philadelphia

It was the second 0-0 draw in a row for the Union, who had more opportunities against the Revolution but couldn’t convert. The Union had the two best chances of the match when Amobi Okugo’s header hit the crossbar, and Andre Hoppenot’s breakaway opportunity was parried away by New England’s Matt Reis. With Saer Sene out for the rest of the season, Jay Heaps will have his work cut out for him trying to find someone on the Revolution to score goals.

Columbus Crew vs. Montreal Impact

The Columbus Crew won the battle between two of MLS’ hottest teams thanks to a late goal from Edgar Renteria to defeat the Montreal Impact 2-1. Here’s the recap from our Columbus Crew blogger.

Sporting KC vs. Toronto

It wasn’t the prettiest match, but Sporting KC came through with two second half goals from Paulo Nagamura and Oriol Rossell to defeat Toronto FC 2-1. Here’s more thoughts on this match from our Sporting KC blogger.

Real Salt Lake vs. DC United

There was a lightning start to this match in Sandy, Utah and I mean literally as two lightning strikes in the fourth minute of play led to a weather delay of 1 hour and 24 minutes. Real Salt Lake’s Will Johnson got the lone goal of the match early in the second half when Paulo Jr.’s cross was deflected and Johnson split two defenders and put the ball away past keeper Bill Hamid. Kwame Watson-Siriboe had a goal in the 61st minute but it was waved off when Watson-Siriboe was called for handling. Things got chippy between both sides in the second half and four yellow cards were handed out in the last twenty minutes. The win kept Real Salt Lake in 2nd position in the Western Conference with 46 points. The loss pushed DC United into 6th place in the Eastern Conference with 41 points. They trail the Columbus Crew by 1 point for the 5th and final playoff spot.

Los Angeles vs. Vancouver

Los Angeles got a spectacular goal from Juninho and yet another direct free kick goal from David Beckham to deal the Vancouver Whitecaps its 4th straight defeat. Here’s the full recap from our Los Angeles Galaxy blogger.

Chicago vs. Houston

The Chicago Fire used a first-minute goal from Patrick Nyarko to jumpstart themselves to a 3-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo. The Dynamo were playing their 2nd match in 3 days and it showed. The Fire meanwhile were well rested after coming off a 10 day break. Daniel Paladini and Alex rounded out the scoring for the Fire while Brian Ching got the lone goal for the Dynamo. The victory lifted the Fire into 3rd place (44 points) in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Dynamo. The Dynamo, on the other hand, are struggling at the wrong time and are now winless in their last six matches.

FC Dallas vs. Seattle

Steve Zakuani made his first MLS start since breaking his leg 500 days ago and got an assist to help the Seattle Sounders remain undefeated at FC Dallas with a 1-1 draw. Zakuani blew past FC Dallas fullback Zach Loyd and sent a cross to the back post which connected with Mauro Rosales for the match’s opening goal. FC Dallas equalized in the 32nd minute when Loyd redeemed himself with a cross in front of goal which Blas Perez controlled and sent to Jackson who knocked it in the back of the net. The draw wasn’t good enough for a FC Dallas club (33 points) trying to gain ground on the struggling Vancouver Whitecaps (37 points) for the 5th Western Conference playoff spot. The draw also kept Seattle in the 3rd playoff spot with 44 points, trailing only Real Salt Lake (46 points) and the San Jose Earthquakes (53 points).

San Jose vs. Chivas USA

The San Jose Earthquakes continued their stellar play at Buck Shaw Stadium scoring 3 of their 4 goals on direct free kicks to crush Chivas USA 4-0. Victor Bernardez’s free kick got things started for the Earthquakes and Simon Dawkins added a goal in the run of play to give his team a 2-0 lead going into the half. Chivas USA were in decent attacking form throughout the match but just couldn’t make good when it counted. The Earthquakes Ramiro Corrales capped off his team’s rout with two free kick goals in the 2nd half. The victory puts San Jose in sole possession of first place in the race for the Supporter’s Shield. The loss continued a trend of bad form for Chivas USA, who have given up 18 goals over the last 5 matches.

UPCOMING MLS ACTION:

Aug 272012

Philadelphia v Real Salt Lake

Poor NBC Sports. This match was a stinker. Real Salt Lake was pretty tired from playing in the CONCACF Champions League earlier in the week and the Philadelphia Union are never a guarantee to play any form of attractive soccer. The match ended in a 0-0 draw. Man of the Match went to the MLS video crew who somehow were able to fill up a highlight video over 4 minutes long.

Montreal v DC United

The Montreal Impact continue to be one of the hottest teams in MLS right now after registering their 5th win in a row, defeating DC United 3-0. Troy Perkins registered his second shutout in his third game with the team and Marco Di Vaio gave the Impact the lead for good in the 24th minute, getting his 3rd goal of the season. Patrice Bernier continued his fantastic season scoring two second half goals to seal the victory. DC United coach Ben Olson received a bit of criticism after the match after deciding to sub out star players, Dwayne DeRosario and Chris Pontius in the first half. The Impact are now only 1 point out of the 5th Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Columbus v New England

This was an absolute goalfest with Columbus defeating New England 4-3. Read the entire match recap from GFT Columbus Crew blogger, Adam Uthe.

Houston v Toronto FC

Houston Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear could not have been happy on Saturday night after seeing his team dominate a good portion of the match only to allow Toronto FC to equalize in the 85th minute. The Dynamo took the lead in the 21st minute when Will Bruin chipped the ball over a charging Freddy Hall. After a stellar first half, the Dynamo couldn’t maintain the same level of energy. Toronto finally took advantage of some sluggish play from the Houston backline after Terry Dunfield made a run through box and connected with a Darren O’Dea cross to steal a point for his team.

San Jose v Colorado

The Earthquakes got two goals each from Simon Dawkins and Alan Gordon to demolish the Colorado Rapids 4-1 and extend their home winning streak to 14 games. Gordon continued his stellar play which resulted in a call up to the United States National Team earlier this month. He now has a career-high 11 goals. San Jose remains the top team in MLS with a 15-6-5 (50 points) record. For the Rapids, at least they were able to pad on more air miles to their account. It was a truly dismal effort, even with it being on the road, for the Rapids.

Vancouver v Portland

The Portland Timbers finally got their first win under Gavin Wilkinson (0-5-2 in the previous 7 matches) and also went to the top of the Cascadia Cup standings after beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 Saturday night. Darlington Nagbe became the first Timbers player to get a goal in three games in a row and Franck Songo’o scored his first career MLS goal off a free kick to lead the Timbers. The Vancouver Whitecaps continued their struggles on the road this season and are now in the midst of a six match winless streak on the road. Read more about this match on the GFT Portland Timbers blog.

Seattle v Chivas USA

The Seattle Sounders put on a goal-scoring clinic and thoroughly embarrassed Chivas USA in a 6-2 drubbing at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. Fredy Montero’s first MLS hat-trick propelled the Sounders to an easy victory and their fourth in five matches. The Sounders are now 2nd in the Western Conference standings and their recent form has put the rest of the league on notice as one of the teams to beat in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Despite some promising trades and signings this summer (Danny Califf, Juan Agudelo, Shalrie Joseph) and having one of the top goalkeepers in MLS, Chivas USA can’t seem to right the ship and there’s no doubt that Robin Fraser is on the hot seat.

FC Dallas v Los Angeles

Galaxy take sole possession of the Western Conference’s fourth position by punishing FC Dallas mistakes to win 2-0. Read more about this game from our LA Galaxy blogger, Vincent LaRosa.

Sporting KC v New York

As if Sporting KC’s 1-1 draw to the New York Red Bulls wasn’t disappointing enough, Coach Peter Vermes also had to deal with the news that Teal Bunbury would miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL injury. Read more about this match from Sporting KC blogger, Brian Sanders.

UPCOMING MLS ACTION:

The Hangover Pt. 2?

Posted by Vincent LaRosa on April 7, 2012 at 10:56 pm Los Angeles Galaxy, MLS, Philadelphia Union

Apr 072012

LA’s woes continue even away from home.

After three-straight home matches to start the season, the LA Galaxy traveled to Kansas City with the end result remaining much of the same: poor defending and a loss.

In front of a standing-room only crowd at Livestrong Sporting Park, Sporting KC’s Kei Kamara banished the Galaxy back to the Western Conference cellar with an unmarked header late in the first half. And while the Galaxy would hang around through much of the second half, managing only three shots total, none of which were on target, doomed the Galaxy to their second straight loss.

As with many of the seven goals LA had conceded thus far in 2012, the match’s only goal was once again the product of slack marking by the Galaxy back line. With SKC controlling a long ball to the left of the Galaxy area, defender Sean Franklin’s late step to even himself with the Galaxy back line allowed Kamara free reign with a Bobby Convey cross at the Galaxy back post. Timing his run to perfection, the Sporting KC forward had Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Saunders at his mercy, coolly nodding his header into the Galaxy net.

Ahead 1-0, Sporting appeared to take its foot off the pedal for much of the second half, but with LA’s lack of possession in dangerous areas of the pitch, SKC rarely looked troubled. And while only giving up one goal to the league’s best team would seem a step forward in light of the Galaxy’s poor defensive form, it seemed to be at the cost of LA’s offense, as they were unable to force SKC goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen into any saves in the 90+ minutes played.

The loss brings LA’s record to 1-3-0, and level at the bottom of the Western Conference with their Home Depot Center mates, Chivas USA. While Sporting KC’s 5th-consecutive win makes them the first team to start an MLS season 5-0 since the LA Galaxy in 1998.

Season’s Greetings

Posted by GFT Editor on March 12, 2012 at 7:02 pm MLS, Philadelphia Union

Mar 122012

Finally, MLS has COME BACK to occupy my time more than it has any right to. The Union take on the Portland Timbers in a typically fan-friendly Monday night 10PM EST kickoff, broadcast live on ESPN2 to a wildly indifferent national audience. But for my part, I couldn’t be more excited. The Union have once again re-tooled their young roster during a busy offseason, jettisoning fan favorites and old stiffs alike. While DOOP Nation has been mourning and cursing the loss of their talismanic (my favorite sports word exclusively reserved for soccer) French hero, they’ll now have even more cause to moan, as Seba christened his new shirt with a goal inside 4 minutes of his first post-Union MLS match. I’ve been biding my time before weighing in with an opinion, and here’s why: the games start tonight.Plenty of Union fans that I consider good friends mustered a lot more energy than I to protest a player move that had already occurred. These same people revel in the way Union players have made themselves accessible to their fans, and there is certainly something to be said for harversting that familial culture around their new team. From a business standpoint, it’s vital for the Union to create that culture around their enterprise. There’s a premium placed on how “nice” a player is, and not in the slang definition of the word. And by all accounts, LeToux was one of the “nicest” of the lot, and as such held a special place in the fans’ hearts.

I, however, do not give a shit about any of that. I care about the games, and more specifically, winning them. And that is what has dragged my ass out here from a relatively silent winter. And while LeToux was unquestionably the team’s star over the first two seasons, there were cracks in his armor that rankled me mercilessly. Specifically, as his frustration grew over the first half of the season, he exuded an unsavory petulance, bitching to whoever would listen (nobody) over every single foul or non-foul, when all I could scream at him was “SHUT THE 4*%( UP AND PLAY.” And I will not miss that part of his game, not even for a minute. I’m sure the manager was not impressed by these childish displays.

Nowak has cetainly reinforced his squad, adding experienced Central Americans such as midfielder Gabriel Gomez, for whom their appears to be little footage of on the internet, but here he is, slotting home a penalty in front of a raucous crowd at Ford Field:

Joining Gomez are Colombian striker Lionard Pajoy, Costa Rican left back Porfirio Lopez, and his fellow countryman Josue Martinez. Here’s some rough footage of the lads:

I am rather impressed by Nowak’s deft drafting in of players with international and professional experience abroad, who will be no strangers to intense away matches and can bring that composure into a very young locker room. His preseason training regimen was as awkward as ever, the nadirest point of which being a handbags situation in Costa Rica. While no one involved on either side covered themselves in glory, Keon Daniels takes the cake for one of the most pathetic attempts at assault I’ve ever seen. Throwing a ball at your opponent in anger? What are you, eight years old?

Oh, and Miglioranzi is gone.

Oh, and also, Miglioranzi is gone.

In addition to this, Miglioranzi is gone.

It’s certainly fair to say that Miglioranzi is gone.

All of which brings us to this point, a third straight road opener, and the second in the hostile Northwestern sect of the MLS. Portland certainly had their struggles during their inaugural MLS season, but they were mostly away from the all-too-cozy tiny-ass Jeld-Wen baseball stadium. Their home form reflected the passion of their supporters, and created yet another success story of recent MLS expansion. They’re a tough draw at home, and the Union will have to be at their scrappy best if they hope to come away with a result. Which they might. Prediction: I don’t know. Probably a loss. But I hope not!

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Get to Know Your Local MLS Team: Philadelphia Union

Philadelphia Union forward Jack McInerney voted MLS Player of the Month

MLS Weekend Wrap-Up: “It’s the San Jose Earthquakes Supporter’s Shield To Lose” Edition

MLS Weekend Wrap-Up: “The Sounders put MLS on Notice” Edition

The Hangover Pt. 2?

LA’s woes continue even away from home.

Season’s Greetings

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LA’s woes continue even away from home.