Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union

Somewhere between the thrill of Frankie Westfield’s first goal in Union blue and the devastating Columbus equalizer in the 93^rd minute – the 18,667 in attendance at Subaru Park were party to the full Union experience.

“It was a great advert for the league, but it feels like we lost two points here tonight,” Carnell said as he closed his opening remarks.

Rest assured, eyes across Major League Soccer were fixed on the match, as it featured two sides going toe-to-toe for first place in the East. It also marked Daniel Gazdag’s return to Chester.

“Maybe at the end of it, a 2-2 is good for the league and everyone else, but once you get to a winning position you want to win the game,” Carnell conceded.

That sentiment certainly rings true.

Still, even if the scoreline wasn’t reflective of the team’s performance, the team should be proud of their showing on Saturday evening.

The gameplan

Philly were quick to settle into their trademark brand of energy drink ball. Columbus opened with the tap, and right away, Tai Baribo and Bruno Damiani hassled Columbus in possession, causing an immediate turnover.

From the first whistle, the Union’s pressing threw Columbus into fits in transition. While Columbus threw some punches of their own, the Boys in Blue responded by remaining steadfast in their gameplan – taking Columbus’s pivot point, Darlington Nagbe, off his mark.

To accomplish this, the front six were in lock-step. Not dissimilar to certain previous matches, the group often formed a 4-2-3-1 out of possession, with a striker or a ten stepping into the passing lanes through the middle as Columbus would build from the back.

“For them to get Nagbe on the ball is a big weapon of theirs,” Carnell stated. “Whether it’s the tens closing the inside passing lanes, or the sixes being ready to jump, I felt for the most part we did a really good job of that and smothered them in many moments.”

Mucking things up through the middle with relentless pressing by the front four allowed Danley and Jovan Lukic to then be able to play on the front foot. Danley would typically be the first to react off of the front four’s press, while Lukic played just a bit deeper, helping hold Aziel Jackson, Daniel Gazdag, and Diego Rossi in check.

(Player position graphic via Whoscored.com)

Lukic led the match winning 4/5 ground duels, adding a match-high 8 recoveries to that – numbers that certainly aligns with the eye test. The Serbian picked up a good number of Columbus attackers who would try to drop into the midfield looking to provide outlets in build-up.

Lukic’s more reserved role allowed Glesnes and Harriel stay at home more. It also meant the pair wouldn’t be pulled out of by position following their attacker into the midfield – solving a problem that has led to catastrophic errors at multiple junctures this season for the Union.

At the other end, Columbus set up in a high back line. In multiple instances throughout the match, Wilfried Nancy could be audibly heard urging and waving his defensive line forward as the Union would look to recycle possession.

The high line was the culprit of the Union’s opener, as Andrew Rick sent Quinn Sullivan scampering behind the Columbus defense.

While the Union successfully locked down the middle of the pitch throughout the tilt, it was what happened on the periphery that led to many of Columbus’s chances.

To help aid in defensive shape, Kai Wagner assumed a deeper role than we typically see from the German. Wagner was tasked with handling the width Mohammed Farsi provides Columbus’s attacking shape in the advanced areas.

(Wagner [left] and Farsi [right] heatmaps via WhoScored.com)

Opposite Wagner and resigned to his defensive responsibilities first and foremost, Frankie Westfield kept a close eye on Max Arfsten while he looked to provide width.

But, the northeast Philly native was able to join up on the Union counter-attack on one important occasion.

Westfield Golazo – Commentators Calls
byu/jrno86nunez inPhillyUnion

The adjustments

After Westfield bagged the go-ahead, Carnell took the opportunity to improve the team’s defensive shape, bringing on Mikael Uhre for Bruno Damiani, and center-back Olwethu Makhanya for Tai Baribo in the 69th minute. From there, the Union shifted to five-at-the-back, with Wagner and Westfield sliding out to wing-back roles.

In theory, Carnell’s adjustment made tactical sense. The added defensive width would allow the Union to combat Columbus’s dangerous width further up the field – an area Columbus was actively trying to exploit.

Factoring into the equation the team went 120 minutes in a midweek US Open Cup match. Doing so by dipping into a bench full of starters hoping to get a rest prior this matchup. Also taking into consideration the team play LA Galaxy midweek the following – one of six more games before May 31st – the adjustments made logistical sense too.

Overall, the formation switch-up did accomplish sealing off Columbus’s attack in the wider areas of the pitch, without sacrificing much of the stout play down the middle.

The overt defensive posture shifted the block lower, and opportunities to create spells of possession for the Union became fewer and further between. Yet, the Union never exactly relinquished control.

So much so the Union only conceded one total shot from the 68th minute onward. This sits in direct opposition to the notion that Carnell’s tactical changes were the reason for the Union not escaping with three points.

The manager was far from the reason the team couldn’t drag the 2-1 scoreline across the finish line. It was falling asleep and losing focus in key moments that were the difference.

One missed Uhre chance to put the game away coupled with Wagner’s man getting free on the backpost on a 93rd minute corner, a game that had all the markings of a deserved victory turns into two points squandered at the death.

Maybe, on a different night with higher stakes, Carnell’s side clutch those points tighter.

The Eastern Conference isn’t won in May. Carnell, a former conference winner himself, knows that as well as anyone.

As the Union continue to show their ilk, capable of standing toe-to-toe with the cream of the Eastern conference – the players can use these moments to learn from the next time they find themselves with eyes across the League watching closely.

Especially in games more important than this one.