Union take on Timbers

This Saturday, the Philadelphia Union take on the Portland Timbers at PPL park. The Timbers are a strong road team they have only lost one game on the road this season and have proven to be one of the top road teams in MLS. The Timbers are currently sitting in second place in the West with 33 points which puts them tied for second best record in MLS. The Union are holding down the fourth playoff spot in the East with 30 points. Every game has dramatic implications for the playoffs with the East being so close, that if the Union were to drop a few games they could see themselves on the outside looking in.

The Union are coming off one of the craziest games of the year with their 3-1 win against Chivas USA. The game was played during torrential downpour that made the conditions unbearable and took most of the skill out of the game. The Union were able to press and capitalize on their opportunities and score three consecutive goals. During the Chivas USA game we saw a first at PPL, we saw an indirect free kick in the box. Indirect free kick in the box is one of soccer’s rarest calls it basically only happens on a goalie handball. A goalie handball is when a defensive player passes the ball back to the goalie and he picks it up instead of kicking it out.

Now back to the match up against the Timbers. The Union are going to have their hands full with this one. Portland has a strong midfield and a dangerous offense. They are a fast and skilled team that has a lot of resilience. The Union are going to need to control the ball and the tempo. They can not afford to have Darlington Nagbe and Diego Valerie on the ball. If Portland is on the ball they will create and they will eventually convert. Philly need someone other then Le Toux to step up, and it looks like that person must be Marfan.

This game is going to be a track meet and action packed. The Union are going to need to slow the game down a bit to lower tempo and control possession. This game is going to be highly entertaining and very interesting. The top three Timbers players to watch are Ryan Johnson, Darlington Nagbe, Diego Valeria and Donovan Rickets. Nagbe and Valeria make the offense go with speed and skill. Donovan Rickets is having an amazing season in net and showing why he is one of the better goalies of all time in this league.