Photo: 215 pix

Brad Friedel introduced a game plan for stopping the new Philadelphia Union on Saturday, and if not for some highlight reel saves from Andre Blake, it might have earned his New England Revolution a win against a superior Union side.

It didn’t, however, and that may herald good things for the Union.

Let’s illustrate.

Modern Union soccer, at its best, is a fluid passing game that looks like this.

the touches from Medunjanin and @AleBedoya17 will get the oohs and ahhs (as they should), but this first time pass through the lines by @K_J_Rose is some @StephCurrySquad ish. pic.twitter.com/XR7YSLn5tC

— Adam Cann (@adamtcann) August 20, 2018

New England stopped that kind of flow Saturday by deploying three defense-minded center midfielders and, to varying degrees, setting them about man-marking the Union’s center midfield trio.

Friedel’s game plan changed the way the Union played.

The most noticeable and probably impactful of these man-marking efforts was Luis Caicedo’s marking of Haris Medunjanin.

Caicedo shadowed Medunjanin everywhere, going so far as tracking him back to the Union’s own 18. He pushed the limits of acceptable physical play, frustrated Medunjanin, and got away with the chippy play due to some laissez faire officiating.

Caicedo prevented Medunjanin from collecting the ball deep to start the Union attack.

Medunjanin became a non-factor in that first half and nearly lost his cool with indignance. His touches were few and far between, and he was not initiating the Union’s possession game, as he normally does.

Instead:

1. Medunjanin directed teammates to pass elsewhere. They did.
2. Center backs Jack Elliott and Auston Trusty began pushing up field with the ball at their feet into the vacant space left by New England’s center midfielders.
3. Overall, the Union struggled in attack in the first half.

Medunjanin directed teammates to pass away from him due to Caicedo’s man-marking.

It was a fascinating tactical jumble.

The Union went into halftime having demonstrated no clear path through New England’s defense.

They came out of the break and soon hit one great play, a 56th minute through ball from Medunjanin that put Cory Burke in for the first goal.

Otherwise, they surrendered the possession game for much of the second half, stopped trying to pass through the middle, and focused on defending and seeking counterattacks to hold on for the win.

Union passing vs. New England, first half.

Union passing vs. New England, 2nd half. Notice the hole in the center of the field.

Medunjanin was held to just 49 touches on the day,

Compare that with the Union’s recent stretch, in which they’ve won four straight in all competitions and seven of nine, the only loss being a road game in Portland during which multiple starters (including Medunjanin) were rested.

Medunjanin's touches

A more talented team might have defeated Philadelphia. New England is not that team.

For all Friedel’s focus on physical, aggressive defensive play, he seemed allergic to playing good attacking players in their best roles on Saturday. Striker Juan Agudelo has long since been shuffled off to the right wing. Attacking midfielder Diego Fagundez played as a false nine striker in the absence of injured starter Teal Bunbury. The talented Kelyn Rowe never got off the bench — again. He’s on his way to setting career lows in minutes played and games started, despite a fair share of clubs trying to acquire him. It’s typical Revs stuff.

The Union did what was necessary to win. Andre Blake made two remarkable saves, Medunjanin cleared another shot off the goal line, and the Union killed the game with effective time-wasting. (A late Ilsinho would-be penalty went uncalled.)

It’s a game the Union probably would have lost a year ago.

This is a different Union team. It’s a team that has gone into halftime even during their last two games, made adjustments, and earned big wins. Over the last few years, that halftime break was often when they got outcoached and beaten due to opponents’ halftime adjustments. The fact that we now see the reverse happening shows just how much head coach Jim Curtin has improved as a coach. Pretty soon, the cynics may have to admit he’s become a good one.

It will be interesting to see if other teams replicate Friedel’s game plan, at least to some degree.

It will be equally interesting whether and how the Union meet the task.

The secret is out: The Union can play.

The Union are now 11-0-0 in all competitions when Cory Burke starts. He has 10 goals in those games.

The center midfield trio of Medunjanin, Borek Dockal and Alejandro Bedoya is as a good a group of passers as you’ll find in MLS, but, as Friedel said Saturday, “The midfield three are amongst the best in the league at passing but among the worst at recovering the ball.” Take the bad with the good, because the good weighs more. 

And then there’s Andre Blake’s brilliance and a back line that has held up well.

The book is written. Scouts have watched the film. Opponents are planning.

You’re watching a good team do what good teams do. They have to show they can keep it up now that they’re no longer a surprise.

Miscellaneous notes

• .500: The Union reached the .500 mark for the first time since March.
• First Union game at Audi Field: Wednesday will be the Union’s first game at United’s brand new stadium. I’ve seen my share of games at RFK Stadium, including that 2012 game, when I spent my birthday watching from the press box and loving every minute of it. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the new stadium Wednesday, particularly now that United are playing so well. The D.C. area soccer community has needed this stadium for a long time.
• Rivalries: Much has been made about manufactured rivalries in MLS, but Union-D.C. United matches have historically been tense, physical, wild affairs predicated on mutual respect and, for a time, legitimate animosity. Anybody remember the wild 2012 match that saw two Union goals waved off and three players ejected? “It’s DC vs. Philly,” then-Union defender Sheanon Williams said after the game. “They don’t like us, and we don’t like them.”
• Andre Blake: Have you ever seen a goalkeeper own a team like Blake owns New England? Wow.