The Domino Effect

The only word to describe the current state of the Philadelphia Union is turmoil. The team appears to be in utter disarray as their record stands at 0-3 and tied for last place in the MLS with Toronto. The slow start is a far cry from last years 2-1 start where the team showed success early on by winning close games with strong defense.


You can look at the many problems of this season as a sort of domino effect that fall on top of each other. Starting at the top, the strikers and sometimes wingers do not hold the ball or create scoring chances. The Union are fourth to last with 9 shots on goal and only 4 of those shots are by forwards (Martinez 1, Mwanga 1 and Pajoy 2). The strikers have an inability to attack and consistently cause a threat to an opposing goalie. More often then not, the forwards will turn the ball over or make an errant pass.


The turnovers and inability to pressure a defense adds extra work on the midfield who have an ever changing formation. The midfield has an inability to control the tempo, make quick passes and win headers. Their biggest problem is width; the Union has zero depth in their midfield play. Crosses in the attacking third are a rarity as they favor keeping the ball in the center of the pitch over spreading it wide. The midfield will also opt for over the top balls and home-run passes.


It’s not outside of the realm of imagination that if the Union worked the ball methodically up the pitch they would see more success offensively. The Union should utilize their speed with quick passes, overlapping runs, interchanging movements and wide crosses. If anything that would at least make the Union less predictable.


The ease of defending a Union attack gives opposing teams plenty of opportunity to launch sturdy attacks. New comer Lopez has shown an inability to stop anyone and is often beat by attackers. The Costa Rican is more often then not caught out of position and it has cost the Union. It is not all Lopez’s fault; Carlos Valdes has made a number of mistakes and at times is too physical. The on going riff between Danny Califf and Piotr Nowak has left the captain out of the last two matches. Playing opposite of Lopez is Sheanon Williams, who has all but abandoned his role as defender spending most of the game time in attack.


All these small factors add up on the young goalie Zach McMath. The second year man has created his fair share of mistakes letting in many soft goals. The 20 year old goalie has had his confidence shaken with the recent run of poor form. The Union defense needs to step up and act as a shock absorber to keep dangerous shots from getting through.


How will the Union fare against the Whitecaps, who have a high powered offense and a talented midfielder? The Union have shown zero life and it appears that this game will favor the Canadians. Although the Caps’ are without one of their big offense figures in Eric Hassli they still have depth.


The LeToux situation needs no explaining but everyone can expect nothing less then a herculean effort from the former Union goal scorer. It’s hard not to imagine LeToux scoring a goal or two. The Frenchman still has over 50% of the Union’s total offense over the last three years.