With the hype train at an all-time high, the Union sit atop the Eastern Conference table. Saturday’s matchup with the San Jose Earthquakes is sure to be an entertaining one. Both clubs seem to have overcome their recent history thus far and appear to be playoff caliber. Entering the 2016 MLS campaign, nobody pegged this as a very intriguing match, but not many would argue at this juncture.
Jim Curtin and company enter Saturday’s match with a record of 4-3, significantly better than most would have predicted. What is even more impressive is how they have gotten to this point. The Union have made their way to the top of the conference in convincing fashion with key victories over top notch opponents such as New York City FC, Orlando City SC and Columbus Crew SC.
The Opponent
Seven matches into the season, it is easy to be excited about the state of the Union, but with that said, San Jose will not lay down and be a door mat for the blue and gold. As long as Chris Wondolowski is suiting up for the Quakes, things will not be simple for opposing teams. Wondo brings not only the experience of playing with the U.S. Men’s National Team, but an unmatched work rate, clinical finishing and the uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time.
Wondolowski has a more than capable striking partner in Quincy Amarikwa, despite his early season struggles. Amarikwa has shown undeniable ability to put the ball in the back of the net, but to this point, has struggled to find the finishing touch. Much of that has been his shot selection early on this season. Nearly 50-percent of his shot attempts are coming from outside the penalty area. While the finished product has yet to be displayed by Amarikwa, he has still proven to be an asset by taking players on and consistently drawing fouls in dangerous areas.
San Jose will line up in a traditional 4-4-2 with Wondolowski and Amarikwa leading the attack. Despite the signing of Simon Dawkins this offseason, the Quakes’ tendency is to attack from the right flank. Alberto Quintero is typically the one manning that channel. While he elects to play more short passes than crosses unlike a traditional wide midfielder, his ability to keep possession and combine with players has given San Jose good reason to keep calling his number.
Off the bench, Shea Salinas can be a difference maker. In previous years, Salinas has been an impact starter in the league and bringing him off the bench just gives Dominic Kinnear that many more options. Salinas already has two assists on the season and given his passing quality and service on set pieces, there will be plenty more to come.
Keys to the Match
Since his return to San Jose in 2009, the most crucial thing to do is to keep Wondolowski off the score sheet. That task is extremely difficult as his track record proves, but when successfully done, the Quakes become a lot more pragmatic in the attack. Unfortunately, physicality does not bother Wondo much so it is not as simple as getting into his body a few times. It will be a tall task for the Union back four to eliminate gaps and know exactly where he is for the entire 90 minutes.
Tranquillo Barnetta made his first start of the season last week in a win against New York City FC and was magnificent in his 65 minutes on the pitch. According to WhoScored.com, Barnetta earned a rating of 8.01 for his first performance of more than a half hour.
When the Union announced the signing of Barnetta last season, it was viewed as a huge splash, particularly for a conservative club due to his experience in the Bundesliga and Champions League. Despite the successful start to the season, the improvement in play has come without a traditional playmaker which Barnetta gives them.
Take that for quality.
While a 2-0 win over Andrea Pirlo and NYCFC is nothing to bat an eye at. For the Union to sustain that type of success, they need to see more of the ball throughout the match. On Saturday, they saw their possession dip below 40 percent after controlling play in their loss at Seattle the week prior. Counterattacking worked to perfection against New York City, but against teams that are more organized and disciplined defensively, chances will be harder to come by.
Line-Up Prediction
With Joshua Yaro taking another step forward from his performance in Seattle, it is hard to believe that Curtin will make any changes to the back four that held NYCFC to a clean sheet and limited chances on Saturday. After Brian Carroll had a solid performance in his return to the lineup, it would be easy to insert him back into his holding midfield role next to Vincent Nogueira. With that said, he could easily be exchanged in favor of Warren Creavalle, who has had a promising start to his season.
Barnetta, Chris Pontius and Sebastien LeToux get the nod in the attacking midfield roles with Roland Alberg struggling to make much of an impact, and last but not least, C.J. Sapong can be penned in as the team’s No. 9 barring injury or suspension for the remainder of the season.
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