Photo: Paul Rudderow
Philadelphia Union
Grades and analysis from Kinkead from this weekend’s game.
Andre Blake recorded his 10th shutout for the Union this weekend, making him only the second Union keeper to have double digit clean sheets.
Blake was named to the MLS Team of the Week bench for his performance.
Derrick Jones and Fafa Picault showed well for the Union in LA.
Auston Trusty was named the #5 best defender under 20 in MLS by MLSSoccer.
If you want a depressing, sobering look at this year’s roster, just read this.
A deep dive into the numbers of The Streak.
Another mailbag over at Section215. Some interesting answers this week.
Get to know NYRB.
Local
The Union Academy teams continue their winning ways.
Bethlehem Steel defender Hugh Roberts was named to the USL Team of the Week after his heroics this past weekend.
MLS
What you may have missed from Week 9.
MLSSoccer’s power rankings. Union are last.
What each team needs before the transfer window closes.
A look at the slow starts of 2016 MLS Playoff teams, including the Union.
A graph of % of salary spent on high-paid players compared to amount of minutes given to HGPs.
Matteo Mancosu is going to miss 6-8 weeks. Tough break for Montreal.
The Tampa Bay MLS project is moving forward after a resounding Yes vote in St. Petersburg.
Around the globe
The U-15 USBNT won the Torneo delle Nazioni. Union Academy member Julian Anderson made two appearances during the tournament.
The USMNT is set to play World Cup Qualifiers at Red Bull Arena and Orlando City Stadium.
CR7 did that thing he does, scoring a hat trick in Real Madrid’s 3-0 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.
Serie A is still dealing with a racism problem, and is showing a shocking lack of interest in solving it.
Highlight of the day
The second of Ronaldo’s three goals.
Union is hosting a town hall meeting for STH on 5/11. Curtin, Stewart, Bedoya, and McDermott will be there…
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Either Sugarman is too big a coward to show or he doesn’t give a crap. Pick your poison.
i guarantee there will be more goals there than on the pitch.
Literally the first question someone who goes to the town hall meeting should ask is “Why is the owner of the team not here? Does he even care how his team is performing? Does he care what the fans have to say about his team and organization?”
They hosted a town hall like this last year, I went. It’s the same group – ES, Curtin (pretty sure he was there – although he may not have been), and McDermott – so I am assuming it’s the same type of thing. What I mean by this is that Sugarman wasn’t there last year… so while I agree with your overall point (that he should be there – and he should) – he wasn’t there last year.
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The guys answered all questions, so if you have something to ask, you should go for sure.
Curtin was not there last year; just ES and McDermott. A lot of talk was about getting more seats into the stadium. Winning games would have helped…
Damn, the event reached full capacity! Should have registered yesterday…
Me too… ah well. I guess it’s a good thing enough people still care that it filled up.
The announced attendance will be 17,100 … per usual.
Pointless lineup thought of the day: 4-3-3 with Alberg up at left wing. Blake / Rosenberry, Elliot, Marquez, Fabinho / Bedoya, Jones, Medunjanin / Herbers or CJ, Simpson, Alberg.
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I’m not worried about Sugarman not being at a townhall. This mess is on Stewart, Curtin and Co. Let them answer for their collective failings thus far.
The part about the Union in that “What each team needs before the transfer window closes.” article was a tad depressing.
wheels, steering, engine, spark plugs, brakes, emissions, drive train, body work, new lease—– on life~ in the voiceover of FITTER. HAPPIER. for those of you who know.
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thank god for metaphor.
My mind went more toward Ghostbusters
“Dr Ray Stantz: Everybody can relax, I found the car. Needs some suspension work and shocks. Brakes, brake pads, lining, steering box, transmission, rear-end.
Dr. Peter Venkman: How much?
Dr Ray Stantz: Only $4800. Also new rings, mufflers, a little wiring.
You know, the video KK shows of Ilsinho in his article above annoys me quite a bit. Yes, Ilsinho, combines then beats a player and gets stuck, but at the exact moment when he’s coming out of that attack there are ZERO options for him to pass to…which if you rewind to the beginning of the sequence shows two Union midfielders standing in a line to his left along the center line. Nobody is moving towards ilsinho. The second he attacks the end line someone needs to be filling the space where the referee is standing. Nobody is running on angle to draw a defender away from the middle with someone to fill the space. CJ movement is USELESS. By the time the interchange is over he has dragged FOUR I say FOUR, can you hear me FOUR….defenders to his space and his teammates are just kicking around dawdling watching the whole damn thing. Bedoya is walking almost the whole time…ain’t no third leg of a triangle there.
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Know what i say Fuck All. It appears as though Ilsinho fucks it all up but he doesn’t. He gets NO HELP.
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Ilsinho is not the problem. Fafa Picault is not the problem…. just getting paid a mint to play with people stuck in the present tense and not playing in the future. Period.
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Truth Bomb…can you hear it. BOOM.
It’s true, but isolation players in any sport tend to have this problem. Their teammates end up watching because they have no idea what the player will do and don’t want to inadvertently draw additional defenders.
I brought this same issue up a week or two ago. It’s one of the factors that contributes to my overall feeling that the main issue with this team is coaching. I continue to marvel at fans that think Ilsinho is just useless flash.
He has never produced goals or assists in his career. He is just flash. Not that I disagree with the anger to the team just standing around.
This whole team doesn’t produce.
Sure, but others have produced in the past, including last year. I’m just saying Ilsinho has played for a long time and his best year was 6 goals, usually sitting more at 3. That’s not good enough for a $500,000 player.
The point is that the list of guys earning their salaries on this squad is pretty short. Ilsinho, in my opinion, is criticized out of proportion to his level of culpability in the current run of poor team form. And he is often unfairly criticized for not being able to deliver the ball to a teammate, which, I argue, is not entirely his fault. This was much easier to see in person where you could view more of the field and see three attacking players standing still watching him try to struggle through three defenders.
Fair enough, but’s the the 3rd highest paid player on the team and I just expect a difference maker from that spot and he’s just never been that. It’s surely not only his fault or really even mostly his fault, but he’s a complementary player being paid like a centerpiece. He needs better players around him or he honestly is just worthless. He hasn’t even put a shot on frame this year.
I do not disagree per say A regarding isolation players and this is my rebuttal.
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The point I’m making leans towards, if this guy had an actual #10 and a REAL striker… the likelihood of his offensive contributions would be seen as an asset. He looks to combine first almost always and did quite nicely with his off the ball movement when Vincent and The Calm were on the field with him.
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Beyond that…he destroys the shape of a defense and this is simply too important. My point becomes, his is The Pass that leads to the final pass. In hockey those two players both get an assist.
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Problem is he’s a TOTAL FREELANCER in this quote unquote system… as is every other player on the field. No rhyme. No rhythm. No meter. No music… No Joga.
To be fair though, having Vincent and Tranquillo around made even Tribbett look serviceable.
Fair enough. I like him overall he just doesn’t fit at all here and honestly wasn’t producing even when Barnetta/Nogueria were here even though Pontius and Herbers were. And yes, our biggest weakness is that 10 spot. We need a game changer there.
LEGEND.
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http://www.espnfc.us/as-roma/story/3118008/roma-and-italy-legend-francesco-totti-to-retire-in-summer-monchi
LEGEND.
Something has to change. We’ve thrown a million ideas around and looked for blame. Bottom line, something needs to change. The next transfer window should bring about the biggest and most necessary changes. Short of new players coming in, or the coach leaving, the only things that can change are formation and lineup choices.
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I know some of us have said it’s hard to learn a new formation in a week, I’d argue we barely know the current formation. Regardless, we need to figure out who can play best where.
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I go 4-4-2.
Blake
Rosenberry, Elliot, Marquez, Fabinho
Bedoya, Medunjanin, Jones, Pontius
Sapong, Simpson
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Let CJ drop off and do the defensive work. Haris can pop up and serve passes wherever needed, and the two outside mids are both plenty responsible. I’m grasping, but we need change.
Honestly that could work in the 4-2-3-1 too, Bedoya out the the wing and Sapong in the CAM. It would be odd but like you said, something relatively big need to change. Man we really need a 10 or a switch to a 4-3-3 with a stud winger.
Yea obviously the 10 is the big missing piece. I’ve just personally seen enough from Alberg and Ilsinho in their current roles. I think both would be more effective as subs in specific situations when actually given 35 mins to come in and make an impact.