One point. One point out of a possible six in their last two matches which were against the bottom team in each division. That is all the 1st place team in the Eastern Conference earned. While dominating play for most of the match the Philadelphia Union was unable to score a goal against Sporting KC. Despite Philadelphia’s manager, Peter Nowak, opting for an offensive formation, 4-1-3-2, which deployed 5 forwards, the Union was unable to produce a goal.
The Union have now played 5 halves of soccer without putting the ball into the net. After the Toronto FC and Chicago Fire matches, in which Philadelphia offense exploded for a total of 8 goals, we all hoped their offensive struggles from the early part of the season were behind them. That hasn’t been the case. A rotation policy seems to be in place for the Union, and in my opinion has disrupted any chemistry between the midfield and the front line. Philadelphia may have only used 19 players so far this season, but they have been deployed in many different positions and formations. Nowak has 6 players, GK Faryd Mondragon, F Sebastien LeToux, defenders Carlos Valdes, Jordan Harvey, Sheanon Williams, and Danny Califf, that have been constants in his starting XI for the entire season. Recently Brian Carrol has been holding down the defensive midfield role and Justin Mapp has been playing on the wing. The others 2 spots have been filled randomly, and it doesn’t seem as though a player’s form is being considered. That is clearly evident when you look at Danny Mwanga. He is Philadelphia’s leading scorer but has been unable to hold down a starting role.
Another reason for the Union’s offensive ineptness is the fact that LeToux has only 1 goal this season and that came from the penalty spot. I find it hard to criticize LeToux because he is always working hard, but on Wednesday night he had quite a few scoring opportunities but failed to put his shots on target. If the Union have their sights on fighting for the MLS Cup, LeToux is going to have to regain his form from last season. Stability at the back has helped the Union record their 5 clean sheet of the year. It was their first in over a month. The clean sheet was my only positive to come out of the match. The Union now must turn their attention to Chivas USA who are in town today. This is a chance to pick up 3 valuable points against a team that is languishing near the bottom of the table in the Western Conference.
Chivas USA comes to PPL Park with a two game losing streak. They have 17 points out of a possible 45. Their season has been up and down. After a poor first two matches they turned things around in April. May and June has been a mixed bag leaving them sitting in 8th place out West. Chivas’ offense has come from numerous players. They have 4 men with 3 goals but will only be bring 3 to Philadelphia as former Union player Alejandro Moreno is preparing for the Copa America with Venezuela. Their back line is anchored by Heath Pearce, a former US international.
It may be too early in the season to call this a must win for the Union, but anything other than 3 points would be a disappointment. If Philadelphia wants to remain at the top of the East, this is the type of game the must win.
Image courtesy of Greg Carroccio / Philadelphia Union
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