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Photo: Nicolae Stoian
Philadelphia Union
The Union's league form means that they are a team in which one win in US Open Cup play is a
necessary confidence builder and the possibility of a run to the Open Cup final an inspiring goal.
Amobi Okugo said after the win, "We've got a turnaround against D.
US
Checkout PSPs match report and look for an analysis piece later today.
As the Sporting News said about last night's USMNT game, "It quickly became apparent...that
Brazil is not Scotland."
On the surface, The New York Daily News headline says it all: "US soccer outclassed and
out-executed in 4-1 friendly against Brazil at FedEx Field.
PSP photographer Nicolae Stoian was on the sidelines at PPL Park for the Philadelphia
Union's 3–0 win over Rochester Rhinos in the third round of the US Open Cup. Here's a look at
what he saw.
The opening ceremony.
The Union's starting XI.
Keon Daniel working the end line.
PSP's Eli Pearlman-Storch and photographer/videographer Daniel Gajdamowicz were on hand for John
Hackworth's press conference following the Union's 3–0 win over Rochester Rhinos in Tuesday's US
Open Cup Third Round match. After that they headed to the locker room to talk to Chris Konopka,
Sheanon Williams, Gabriel Farfan, Amobi Okugo and Michael Lahoud.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
The good news first.
The Union grabbed a road point in Frisco, Texas, their first in three trips to FC Dallas. And
Chase Harrison not only survived his first MLS start, but fought through the barrage of George John
and Andrew Jacobson shaped missiles hurled at him over the 90 minutes, making important saves and
showing strength in the air.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
Despite racing out to a two goal lead, the Union reserves faded in the closing minutes,
surrendering the lead and settling for a 2-2 tie at Widener's Quick Stadium.
Antoine Hoppenot led the line for the Union, opening the scoring in the 11th minute, having been
set up by Josue Martinez.
Photo: Nicolae Stoian
Sure, a friendly is just a friendly.
But with a midweek match to test themselves against elite European opposition, the Union turned
in an excellent performance on Wednesday night, winning 2-1 over Champions League-bound Schalke 04.
There were plenty of strong performances from the home side, but a number stood out with players
eager to impress the coaching staff and earn playing time as the Union seek to find their form in
league play.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
PSP reporter Eli Pearlman-Storch and photographer/videographer Daniel Gajdamowicz caught up with
Chandler Hoffman, Danny Mwanga, Gabriel Farfan, Raymon Gaddis, Amobi Okugo, and Jimmy McLaughlin
after the Philadelphia Union's 2-1 win over Schalke 04. Here's a look at what they had to say:
Photo: Nicolae Stoian
This week's Philadelphia Player of the Week is ...
Nobody.
We can't.
We tried!
We did. We really did.
The six of us scratched our heads. Ed Farnsworth pawed the air helplessly. Adam Cann looked for
a sign. Greg Orlandini took the thinking man pose and got stuck there.
Photo: Nicolae Stoian
Philadelphia Union
Dave Zeitlin reports the Union believes that flooding the midfield has been the key to
overcoming their slow start, even if it limits playing time for the team's young strikers. John
Hackworth says, "That's a disadvantage to it, but it is what it is.
Photo: Nicolae Stoian
It took Danny Mwanga eight minutes to do what Lionard Pajoy hasn't done in 367: Create a
goal.
If that one play isn't a good enough reason of why Mwanga needs to replace Pajoy in Philadelphia
Union's starting lineup, here are a few more.
- Only one team in Major League Soccer has a worse goals-per-game rate than the Union's 0.
Soccer is a blame game. Goals aren't common, so when you give one up, everyone goes looking for
someone to blame. But is it that simple?
Long-time PSP readers know I like to dissect goals. (I play center back. What do you expect?) So
let's play.
We'll pick out the first San Jose goal, shown in the video below, not just because it's an
absolute clinic of good attacking soccer, but also because the defensive breakdown may not be where
it seemed to be.
It was a 2 hour drive from the Poconos to PPL Park, the hallowed place a certain unreasonable
facsimile of a pseudo-soccer journalist was hell-bent on getting to before 7 o'clock. Having
just enjoyed the Pennsylvania countryside in somewhat unconventional fashion, my tired, bleeding,
freezing, and only recently electrocuted little self kept the pedal to the medal, kept conscious
only by the knowledge that the Union had finally found a little form.
Photo: Nicolae Stoian
Video: Daniel Gajdamowicz
With a road game in Seattle followed by the first of three grudge matches against the Red Bulls,
Saturday's home game against the depleted West Conference leading San Jose Earthquakes should have
been a chance for the Union to jump on their weakened guests and claim their third consecutive
victory.
Photo: Courtesy of Philadelphia Union/Getty Images
Heading across the country to take on a Chivas USA who despite their poor home form have looked
much improved in 2012, the Philadelphia Union would have taken a victory any way they could get it.
That's a good thing considering that, although they recorded their second consecutive victory and
first road win of the season, they were largely outplayed by their hosts and suffered two important
ejections which could hurt them badly in the coming weeks.
Photo: Paul Rudderow
Click here to view the embedded video.
At three of the possible four levels, the Union turned in a very strong performance in defeating
Columbus 1-0. Goalkeeping, defense and even the recently maligned midfield were sharp and
productive as the Union did just enough to see out the victory.
PSP photographer Paul Rudderow was on hand for Saturday afternoon's Philadelphia Union 1-0
win over Columbus Crew at PPL Park. Here's a look at what he saw.
Peter Nowak and his staff at the beginning of the match.
Peter Nowak gives a hug of thanks to one of our veterans.
The blind squirrels have found their nut. By upholding the high defensive standards that have
come to be their most reliable asset, the Union was able to sneak away from PPL Park with 3 points
by way of a single penalty kick. While it's fantastic to see the that the Union defense is
decidedly back on track, and the Union's movement and possession were much improved, and it's just
plum wonderful to put a "W".
Photo: Paul Rudderow
Philadelphia Union
Like it or not, everyone with any knowledge of the Union going into Saturday's game against
Vancouver will be watching to see how the fans at PPL Park react to the return of Sebastien Le
Toux. The Inquirer's Marc Narducci reports that Peter Nowak says, "I hope and believe that the fans
will support and stand behind our team and help us to win the game because we need them more than
anything right now.
Photo: Courtesy of Sporting News/AP Photo
Just over one minute into their final group stage match, the United States had wiped the taste
of a 2-0 loss to Canada from their memories. Brek Shea fought off two defenders on the left touch
line before beating a third man and whipping a waist-high cross into the box.
In 2011 the Senior National team lost a first round match to Panama in the Gold Cup. There was
much wailing and gnashing of teeth, questioning of the coach's system, player selection, the
ability of the two lynchpins of the offense to play together, etc. The US team was doomed; it
probably wouldn't make it to the quarter finals, much less the finals that seemed its destiny days
before.
There's a moment in most sports films where the plucky underdogs, having overcome the odds and hung
in with their dominant, vaguely oppressive opponents, come up with a miracle play to win the big
game, the music plays and everyone goes home happy. Americans love this story. Saturday we got
to live the flip side.
It's looking more and more like something special is going on with the U-23 US Men's National
Team. Led by a prodigy-turned-elder-statesman, a team of prodigious talent is turning in to the
most exciting group of players to come through the American system in a long time.
Fast start
It took eleven minutes of poking and prodding for the US to take the lead over Cuba on
Nashville's LP Field.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
It seems someone has made a PSP app. Who knew?
Philadelphia Union
Look for PSP's Chicago Fire vs. Philadelphia Union match preview later today.
While Danny Califf and Peter Nowak told reporters that they had put the "miscommunication" flap
behind them at a meeting earlier in the week, Nowak indicated at Wednesday's press conference that
Califf's status for Saturday's game in Chicago was still uncertain.
Joe Corona is an interesting guy. Interesting because of his convoluted national team history.
Interesting because he commutes across the US / Mexico border every day. Interesting because of
his ready-for-endorsements last name. But mostly, interesting because in the 11th minute last
night, he chested down the rebound of a Freddy Adu free kick, and without settling the ball, drove
it into an empty net to give the US a 1-0 lead.
Photo: Paul Rudderow
Philadelphia Union
What does Peter Nowak expect from Colorado? "As I said to these guys (post-game) in the locker
room in Portland, the Colorado team is going to be even more physical than this team. The game is
going to be fast, they're going to go up and down, they're capable of doing good things.
Speed & Versatility. These are the key points highlighted in Caleb Porter's roster for CONCACAF's
Olympic qualifying tournament, which begins later this month in Nashville. With a heavy MLS &
Bundesliga influence, the US will look to be one of the two teams qualifying out of our region for
the London games this summer.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
Following the analysis of both the 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 formations, PSP's Eli Pearlman-Storch
takes a look at the 4-2-3-1 in the final installment of a three-part series about potential Union
formations in 2012.
2012 Starting XI
While a 4-2-3-1 may not seem the most likely setup for the Union to employ in 2012 given their
stable of young strikers, it provides an opportunity to dominate the center of the pitch, an area
where they struggled in 2011.
Photo: Nicolae Stoian
Chelsea in Philly?
At ESPNsoccernet.com, the last sentence of a report on word of a Chelsea vs. Celtic friendly at
Yankees Stadium this summer says, "[I]t is understood Chelsea, who enjoyed a successful tour of the
United States in 2009, will also play matches in Philadelphia, Washington DC and Seattle.
Photo: AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
For nearly 45 minutes, the United States under-23 national team forgot who they were.
US soccer has been making up for a shortage of on-the-ball talent by developing tough, athletic,
and hard-working players for a long, long time. The defining moment of the 2010 World Cup was
Landon Donovan's lung-bursting downfield run to score the winner over Algeria.
Photo: Paul Rudderow
It's 2012 and the Union have gotten younger and more inexperienced at the MLS level. That is not
to say that they are any less talented. If anything, they've taken strides to be a deeper, more
tactically savvy squad. But with so many variables left unknown due to youth, a midseason
international tournament, and a still evolving system, PSP looks at the 10 players who have the
most to prove in 2012 if the Union are to meet, and hopefully surpass, they're 2011 finish.
Photo: Earl Gardner
Philadelphia Union
Peter Nowak says, "I think we have been working on some really good stuff in Florida. Now it's
just a matter of improving. Now it's working on fitness, formations and getting guys ready for the
season. Because of the Olympic qualifiers, it's kind of hard to determine what our set lineup with
will be.
Photo: Earl Gardner
Given the erratic nature of the preseason, we have elected to invert our usual post-match
format and lead with player ratings. Preseason games are opportunities for positional and tactical
experimentation, and so individual player performances become the most important factor in the
evaluation of the team as they build towards the regular season.
Photo: Paul Rudderow
Following last week's discussion of the merits of the 4-3-3, PSP's Eli Pearlman-Storch
outlines the traditional 4–4–2 as it would work for the Union in 2012 in the second of a
three-part series.
With the continuing turnover in the roster, the 2012 Philadelphia Union must find consistency on
the pitch in order to prove that last year's playoff appearance was no fluke.
It's that time of year again, Union fans. As of now, our controversial roster is pretty much
what it's gonna be. Following an offseason of unusual turnover, heart-rending surprises,
vicious debate, and a deluge of tweets fit for no man's daughters, we've got ourselves a team.
For better or worse, Union 3.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
With the signing of Lionard Pajoy, the Union may just be nearing the end of their offseason
transactions (at least for outfield players). In a set of three installments, PSP's Eli
Pearlman-Storch outlines the most likely formations for the Union in 2012 and how the roster, as
currently composed, is suited to play in each.
In this week's Philly Soccer Show podcast, your co-hosts KYW's Greg Orlandini and PSP's Eli
Pearlman-Storch are joined by Philadelphia Union and USMNT U-23 midfielder Amobi Okugo and Delco
Daily Times journalist Chris Vito.
In part one, Okugo talks with Greg and Eli about the upheaval on the team after the departure of
forward Sebastien Le Toux and captain, goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon.
Philadelphia Union
Le Toux spotted with Tim Ream at Bolton's win over Liverpool on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Kyle
Scott and crossingbroad.com
A report from The Bolton News on Friday quotes Wanderers' manager Owen Coyle on Sebastien Le
Toux, "I've had some decent reports on him. He's very industrious, hard working and looks a very
good team player, which is what I'm all about.
Philadelphia Union
Sky Sports reports that Bolton manager Owen Coyle "claims no decision has been taken as yet
regarding a permanent deal" for Sebastien Le Toux.
Jonathan Tannenwald tweets, "A Union source says the team 'would not use Tim Ream as a
benchmark' in any negotiations over Le Toux regarding transfer fee.
Photo: Paul Rudderow
With the SuperDraft behind us, thoughts now turn to the nitty-gritty of the 2012 Union season.
Naturally, questions arise. Over a two-part series we pose ten questions to our Union beat
reporter, Eli Pearlman-Storch, beginning in part 1 with a focus on formation, roster depth and
leadership roles within the starting XI.
