With the Union off to a promising 3-3 start with impressive wins over Orlando City SC, New England Revolution, and Columbus Crew SC, the hope that has escaped the fanbase for several years now seems to have been restored.
The more surprising aspect of it all is, despite the fact that the front office had undeniably made improvements to the midfield, Warren Creavalle has played a huge role in the club’s success. Initially viewed as a stopgap until Vincent Nogueira could become match-fit, Creavalle has inserted himself into the heart and soul of the Starting XI week after week.
Creavalle came to Philly in August of last year from Toronto FC in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. In 166 minutes with the Union last season, he was unable to do anything in particular to stand out, posting a mere 6.48 player rating according to WhoScored.com. As a matter of fact, he was viewed clearly as additional depth on the bench with Maurice Edu sliding back into his natural holding midfield position prior to his injury. In his four appearances this season, however, Creavalle is averaging career-highs in nearly every defensive category, including tackles (4/game) and interceptions (4/game).
While the Union continue to struggle in defensive transition, proving to be extremely vulnerable on the counter-attack, Creavalle has done a stellar job up to this point in breaking up plays and protecting the back four as much as possible. It may seem somewhat contradictory to praise the holding midfielder for a team that is prone to letting up goals in transition, but his work rate and ability to intercept passes or make tackles and launch the Union attack going the other way has been nothing short of spectacular.
In addition to his defensive work, Creavalle is averaging more than eight passes per game more than his previous career high. In 2013, Creavalle was averaging 30.1 passes per game in the orange and white of the Houston Dynamo.
In 2016, he is averaging 38.3 passes per game. Entering this season, 2013 was a career season for Creavalle, managing a 6.9 player rating, 2.5 tackles per game, 2.3 interceptions per game and a passing percentage of 80.3-percent. Entering next week’s matchup with NYCFC, WhoScored has rated Creavalle with a 7.19, while he has completed 81.7-percent of his passes.
Creavalle seems to be breaking out of his downward spiral that began after his breakout season in 2013. While his defensive numbers have stayed somewhat consistent, his player rating and value around the league has dropped every season since. Playing alongside players of the caliber of Nogueira and leaders such as Brian Carroll certainly can’t hurt the 25-year old Creavalle.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
