Chicago Fire center back Adailton scored on an umarked header at the end of the first half, and Fred saw a straight red half way through the second half, sending Philadelphia Union to a 1-0 road defeat on Sunday night at Toyota Park.
It was the second time in two weeks the winless Union were shutout and finished with 10 men, and the first time since Jim Curtin took over last June that the team has lost two games in a row.
First Half
Jim Curtin made two changes to the side that lost at home to Dallas last weekend. Fabinho replaced the injured Sheanon Williams, starting at left back and pushing Ray Gaddis to right back. Michael Lahoud came in for the suspended Zach Pfeffer, pushing Maurice Edu and Vincent Nogueira higher in the midfield.
The game started slowly as each team worked to grab hold of the game. The first true chance of the match fell to Chicago in the 20th minute after a scramble in the box following a corner kick. Lovel Palmer latched on to a bouncing ball and fired a shot toward goal that was blocked. Quincy Amarakiwa tried to turn in the rebound, but his shot was blocked by Ethan White’s hand at close range and then saved on the goal line by Rais Mbolhi. Referee Dave Gantar chose to overlook the handball.
The Union would create a number of half chances as the first half wore on with Fernando Aristeguieta, Sebastien Le Toux, and Andrew Wenger all scoring offside goals.
The Union’s best chance of the half fell to Andrew Wenger on 30 minutes when Chicago’s defense misplayed a long ball out of the back from Philadelphia. The ball ran through for Wenger who was in on goal. Despite having two good looks to take a shot on himself, Wenger tried to lay the ball off for Aristeguieta from 12 yards out, but his pass was behind the striker and the chance went begging.
Chicago would take the lead in the 37th minute after Ethan White gave up a completely unnecessary foul on the right side of the Union’s box. Harry Shipp whipped in a great free kick and central defender Adailton, who was completely unmarked, got to the ball just in front of Rais Mbolhi to flick a header into the far post.
Second Half
Chicago had a chance to double their lead in the 55th minute. Kennedy Igboananike got in behind the Union defense but Mbolhi was out quickly and did well to save the striker’s shot with his feet from close range.
The Union would start to apply some pressure after that chance and Jim Curtin went to his bench in the 67th minute, bringing on Fred for Vincent Nogueira. The veteran midfielder’s day would be a short one though when he was shown a straight red card just five minutes later after he appeared to take a swing at Shipp behind the play.
The Union would have a great chance to equalize just minutes after the red card. Maurice Edu got in behind the Chicago defense on the Union’s right side and had a chance to either shoot or lay a pass of for the onrushing Sebastien Le Toux. The midfielder appeared to be between both options and sent a harmless shot/cross wide of the Sean Johnson’s goal.
The Union would continue to pressure Chicago despite being down a man. Eric Ayuk replaced White in the 82nd minute, with Philadelphia moving to three at the back. Anotine Hoppenot replaced Wenger in the 86th minute as the Union continued to push for an equalizer.
Chicago’s best chance to take a two-goal lead came in the 85th minute when Shipp danced through three Union defenders and fed Michael Stephens. But Stephens was quickly crowded out before he could get a shot off from close quarters.
The Union failed to register a shot on goal in their third shutout in four games.
Philadelphia’s next chance for their first win of the season will happen again on the road on Sunday against Kansas City.
Philadelphia Union
Rais Mbolhi, Raymond Gaddis, Steven Vitoria, Ethan White (Eric Ayuk 82′), Fabinho, Maurice Edu, Vincent Nogueira (Fred 78′), Michael Lahoud, Sebastien Le Toux, Andrew Wenger (Antoine Hoppenot 86′), Fernando Aristeguieta
Unused Subs: John McCarthy, Richie Marquez, Brian Carroll, Raymond Lee
Chicago Fire
Sean Johnson, Eric Gehrig, Jeff Larentowicz, Adailton, Lovel Palmer, Harrison Shipp, Matt Polster, Michael Stephens, Joevin Jones (Guly 84′), Kennedy Igboananike (Matt Watson 66′), Quincy Amarikwa
Unused Subs: Jon Busch, Greg Cochrane, Colin Fernandez, Chris Ritter, Kingsley Bryce
Scoring Summary
CHI: Adailton — 37′
Disciplinary Summary
PHI: Fred (fight) — 72
CHI: Sean Johnson (time wasting) — 80
PHI: Maurice Edu (foul) — 90
| Philadelphia Union | Chicago Fire | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Attempts on Goal | 16 |
| 0 | Shots on Target | 3 |
| 5 | Shots off Target | 8 |
| 2 | Blocked Shots | 5 |
| 4 | Corner Kicks | 5 |
| 20 | Crosses | 14 |
| 5 | Offsides | 3 |
| 10 | Fouls | 12 |
| 2 | Yellow Cards | 1 |
| 1 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 486 | Total Passes | 450 |
| 76% | Passing Accuracy | 80% |
| 51.7% | Possession | 48.3% |
| 48 | Duels Won | 45 |
| 52% | Duels Won % | 48% |
| 16 | Tackles Won | 16 |
| 2 | Saves | 0 |
| 14 | Clearances | 34 |
That was one of the most pathetic displays I’ve seen. time to panic yet? I know we were thin, but so were they, and we’re not gonna play any teams much worse than Chicago or Colorado. Fabinho actually had a solid game, Ray had a tough tough game.
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Man marking agin on set pieces, can’t get it right.
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No purpose or thought going forward. Why take out Nogs and leave Lahoud? Why wait so long for the second sub? I hate to sound like this, but Curtin needs to go. No emotion and an ever devolving game plan or in game management. The players attitudes even seem to be worse than in years past.
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My only fear is that we’ll appoint Albright and he’ll be GM/coach.
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We have very very quickly become the worst team in the conference, possibly league. We can only hope something happens and Nogs/Maidana and co. Don’t try to leave at years end.
Fabinho was horrid.
M’bolhi is a joke.
Lahoud was our best player.
The union are done.
Does anyone notice how fucking piss poor letoux’s play is? You have hoppenot sitting bench behind him??? Curtin you could sub messi or Ronaldo in for four mins and there would still only be a 5% chance they could make something happen….it’s not fucking baseball where you can bring in a designated hitter for one at bat and change the game …give hoppenot a chance to flow in the game …learn the fucking sport and how to manage it and get out of philly …….s.o.b’s I have a new chant for you…. ” drop the curtin!!!!”
Hoppenot is not exactly a game changer. I thought he should have been dropped this year.
But you’re correct about these ridiculously late subs.
WSSM. We are the worst team in MLS. Curtain cannot manage. We are just not good. I don’t know what else to say.
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If we don’t win the next two – 6 points – you can forget this season.
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I’m done trying to stay positive. Until they show me something other than whatever the hell I just watched, I am convinced they are 20 out of 20.
It didn’t help that Chicago couldn’t have hand picked a better red than Gantar. Maybe we’ll see another letter form the SOB. (Of course not to Union ownership)
We’ve literally hit bottom. I honestly thought things couldn’t get any worse than last year but I’ve been proven wrong. What a poor performance by absolutely everyone on this team.
WSSM
I regret to inform you that the nature of hitting bottom means you have first recongized the direness of your situation. Rock bottom by its definition is the end of the old and beginning of the new- it is the transition epithany. It is the moment of time just before rebuilding anew with resolution to never come back to this place again. We have not yet hit rock bottom sir. We have not yet hit rock bottom sir. We have not yet hit rock bottom.
Yes you are probably right, I can see with this level of play, we have many more dissapointments this season before things get any better. Which is really, really sad.
So you’re saying it gets lower?!?!? Good god…
It is possible to hit rock bottom and never come up. If your foot is tied to the rock, for example.
What does WSSM mean?
We Suck So Much.
It is on page 3 of your orientation packet.
Right below the instructions on how to build a sun rocket
A form of the vernacular Adam, which states SNAFU. Situation Normal All Fucked Up.
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I don’t understand how they can go out there and play so miserably
It will all be okay…. really…. it’s just that, well…. maybe midtable was a bit of a stretch.
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Hello,
Is there anybody in there.
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone at home?
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Maybe the narrative can be chaulked up to bad luck. As if luck really had anything to do with it… you all know how I feel about that word, “luck.”
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It rhymes with suck.
I seem to remember being told as a child to always aim high, even if it seemed unattainable, because even if you failed, you would still be fairly successful with what you did accomplish.
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If your starting goal is mediocrity, and things don’t work out, you get….well, this.
Coup d’etat?
Other than letting Okugo leave, the most annoying moment of the offseason for me was Curtin’s comment about the goal being to make the last playoff spot. You say that only if you have a team of kids and you are 100% in rebuilding mode. In that case, making the playoffs is your stretch goal. With this roster of veterans, your goals had to be higher. The fact that Curtin did not believe that was possible told me all I needed to know about how 2015 was going to turn out.
Great line, Joel! “is there anybody in there?” LOL!!
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Well…. I’ve become comfortably numb…
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I couldn’t even watch the game. I kept going back to it, and the U sucked so bad, I couldn’t force myself to watch. I’ll be waiting for next weekend when I can watch the EPL.
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Other than a slight edge with possession, the only other stat we won was….ta-da….crosses. So we have possession but can’t build up – only go wide for the cross. Gee…do you think any MLS coaches might be able to pick apart such a pathetically obvious strategy?
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Here’s my question….why do we put inexperience (other than youth development) in the top spot? Who really gives a rat’s ass how much “youth development” they’ve done. Show me you actually know how to manage a team in the big leagues.
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The absolute ineptitude of this team has less to do with the players than it does with the “youth oriented” way we strategize, train, and execute.
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I hope those idiots in the front office decide to cash out, and soon!
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I can’t watch anymore.
Hack and Jim are both youth coaches…probably do pretty well there too. Hack didn’t have the stones to coach men………it seems Jim may not either. Hack at least had a plan on how he wanted his team to look……….it didn’t work out well….but he tried to implement a system. I don’t even see this level of nuance from Jim……..
At the beginning of the year I said I would wait 4 weeks to pass judgement, and now the time has arrived
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WSSM. It’s official.
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Is this team prepared to play? Do they even like each other? What is going on?
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That goal was on the back line. Replays show Rais was follwing the flight of the ball when Adailton came in unmarked.
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Can anyone explain the Fred for Nogs substitution? Why take off Nogs he was the only person really trying to get the ball to Aristeguieta.
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The red card was legit. So will say the hit from Fred was open handed and landed on the back of the neck. But he was sent of for violent conduct not competent violent conduct.
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I thought it was special how the Union defense made Harry Shipp look like Pele.
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If this isn’t what Rock bottom feels like I really don’t want to know what rock bottom is.
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Time for my happy place.
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https://youtu.be/phNLASyPsUU
Can we sign any of the Commodores? Then again that was about 30 years ago so they might be just as bad as what we currently have….
oh wait we’d have to have a manager… WSSM. Thank god for tailgating.
…I’m going to have to get more cookies for the newcomers. Hope TBH got more firewood.
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The Cliff is going to get awfully crowded now.
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I’ll bring milk.
Great!
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Marshmallows? Who has the marshmallows? And attacking midfielder? Who wants to play CAM next week?
Chopper.
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“Can you stand up? I do believe it’s working good. That’ll keep you going through the show.”
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…now you too to the cliff. Don’t say it…
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…its Old Soccer Coach that is a voice of reason- the same Old Soccer Coach who doesn’t think Amobi Okugo is very good?
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Who else among us is a voice of reason. Please. We need some balance. We got OSC as a voice of reason…. who else…
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Who will take the stand and make a good argument for the defense- pun intended?
Joel,
This team should be better. They delivered an effort in the first three matches worthy of more points than they received.
One month in and through the first four matches, 5 key players have been lost to injury or suspension. Played long stretches in 2 consecutive games with ten men.
The signs say that things should get better. We know LeToux and Wenger aren’t this bad. We can improve the defense tomorrow by pushing Edu back and putting LaHoud at midfield if need be.
But, I do have that nagging feeling that the karma of a losing franchise has seeped in and bad things happen to bad teams. This team needs a game changer, a karma shift and I just don’t know what that is.
There you are Chopper. That’s the spirit. Thank you.
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You and OSC. I’m counting on you as the mob is fickle…. and I am Commodus.
This is a poorly led team.
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I saw nothing the said intent or game plan.
DARTH! NO!!!
Oh so Curtain can’t manage? And it was an easy, reactionary move to make him manager? Good thing we’ve NEVER gone down that path before… WTF
Why continue to play LeToux for the full 90 with such a terrible performace?
Why take out Nogueira for Fred when Lahood was there?
Why make substitutions to play 5 minutes?
Why was Nando almost playing as a midfielder when he should be in the box waiting for service?
Somebody please explain because I just can’t understand…
Explain it? Sure: Curtain can’t manage. Period. I’m putting this mess on his plate (and the joke of a FO). We have adequate talent… however, we have no plan on how to play, no in-game strategy / adjustments, no ability to properly substitute… Shall I go on?!?! WSSM
+1 I think you bent the nail into the coffin WSSM
The reality is that the front office has been giving the coaching staff the exact opposite of what they’ve asked for and needed for years and it’s now haunting them. The simplest example is that we overspent on Rais and if we hadn’t brought his overrated and overpaid contract to our team, we would still have Macmath and Okugo. Okugo would be the added depth in the midfield we need this year like he was last year, yet our owner front office made a PR move and denies accountability.
Change the front office or be forced to live in the mediocrity that so many bloggers and beat writers have been warning us about for years.
Definately, though I think we should……let’s just keep hiring and firing coaches. Now that is much more sound. Tonight I hate being a philly sports fan- the good news, so used to it.
You wouldn’t have had Okugo. He would have left as he did to a team where he would start. There were no European offers comparable to what he got in MLS. And he was clearly judged a lesser player than either Edu or Nogueira, a judgment that is controversial among this group but one with which I happen to agree. They had three guys at starting level salaries for two slots. Very clearly they want their bench to be young and inexpensive, Okugo was bench and Okugo was expensive.
I think that Amobi is, flat-out, better than Edu. I would have thanked Mo for his time and sent him on his way…saving fistfuls of cash (on top of Amobi’s salary).
+1
Not looking good. I hope all the apologists for the UNION management choke on these results. I’m just about ready to take my UNION magnet off the back of my truck.
With Hackworth we lacked skill but at least we had heart on the field. Now we lack both…
Interesting observation. Is this caused by the coach, or the players who have come and gone? Not going to rehash the talent argument, but I think last year you had some young players looking to make a name for themselves – or maybe even play well enough to get out of Philly – on the roster, whereas this year you have an older, veteran team, who may not feel that urgency.
Wow. Every year I think we’ll be better: we can’t be worse. And every year the Union disappoint me and prove me wrong. Forget season tickets next year. Hear that Sak you idiot? And don’t put my fucking name on my seats bc I’m ashamed of this team. The fact that the players go out there and look like they met each other in a bar the night before is on Curtin. What the fuck do they do in practice? The fact they are mismanaged is on Sak. We are the worst team in MLS. And Curtin should be ashamed of having counted on 6 points from our first 3 games. We might not get 6 points all year. That’s how bad we are. And don’t get me started on Albright. Idiot who was a marginal player and is a pitiful GM. There’s a salary cap! We might not be able to afford 3 EPL DP’s like LA and Toronto, but we should be able to play with fucking Chicago. This isn’t on Sugarman. It’s on incompetent soccer guys who have convinced Sugarman to put them in charge.
That was just wretched. Defense was all over place. Ethan White is a total liability. Bad decision-making up front. Wenger’s confidence is in the toilet right now. Early on, Chicago was sitting back and letting us have the ball and we didn’t know what to do with it. Then when they got on the front foot, every breakaway we had broke down before any real danger, or were getting caught miles offside from dilly-dallying on the ball prior to the pass. I saw nothing of a coherent game plan. Whether it should of been a red card of or not for me is immaterial as we were hardly in the game at that point anyway. Not good enough, not by a long shot. I’m gonna file this one away and hope that we do better next time. It’s all I can do to keep my sanity.
Ben, c’mon. The Cliff beckons. We have cookies. And soon – milk!
Mmmm…. cookies…
With all due respect without Ethan White in the first ten minutes they score at least twice.
Ethan White was out of position most of the time. He did use his athleticism to save the team a couple of times, but it was also to cover his own mistakes. He can’t track runners, he misplay the ball in the air and fouls needlessly. We have a top 5 MLS CB to pair with Vitoria. His name is Edu and he is playing in the midfield. If we aren’t going to score any goals lets make one quick and easy fix to stop conceding them.
This, one thousand times this. I am hoping that part of the reason White was pulled is that Curtin has realized he needs to cool his heels on the bench for a while. I would be one hundred percent fine with having Lahoud as the DM and Edu as CB
I’m a founding member and “SUPPORTER” not just a fan, but what I just witnessed was the most emotionless, just go thru the motion soccer game I have ever seen, starting with the coach thru the last sub sent onto the pitch. The only time there was any kind of passion was the whining & bitching @ or about the officiating that even for the MLS sub–standards, was another example of complete incompetence. I truly am a “Supporter” not just a fan, but the lack of professional performance from the continued missed opportunities, to the non-existent defensive play, both getting yawned at & accepted by the coaching staff who collectively now appear to have taken Andy Reid style coaching (zzzzzzz-predictable/repeating-zzzzzzz) to the next level, & all of the above condoned by the owners who genuinely after 6 years have proven their complete incompetence on how to build a soccer club. You guys will NOT stop me from being a UNION SUPPORTER, but if this circus you call a “professional soccer team” you have put together year after year continues to go on like this it will be WITHOUT MY HARD EARNED $$$… It will break my heart to NOT have season tickets, but if that’s what it takes so be it… Union Supporter for life, currently a TOTALLY FRUSTRATED, PISSED OFF FAN… WAKE UP EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!!!
I am still too annoyed at the Onion’s performance tonight than do anything besides welcome people to The Cliff, but I will make this observation:
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In this match last year, our goalkeeper who has not played in a little tournament we may have heard of saved us two points with a PK save in stoppage time. In this year’s match, our highest paid GK in MLS could not keep a clean sheet save us two points.
4 games, 8 saves, 6 goals allowed. But hey, what do we know.
Can be get comfortable la-z-boys with a cup holder and cookie tray that can let us comfortably eject us over the cliff? I can chip in with the money saved from not renewing my season ticket for next year.
Sure. And we’ll put everyone’s names on them.
We resigned Fred to be a player-coach? Huh? He should be permanently thrown out of MLS. I hope his contract isn’t guaranteed. And what was the FO thinking, betting our season on Maidana and Williams? They were injured most off last season and now they’re injured again. What a surprise! Fire Curtin and Albright and bring in some actual experience. Or sell the team. Or move the team. The SoB are embarrassed by this team.
Fear not; we have Brian Carroll up our sleeve…
If he can find his way out of our sleeve
nope, he’s too slow
I regret to inform you that the nature of hitting bottom means you have first recongized the direness of your situation. Rock bottom by its definition is the end of the old and beginning of the new- it is the transition epithany. It is the moment of time just before rebuilding anew with resolution to never come back to this place again.
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We have not yet hit rock bottom. We have not yet hit rock bottom sir. We have not yet hit rock bottom.
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This is a recording…..
Rock bottom will this summer when PPL crowds look like Chicago’s today. Or maybe next season when the next coach turns the roster over again to bring in ‘his’ players.
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Or maybe in a few years when the owners sell back to MLS so they can move the franchise Miami.
The match played today was one of the most pathetic performances that I have ever seen…ever. There are a number of high school teams that would have taken the Union apart today. ‘Painful to watch’ does not do true justice to what that was. It was…holy shit…
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Jim Curtin is the worst manager this club has seen. There is no more time needed to formulate that opinion. He is completely off the mark, with everything from his XI to his substitutions. I can’t say that he is off tactically because I have yet to see evidence of any tactical thought shown in his club’s performances. (Last year was a dead cat bouncing.) This guy is out of his league. There is no plan.
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Our back line is SO bad that it makes Ray Gaddis bad. Vitoria and White have no business in an 18…let alone the starting XI…none. Fabinho is…Brazilian?
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Maurice Edu is a completely mediocre MLS player. Effort and energy…my ass.
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Lahoud is not a bad #6. He’s not a good one, but he’s not bad. (He was our most effective midfield player).
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Noguiera is going to go AWOL…it’s just a matter of time.
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Artie…really isn’t that great. He’ll poach some goals, but he is not the answer.
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Wenger and LeToux, as of right now, suck! I’m not going to waste any more time speaking of that dogshit.
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It’s going to be a loooooooooong year.
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I got more wood and the fire is roaring…
I have been following the Ligue 2 table thinking that if Sochaux earned promotion back to Ligue 1 Nogs would ask for a transfer regardless of the situation here. Now I fear frustration with the Union will lead him to ask anyway.
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I’m not giving up on Nando yet. For all the player-coaches on this team, have him follow Casey around and learn everything he can. I see a guy busting his a$$, adjusting to a physical league, and getting no help from his wingers.
– Speaking of our wingers…may we not speak of them again.
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Keep the firewood coming. @SKC, 2 with NYCFC up next. See 3 points in there anywhere?
I’m not giving up on Nando, either. I just don’t think that he is a striker that can make something out of nothing (granted, few are). He is very much dependent on the play surrounding him…and there lies the problem.
I agree on Nogueira. He looked Pissed when he was subbed out and rightly so!
I’m with nagjs1 on Aristeguieta. I think this is the 2nd game you’ve been a little down on his performance. I’m seeing a guy who’s busting his ass out there, but only so much he can do right now. Basically it appears to me to be 10 guys running around, with varying levels of effort- no system or plan. He’s giving all he’s got to my eyes, even coming too far back to get on the ball and get some O started.
Wasn’t knocking his efforts. He was one of our better players…unfortunately, that doesn’t say much.
Let me ask all of you one question posed multiple different ways.
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If we don’t come away with points this weekend is it four alarm fire time? Does being without a result get chalked up to, “oh, well there have been some injuries and then there were the bad calls?” Is it early and is that enough to warrant ineptitude?
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If after four games they are still sitting on 2 points and the rhythm and flow is all disjointed and dissonant is the FO getting a bit concerned? Is a win necessary? Does a tie cut it?
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Is this a good question posed multiple different ways….
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….cause it all keeps coming back to the same thing and that is the big big question.
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What are they doing?
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This is a recording….
If we don’t earn points this weekend, it’s time to furnish the cellar and get comfortable. We’ll be stuck in that basement for a while.
I use the 6-week mark to pass judgement…but yeah, they’re on the clock.
“The Union failed to register a shot on goal in their third shutout in four games.”
I was just about to type that. We had a fucking two-man breakaway…didn’t get a shot on goal. WOW
At least 40 punts in 4 games 50+ yards upfield with nothing to show for it. We finally get the 2 CBs to collide on one, and Wenger decides not to shoot. He must have been thinking, “Holy shit, it worked! Now what do I do?”
What the hell is wrong with Wenger?! He was a dark horse candidate for MVP (according to some folks)… and he looks completely lost. He doesn’t shoot, he doesn’t take guys on. I don’t get it.
I don’t know, but it’s concerning- along with about 10-15 other things.
This is beyond funny MikeX and reminiscent of an 8 year old in the same situation on a saturday morning– at which point we would all belly laugh because they are children playing like children.
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this is me….belly laughing… at the ineptitiude of the childish player(s), the childish manager, the childish club, the childish FO – the whole lot of children playing like children.
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You. are. a. Laughingstock
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Liverpool YNWA. Union YAAL.
Laughter is the best medicine Joel? Except I don’t think we feel any better.
Laughter helps when it is based in scorn.
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one wouldn’t laugh in scorn at the 8 year old children one would however laugh in scorn at this collection of childish play.
It pained me to write that as much as it pained you all to read it.
And we appreciate the fact that you didn’t start drinking and took one for the team (us that is, not the Union)
There are way too many instances of players- multiple combinations, not the same couple of guys- gesturing at each other, arguing with each other, seemingly blaming each other when something bad happens. I think we can all relate to that be it playing sports or at current or former jobs. That’s usually a sign of poor leadership, and they need to get it straight quick or it’s going to get worse than it is.
It’s time to drop the curtain.
Over / Under on when Rene takes over: 7.5 games. Place your bets!!
Over. Replacing Curtin with Rene would cost money. That is the one action we know the FO will not take to remedy the situation.
Hey, wolfpack (and others…) what does anyone think about trying to get Paul Riley back in Philly with the onion? I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with him a few times about tactics, and to sit and watch his training sessions. It may have been WPS vs. MLS, but the guy got results. Our faux leadership can’t train an otherwise good group of players to get the best out of them. It looks like youth soccer out there, and it’s not the players.
The Union finally got a break on a call and still it doesn’t help them. Ethan White basically gave up two goals, except the ref didn’t call the PK that he should have. The Union need to start by doing something with their CB situation, be it moving Edu back or giving Marquez a shot.
Jonathan Tannewald reported that Sak and Muelensteen both traveled to Chicago to watch the game- I was glad to hear that. Now let’s see if they have the capability to do anything to improve the situation. It really comes down to whether Rene can do anything since I’m already 100% convinced that Sakiewicz is a bumbling moron.
dear God. I really miss having a good time around anything related to this team. Seems like tailgates this season will not be unlike a wake. Let’s all gather together, smile when we see each other, and pay our respects once we get through the door. The dead are laid out before us.
Our group was so confident WSSM did that for the tailgate for the home opener. Literally someone stood on a cooler and gave an epitaph and we all said amen and did a shot.
Next game our starting eleven will be the weakest in the league.
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My fear is that Nogueira hurt himself, because otherwise bringing on Fred and taking off Nogueira makes no sense. The straight swap of like for like makes no sense to me otherwise, because Vince was working hard and playing the role as well as he did last year. The logical obvious move would have been Fred for Lahoud dropping Vince back to DCM next to Edu. Hence my fear of injury.
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Very depressing result.
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Sapong is probably three weeks away as he suffered a bone fracture. Pfeffer will be back for the NYCFC games; he played 80 minutes Saturday night for Harrisburg, so fitness should be okay. Maidana, when he comes back will have fitness issues since he has a brace when walking in pictures posted earlier. If Nogueira has re-tweaked his groin, he’s out for a while if only because it is a re-injury. With Williams, hamstrings are notorious for re-injury if rushed.
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Next week’s game will not be pretty at all. It might be time to get game minutes for some of the youngsters to blood them for the future, to gain some benefit from the loss.
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Injuries at the beginning of the season mean you never catch up to your competitors because you will be weeks behind their growth and development in comparison to theirs. A team is a like a train pulling out of the station and increasing its rate of acceleration. We will begin pulling out of the station again in about a month.
I enjoyed the train analogy OSC. Got the picture of all the other trains leaving the station, but the Union train is up on blocks and milk crates because some hooligans stole our wheels.
Who plays ACM next week?
Give the keys to Pfeffer. Put Casey in with The Striker cause The Striker with The Wenger Winger and Le Toux just isn’t working. Sit Le Toux, start Ayuk for shits and giggles- sit Ayuk for Le Toux if not working. Pull Casey at 70 minutes bring in Hoppenot up top with The Striker.
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4-4-2. Diamond. Hell, play with three in the back the whole game as it is becoming the defacto choice for late game frantic attempt to score just one single goal anyway.
This is where we find out if this guy can manage- just like we found out Brendan Rodgers can manage after the terrible start to his season- due in part to injury as well and a tactical plan that wasn’t working.
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You have an idea and for whatever reason, your idea isn’t working and you find something that will work. It is incumbent on JC to manage through this before the only people on the SS Titanic are the bassist the violinist and the drummer.
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I don’t care how it happens, this team needs three points and the coach has to conjure it.
Pfeffer will still be suspended, so no. Fred is now too and Chaco still out.
Catic? More of a 4-4-1-1 (not that it really matters)?
I’d sit White and move Edu back, just so we don’t have to watch how lackadaisical he is in midfield. Lahoud in Edus place and we’ll pretend this is the week there will be linkage between midfield and striker. They could be mathematically eliminated by Memorial Day, which in the East is an accomplishment.
hmm- thanks for clarification. I thought Pfeffer was back this week.
Granted an extra week of vacation for general stupidity
I get the complaint with Edu sometimes, but he was not lackadaisical this week at all. He was running all over the place.
Yes, when it got desperate he turned all schoolyard and dribbled as far up the pitch as he could before turning it over and leaving an Edu sized hole in back.
Its not important, no one on this squad can turn them around.
Nobody, just like against Chicago. Nogs is really not a ACM. I saw Aristeguieta coming back really deep all game long to receive and try to link play, then making extremely long runs to try to get to the box and receive the ball back… didn’t work obviously as there was almost no one on the box whenever crosses came in…
If only MLS had a relegation system then the Philly Union would not be stinking up the league. Whew, whata smell!
yeah we’d probably be mid-table with a chance to get the last playoff spot. That’s sounds familiar doesn’t it. WSSM
We are not very adept at passing. Without Christian Maidana on the pitch we resembled a poor college team. That’s what I observed against Chicago. Last few years we needed some height because we were susceptible to set pieces but now that we have the big dudes we can’t string together more than 3 consecutive passes. Ugh! Wenger and LeToux need to sit. Give me some guys like Pfeffer and Ayuk who don’t constantly fight the ball at their feet. It would be refreshing to see some quality next week. Even if we lose again we’ll at least resemble a soccer team. I’d really love be to hear what Rene thinks about this slop.
“Last few years we needed some height because we were susceptible to set pieces but now that we have the big dudes…”
We’re still susceptible to set pieces. WSSM
….and losing to winless Chicago WITHOUT two of their best players…very discouraging and quite frankly embarrassing!
Atrocious…
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UGH
The excuse this year is injuries right? This organization from top to bottom is “Keystone Cops,” What a total joke they are. On a real team with any kind of depth Wenger, Le Toux, Gaddis , and White would be 2nd and 3rd options coming off of the bench. The rest of the starters today were an absolute joke. How can Sugarman and this feckless ownership group possibly think this is acceptable in the 4th largest sports and media market in the country and 2nd on the US east coast? How can being mid-level to worst in MLS be ok with them? I would like to know what kind of practices Jim Curtin and staff run. The skill with the ball is laughable. They lose every 2nd ball and fall flat on the faces in the offensive zone.The backline no matter what combo is out there is shite!Mbohi sleeps through the whole game! Where are the SoB’s? Why aren’t they publicly calling this ownership out? We need financially competitive ownership in order to compete with our biggest rival in the league. This fan base deserves better then a bottom feeding 2nd rate outpost as the Philadelphia MLS franchise. No more lame excuses should be accepted from this dog and pony show. Bring in skilled players so that we don’t have to rely on so many players on this team with inadequate pro soccer skills and IQ’s. This organization needs to have a GM put in place immediately, and not some wait and see temp. There is no way Curtin and Albright should be the ones making player acquisitions and moves. This organization is a complete embarrassment! I’ve repeated this on another post because it needs to be said an I need to get it off my chest!
I’m starting to think the SOB’s are only really concerned about their movie coming out…….as long as they have a place to drink and sing….its all good! The product on the pitch it seems……doesn’t matter!
ouch. the cynicism stings.
I wouldn’t say that. Like every family there are issues. I think(at least I hope) they realize that the spotlight is on them and there are consequences of celebrity just like there are benefits. Like my grandmother says “don’t get too full of yourself because the people you step on the way up will be the same people who will kick you on the way down!”
sorry LCB, I think the second part of my statement rings totally true……..the first was for shock value! I really think as long as they have a section of their own and the beer is cold…..they will be fine with the status quo. They haven’t shown us a reason to think any different……..
Can you imagine Le Toux or Williams calming the mob like Hummels and Weidenfeller did to the Yellow Wall.
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Not likely. I was shitting my pants watching them talk to the rabid fans and they are on another continent.
It’s the same in Chester as it is in Harrison, Foxborough, DC, and the Bronx: supporters’ clubs in America are social groups. The events, tailgates, and drinking ALWAYS come first.
you said it….”American social groups”. yeah tell that to the ultras of Dortmund, Roma, and Lazio. Thats why American supporters groups are pretty laughable, as are the American Outlaws…………….frat boy, bro love, hipster……dbags.
Is it really such a bad thing if some members of supporters groups in the US are attracted by the tailgating as much as by the soccer?
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What would you prefer: that the groups be filled with the violent fanatics found in some other parts of the world? that the supporters groups in the US simply go away?
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The US-based groups may have their flaws, but I doubt that MLS would be better off if the River End and other supporters’ sections were empty or surrounded by armed guards.
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BTW, I’m not a member of the SOB or any other supporters group, so this isn’t a personal issue for me.
Can’t hate on The River End…
i applaud the individual efforts in the SOBs last season to call out the organization. a few voices isn’t enough. i’d prefer organized dissent.
this season is showing that we haven’t hit bottom yet. if the product out there is consistently unacceptable we need to let this organization know.
The SOBs will not call out ownership for fear of losing their Status, drums, smoke etc.
MSG: I’m not demanding or expecting violence, but see the above from lefthalfback. That’s exactly the problem, NO ONE in the River End is willing to push back against the FO if it could potentially disrupt their good time. Remember how little of a fight was put up last year when the anti-Sak banners were removed?
I hear what you’re saying, BT. My comments were more in response to Alicat’s “dbags” reference, which seemed a bit harsh.
Sorry if I didn’t clarify…….I was calling AO the dbags …….not the SOBs. And I never said that tailgating was a bad thing…….it just shouldn’t be the only thing. Your clubs results should matter….and they do to supporters across the pond…..that’s all I am saying. I never advocated violence in the terraces……but, the SOBs certainly could make their voices heard if they wanted too….and they really haven’t.
This all goes back to the off-season. They brought back 90% of a roster that failed to make the playoffs last year, which was 70% of the roster which failed to reach the playoffs the year before. The cliches about this scenario are endless!
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Twellman hit the nail right on the head. Our starting 11 are a nice supporting cast for a team that already has 2 or 3 very good players. I hope Sak was utterly embarrassed by that comment.
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So going back to the preseason. I put this all on Albright and Sak. Once again they failed to take advantage of the rules of the expansion draft that other teams know how to utilize and actually somehow screwed themselves even further by protecting Fabinho . . . I noticed yesterday he’s still on the roster so I guess Curtin and Albright turned down the latest offer of Zusi, Besler and Dwyer for the world’s greatest LB. They waited til the last minute to do all their business. In a world full of teams willing to loan you CBs at the deadline to clear salary, the Union choose to sign a guy who they somehow didn’t realize they had to pay another team in the MLS for the honor of signing, further depleting their available funds. They signed by what all media accounts are indicating was their 4th ST target. And then they capped it off by resigning Carrol and Fred likely locking up another 10~15% of their available salary. These guys are like the Lehman Brothers of soccer. I can only hope one day soon they too will go bankrupt and rid the Chester landscape of the foul odor emanating from PPL Park. You guys have no business running a business where you clearly have demonstrated you don’t understand the business!!!
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Nice guys finish last and it just so happens that just happens Jim Curtin is a really really really nice guy! Looking forward to next years draft I’ll be scouting all the goalies to see which one we can get at #1
This. I don’t disagree with the many complaints about Curtin in response to this post, but I think it’s obvious that the team that took the field against Colorado was Plan B, Plan A being a team featuring a DP #6 with Edu taking CB duties with Vittoria and White riding pine.
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The offseason was not successful.
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The team that took the field yesterday in Chicago was Plan D or maybe even G. It featured poor ass play from front to back. A good team has the depth to wrestle a road point out of such circumstances. The Union aren’t that team.
1. If your going to play counter-ball, when you break the opposition down….you have to attack at PACE!!!!! If you tip-toe up the pitch…the other team recovers their shape…..footy 101.
2. Wenger watched that dude on Chicago head the ball….lined up with him before the set piece….watched him when the play started. I don’t think that one was Rais’s fault….then to have Mo give him shit publicly…..bad.
3. Alright, Pfeffer looses his cool last weekend, these things happen. I would think any coach would tell the locker room that this can’t happen again…we need points. So, have the guy you signed as a “father” figure in the locker room, to be a mentor……slap box a guy on Chicago…to get another red!!!!! That just makes Jim look REAL BAD. It looks like he has no control of the locker room. Players giving each other shit on the pitch, two careless reds back-to-back……falls on the COACH!
4. Back to point one, which also falls on the COACH! When breaking out on the counter, and your team looks clueless…this also falls on Jim. Do you guys just play at training? Thats what it seems…thats all you talk about…whipping balls in the box at training…wtf? Counter-attacking football needs to be crafted on the training pitch….it doesn’t just happen. Yesterday looked like you guys have never worked on counter-ball in your lives…….COACH!
5. You don’t know what your doing……….You don’t know what your doing……..
Sak: “We don’t need a competent coach . . . we just really need a guy who can rock our Capri pants! We’re just looking for our next Johnny Bravo”
I like Jim Curtin. I really want him to succeed. I’ve been giving him the benefit of several doubts. But I am starting to feel like he is on over his head. The only good thing is that the Union already have another manager working for them in Muelensteen. He needs to get more involved.
I like [insert coach name here]. I really want him to succeed.
reuse this statement for the next few seasons.
Not to beat a dead horse, but without this virtual rant I think I may become a danger to myself. It’s very very clear that the players do not have any faith in what Curtin is doing (or isn’t doing), and that sets this team up to fail from the starting whistle. Because, for the most part, this league is competitive from top to bottom (ok, Colorado are terrible, and frankly so are we), it’s clear to see that you need one of two things (or both if you’re lucky like many teams in the West). Those two things are well managed/well organized, dynamic tactics AND/OR depth. We have neither. Look at NYRB. They’re worse than in years past when you look at talent and depth, but enter a tactically competent manager who is known to be very effective at running practice, and also has a clear tactical vision/philosophy, and the RB’s are winning and are just fine!
I can’t sit here, mad at my computer, and not be honest with myself and say, despite the lack of depth, with the right manager we would be a completely different team. Maybe a team that doesn’t always play great football, but a team capable of tactically being effective enough to pull out wins or draws and keeping teams on their toes for 90 minutes. Right now, from the subbing, to the tactics/formation, to the conditioning (which is a clear sign that Curtin and staff isn’t running things effectively, nor do they have the players commitment); we’re getting so many things wrong. This all leads back to Sak/Curtin.
The clear short term plan (starting today hopefully) is to have Sugerman splash the cash on Rene as manager/director, and rely on his vast experience at Man U, creating winning cultures and developing some of the best young talent in the world, to take affect. Until he can sign two-three players (get rid of Fred, replace Cruz, and trade Fabinho, White and/or Williams), I can see Rene incorporating Ayuk, Lahoud, Pfeffer, Jimmy Mc, and bringing the best out of them. I can also see underperformers like Wenger, LeToux, Vitoria, Gaddis, Nog, Edu all getting new leases of life, by either being benched until they fight for their positions back, or improved through better game prep and better strategic in game guidance. Tell a player like Wenger exactly what you want from him, in clear terms, and I think we’ll have the Wenger we loved last season. He only really did two things well, which were both exciting to watch, and that’s run at defenders, and make direct runs at goal without the ball. Seeing him lost in midfield, trying to half play defense and half play short passing football with Nog/Edu, is not playing to his strengths.
I could go on and on, but the decision should be an easy one today. Curtin out > Rene in. Commit to youth, drop the underperformers. Improve practice/conditioning. Set a clear strategy/style of play. Let the best players play, who deserve to be on the pitch (this doesn’t mean play LeToux because he’s a legend and fan favorite, until he earns a spot in the starting 11). And exhale…
+100
Cogent.
I’m in the minority here and don’t necessarily feel like Curtin is the problem more so than the players. I don’t think Mulensteen could come in tomorrow and rescue this squad. Something stinks.
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That said, What I think we’ve seen of this team going back to last season is that when it takes a punch, and hits the mat, it’s not willing to jump back up. This same team fought the best team in the league to within a few inches of an open cup final, after which it disappeared into a giant hole of WSSM. Why?
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Then, after looking good at times against RSL and the first 45 in Dallas, the players disappear. No one is expecting to win. No one looks like they’re trying (Aristiguieta the lone exception).
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I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it fells like it is. And that’s ultimately on Curtin, he has to get these guys to get their act together and play, not slink into the corner like they did last season.
I don’t think Alex Ferguson could turn this team around. I’m with you on Curtin. There is NO on-field leadership. I’m not sure why Edu is the captain. He has ZERO captaining skill. Okugo was more vocal and seemed to have an impact.
Fred really disappointed me. I felt that he should have started (along with mostly everyone else), and he’s just thinned our squad for SKC.
Amobi!!!!!!!!!
2nd.
I like Curtin and Albright and I think they are both doing the best they can. However, Curtin should still be an assistant coach, still learning his trade. And Albright should be an assistant GM. We should have brought in a MLS experienced manager to lead the team. Jessie Marsch was available and he doesn’t seem to be doing too bad for NYRB so far. It comes down to Sak (and/or ownership above him) being cheap. I don’t blame Curtin or Albright. Who’s going to turn down a promotion and probably one of their dream jobs? No one. Its just that they weren’t ready for these roles and that’s on Sak for putting them in this position.
why would Marsch want to work for Sak? who would?
I used to look at Toronto FC — amazingly devoted fans in a terrific city, yet every year coming up short, making major signings that don’t pan out, changing coaches every 6 months precluding any continuity, bad luck and bad planning and no planning — and I felt so sorry for them, and felt that their fans deserved better. And now I realize: we are the new Toronto FC.
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I still wouldn’t fire Curtin yet, because managerial churn doesn’t do any good for anybody. There is no point in firing him until we have a clear and solid replacement lined up. (Doubt that Meulensteen will take that job.) I don’t want an interim manager for 6 months, and then another new coach. We have truly been decimated by injuries, and the biggest of them all is Maidana, who seems to be crucial for this team to have any kind of offense. So I’d at least wait until we have our starters back. Maidana is necessary, Williams is necessary, and Sapong was our backup winger; his injury is the main reason why we have no one to spell the underperforming Wenger and Le Toux (well that, and the head-scratching Cruz loan).
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Hopefully the front office is using the salary cap money they’ve gained from the Cruz loan to get us some other depth at the wing (and/or the back line). Also, remember that even excellent teams go through really bad stretches — New England went through a horrible slump last year, and that’s a really talented team.
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However, if we don’t go on a tear when our starters get back, then this is a team that won’t be fixed in a year; it will take longer.
Cogent as well.
Does this mean we will be bought by a major conglomerate and sign mega-stars… then expand our stadium to accommodate all the fans? Cause if that’s what you mean, then I’m listening… hehe
reading this was a good thing for me to do
I’d sack him now, before he makes it worse. Decent guy. Poor football IQ. He might make a manager, someday, but today is not that day and this is not the club. We are in need of a real manager.
On the brighter side of life, former PU guys McInerney, Soumare, Ribero, Mwanga and Okugo had solid matches this week.
They are going to get flamed in KC! I would use that match as a “lets look and see” match….play Ayuk, McGlaughlin, Catic etc….see how the kids do out there. They are going to have Pfeffer and probably Madaina back for the NYCFC back-to-back matches. I only see us maybe sneaking one on New England with the way they look right now….thats 3 out of 15 points for the month of April……I don’t see us taking anything from KC, NYCFC, or Columbus. We will be sitting with 5 points ( thats with really hopeful thinking!) at the beginning of May!
Dallas had 9 points in their first three matches……………we won’t have that in mid-May! Yes…….women and children first off the ship!
I’m thinking the next home match is going to be very Randy Qaidish from Major League 2! “Wild Thing……you make my butt stink! I think I loathe you!”….lol!
Twellman: “Philly’s starting 11 is a great supporting cast without any DP’s”……………ouch!
I didn’t see any player ratings for this game. Here are mine:
Rais Mbolhi – 0
Raymond Gaddis – 0
Steven Vitoria – 0
Ethan White – 0
Fabinho – 0
Maurice Edu – 0
Vincent Nogueira – 0
Michael Lahoud – 1
Sebastien Le Toux – 0
Andrew Wenger – 0
Fernando Aristeguieta – 0
SUBS
Fred – 0
Eric Ayuk – 0
Antoine Hoppenot – 0
Fred should be in the negative. if we’re giving a pass to last week’s red card as inexperienced youth, then we should punish seasoned veteran for this week’s.
-5
In his defense, Fred was just coaching the youngins on what not to do. Every Brazilian coach knows that you have to start with the basics.
I thought he was doing that Charlie Murphy/Chapelle Show routine about Rick James and the 5 fingers…Shipp just didn’t get the joke. Unfortunately, neither did the ref.
fair enough. I didn’t do any negatives because i thought it might be confusing. But -5 for Fred, -2 for Ebola, and -142 (running total) for LeToux.
Did you say ebola?
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Holy Shit.
It amazes me that fans of this team are literally smarter than the people who run it. I mean everyone thinks they know more, but we all literally know more. I’m not kidding. Just read these comments and the people who write for this site. Wow.
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For instance: if you’re going to play “Moneyball”, you MUST have a competent, veteran manager and GM to pull it all together. This is not difficult to understand. This should have been steps 1 and 1a… you can’t succeed if you have failed from the start.
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It is also completely Philadelphia that we get stuck with this team, this ownership, and this mess. WSSM
Union Sense.
Yeah, but they’re expanding the stadium. More empty seats next to the 10k that have to walk through the mud. I don’t even live in Philly anymore and I’m offended.
Union Moneyball: save money by not having a GM – Invest savings into new Goalkeeper.
The team has absolutely no personality. Nor does it have any drive. Ownership should take a page out of Tony Pulis’ book and go “…Full Stoke…”. Get some big center-halfs and a big striker and play a physical match.
Hard to blame the Manager when ownership won’t spend.
Maybe we can get Beckham to invest? Yeah- he’d love Chester.
While I agree that ownership “won’t spend”, I don’t think you can argue that this is the main problem (at least right at this current moment). We have adequate talent to compete in this league. We need depth, but only a few teams actually have it. Right now, our main problem is the manager. He needs to manage, train, and have an actual game plan in place. None of which in these first four games, he has shown he is capable of. Everyone knew this could be Hackworth 2.0, and it is pretty obvious that is what we have here.
He needed to find a way, anyway to get one victory. Sometimes the manager has to be a conjurer. This word conjurer keeps coming up for me, cause ultimately the players play and dictate results to a large degree- but the manager can use emotion, intellect, rage, logic, tactics, some tool in the kitbag to get a result and create belief.
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My point is maybe he should have grabbed his team by the shinguards before walking through the tunnel sunday and had a fucking- US AGAINST THEM- REGULATORS!-MOUNT UP MOMENT.
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Anything. Anything to get three points against a hapless team looking to bury itself at the bottom of the table.
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Conjure 3 points. Vodoo doll. Black Magic. Anything.
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This is his failing thus far- whether game 1 or game 4.
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If they rattle off 6 points in the next two games, this will largely be moot cause something will have happened. He will have been forced to manage or change his delivery or change his thinking. This is what this team needs. By the way, that doesn’t mean I think the guy can manage it just means he navigated a crises cause like it or not, to my post about “what are they doing” this team is having a crises of identity and what seems to be belief and it is merely March- and I am fairly certain JC is not the long term answer based off of past results.
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They are bloodletting themselves and he seems incapable of stopping it. Want to manage in MLS? FIgure it out.
Curtin and Hack both had to deal with what Sak and Sugarman gave them, which is not enough. If your DPs are a supporting CDM (Edu) and a goalie who could never make it consistently even in crap leagues but boy did he have one really good losing game in the WC (Rais – I forget whether he even is one but anyway) then serious mis-allocation of cap is going on. They were thin, they let the wrong guys go, kept the wrong guys and aren’t adding enough (no disrespect to Vinny, Chaco and Nando but they cannot do it alone). Sugarman, please just sell the team to someone willing to pay the outside-of-the-cap-freight on impact DPs.
…and then there is your pretty strong argument as well…
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…but I for one think the FO did do enough to be a mid table team – which is their goal mind you- even though I vehemently disagree with the Okugo Edu handling.
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I think they got a decent player in Sapong and The Striker, Vitoria is decent once he has an acceptable complement at CB. M’bohli (as much as I think his signing was wrong) could be better but he has nothing really helping him either in the form of good defensive play in front.
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That is why this is game and (in) game management IMO. You’ve gotten kicked in the dick with cards and fouls and injuries and you need to CONJURE three points somehow -anyhow.
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One win could turn things around create belief lend to another win and then another few points and next you know they are square in the race to be an also ran team, not bottom dweller, which is the club’s goal.
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This is what a quality manager does. He manages. He leads. Figure it out.
edu is too much money going to that position. carroll and fred are too much money going to guys who won’t play much. fabinho and white are too much money going to someone who should not play much, if at all (it seems Hack was correct – or at least figured out that white was one dimensional with zero ball skills). agree that sapong and vitoria are nice pickups.
what if it was: G – zak and blake and 1 more inexpensive guy; D – williams, gaddis, vitoria, and 3 other guys (one who was left footed and one who was a CB); MF – okugo, ribero, nogs, chaco, pfeffer, jimmy, lahoud and __ other guys; and F – Nando, Wenger, Sapong, Conor. probably would be better off and would have DP $$$ to spend on a good AMF, CB or goalscorer. would WSSM? I doubt it. zero heart and leadership on the team right now – that comes from the players, not the coach.
Edu has to move back to CB with Vitoria. If healthy Williams on the right and Gaddis on the left. Let Lahoud be DM and team with Norguiera. Hopefully if he’s healthy Chaco at his normal position. Aristequieta up from with Wenger on the left put Mclaughlin on right wing and sit Le Toux’s ass down. This is just to get us through the next few games. Again it all depends on the health of all the posers and drama queens fronting as dedicated Union professional soccer players and a coaching getting a clue. I don’t care what some may think, It’s time to take Carroll, Hoppenot and Fred out of the equation when the suspensions and injuries are done.
In some way shape or form this team needs to be sold. If it means that wholesale changes are made under new management then so be it. This Bullshit organization needs to go.
Here’s a question- will the U beat Harrisburg?