PHILADELPHIA UNION v. SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

PHILADELPHIA UNION v. SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Greetings to my brothers and sisters in Green. The Sounders FC make their way to Philadelphia, the only American city where chemically engineered processed cheese food spread is an acceptable sandwich condiment, to battle Philadelphia Union at their Seaport Drive ground. Their night is our afternoon, let’s go.

What: MLS league match, Philadelphia Union v. Seattle Sounders FC.

Where: Seaport Drive, Chester, Pennsylvania.

When: 4:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, Saturday 9 March 2024 CE.

At Stake: Granted it’s early days, but Sounders FC are currently 22nd in the league and that is unacceptable. We have a reputation of struggling to score goals. That needs to end as soon as possible. This is a benchmark match, in that Philadelphia finished 5th in the league last season, finished 3rd place in the 2023 Leagues Cup (qualifying for this years CONCACAF Champions Cup), made it to the Semi-Finals of last season’s Champions League, and were the 2023 MLS Cup runners-up. We managed none of those things. If we can defeat Philadelphia, it means we’re turning a corner. If we should be defeated, it means they’re still performing much better than we are, and that there is much work to be done on the training ground, and perhaps new leadership is called for.

Where to Watch: MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

Where to Listen: 950 KJR AM and El Rey 1360 AM.

We haven’t played this lot since 2019. They accomplished a whole lot more than we did last season (see above), and this mustn’t become a regular occurrence. There’s not much we can do here in The Evergreen except to root on our beloved Sounders the best we can, whilst staring at the telly, as if prisoners interred on our side of the screen. I know we have supporters in every MLS city. Hopefully ours will turn out in numbers for Saturday night’s match.

Pubs and flats. Houses and cats. Boats and ships. When it’s us versus them, you can always count on me. You know what to do. Fasten that seat-belt, Granna. It’s Sounders FC league match day three - everything to gain - everything to lose.

Before kick-off, please join me in the auld toast: “TO THE SEATTLE SOUNDERS FOOTBALL CLUB…AND VICTORY!!!”

Zan Kolmanic of Austin FC was remarkably spry last Sat for a man marked as

“Season Ending Injury” by his own club’s website. (photo credit: 90min.com)

The Good News

The defence is generally holding. We are conceding an average of 1.11 goals per match. This average includes the results of our pre-season matches. Statistically, two goals should be good enough for a result.

Although nearly half the first-team are injured, the back four + Gomez Andrade, Cristian, Morris, and Ruidiaz are fit enough to play. Thomas is playing well between the sticks. There is plenty of quality in Leo Chu, Atencio, Vargas, Cody Baker, and Danny Leyva. The Gaffer should feel confident having any of that lot in the team at kick-off.

Stuart Hawkins played some amazing football for the Sounders FC Academy, Sounders FC Reserves, and for United States youth teams. That’s a lot of quality opposition, and maybe Stu deserves a chance in the team. Paul Rothrock provided a bit of attacking skill and timely goals last season, why not give him a run-out?

As we haven’t played Philadelphia in four years, maybe our way of doing things is unfamiliar to them, although I’m sure they’ll watch plenty of film on us before the match. At this point, we should seize any potential edge no matter how small.

We haven’t seen the best of Morris, Ruidiaz, Leo Chu, and Cristian yet. You’ve gotta think, even by the law of averages, that we’ll see a crack of daylight there soon.

The Bad News

This whole scab ref situation and the role in it that is played by MLS and PRO Referees has been downplayed from the start. However, it’s not enough that just attention has been deflected from this issue. The Athletic recently reported that MLS sent memos to television and radio broadcasters to not “…belabor the point…” when addressing the lockout of PSRA refs by PRO. I think this type of CorpoSpeak deflection sort of demands that our supporters chant the word ‘SCAB!’ repeatedly and loudly every time a scab ref blows his whistle, regardless of what the call is. I’ve always thought of Seattle as a union town, and it would be a shame to just allow this affront to pass with no response from ours. An injury to one is an injury to all.

Philadelphia are currently better than us. It hurts to even write that, but it’s empirically true (see above). We need to change that trajectory. With nearly half the first-team out, and our form in front of goal being incredibly patchy, this presents a massive challenge to the squad.

We can’t seem to score goals. The ball just won’t go in. Raul’s volley was epic last Sat. If that goes in bar-down, that’s a different match against Austin. Possibly a different result. If this should continue, it won’t matter that our defence is holding its own. Way too early to push the panic button? Sure. On a trajectory towards calamity? I’ll let you know in a few week’s time.

Newboy de la Vega, Frei, Joao Paulo, and Rusnak are still out. That’s four of the better players in our squad that are out due to injury. In addition, Baker-Whiting and Rodrigues are also still injured. Nathan is in Brazil seeing to some sort of paperwork, visa issues I’m assuming, and so he has been dropped for this Sat. We’re having a difficult time as it is; not having a full-strength squad makes it harder still.

The Side I Would Select

Something’s not working. Sure, we have almost a third of the squad out to injury, but even when those players were fit, we were still having trouble scoring goals. Philadelphia has played two matches in four days. We should throw a well-rested and young team at them to test their stamina and resolve. My selection in the 4-2-3-1 is as follows:

GK     Thomas

LB     Nouhou

LCH    Ragen

RCH    Arreaga

RB     Baker

LDM    Vargas

RDM    Leyva

LF     Rothrock

CAM    Atencio

RF     Cristian

CF     Ruidiaz

The Side I Think The Gaffer Will Select

The Gaffer can be counted on to play the most experienced players that are available, favouring the one’s he’s relied on for the last half-decade. If Rusnak is the first-choice #10, with de la Vega the second,… who is the third? Cristian? Or do we go back to 4-4-2? My guess is back to the 4-4-2, with no dedicated #10. Essentially the same selection as at LAFC, with Arreaga for Nathan.

GK     Thomas

LB     Nouhou

LCH    Ragen

RCH    Arreaga

RB     Alex

LDM    Vargas

RDM    Atencio

LW     Chu

RW     Cristian

LCF     Raul

RCF    Morris

Intangibles

Scab refs, and the attempts of MLS and PRO Referees to silence any mention of it by broadcast media.

General notes on personnel

Philadelphia transfers IN:

Ngabo (Lyngby BK) undisclosed fee

LeFlore (Houston Dynamo 2) undisclosed fee

Pariano - draft

Wagner - re-signed

Berdecio (Oriente Petrolero) loan

Anderson (Rayo Majadahonda) free

Semmle (Louisville City FC) €92,000

Bedoya - re-signed

Philadelphia transfers OUT:

Sorenson (Charlotte Independence) free

Bendik (Vancouver Whitecaps FC) free

Pierre (Skovde AIK) loan

Perea (NYC FC) €594,000

Craig (El Paso Locomotive) €115,000 loan fee

Torres (Universidad Catolica) loan

Comparison against common opponents

n/a

Know Thine Enemy

Philadelphia as they lined up in their 0:0 draw against Pachuca in the CONCACAF Champion’s Cup round of 16 first leg at Seaport Drive.

GOALKEEPER

Andre Blake, 33

Jamaica (73/0)

Notable Clubs: Philadelphia Union (232/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2M

Notes: Developed by Sporting Central Academy and Harbour View. Played his university football for Connecticut (68/0). Won an MLS league championship with Philadelphia. Won a Caribbean Cup with Jamaica. Named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year three times. Named to MLS Best XI three times. Won 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Golden Glove. Named to CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI 2017.

DEFENCE

Kai Wagner, 27

Germany

Notable Clubs: Philadelphia Union (140/5)

Estimated Transfer Value: €5M

Notes: Developed by SV Lonsee, SSV Ulm 1846, and FC Augsburg. Won an MLS league championship with Philadelphia. Named to MLS Best XI 2022.

Nathan Harriel, 22

United States

Notable Clubs: Philadelphia Union (57/2)

Estimated Transfer Value: €600,000

Notes: Developed by Chargers SC and Philadelphia Union. Has played for United States U23s (4/0).

Jakob Glesnes, 29

Norway

Notable Clubs: Asane (14/0), Sarpsborg 08 (14/0), Stromsgodset (98/3), Philadelphia Union (119/6)

Estimated Transfer Value: €4M

Notes: Won an MLS league championship with Philadelphia. Named MLS Defender of the Year 2022. Named to MLS Best XI.

Olivier Mbaizo, 26

Cameroon (11/0)

Notable Clubs: Rainbow Bamenda (10/0), Philadelphia Union (92/0) 

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.5M

Notes: Developed by Union Douala. Won an MLS league championship with Philadelphia.

MIDFIELD

Jack McGlynn, 20

United States (1/0)

Notable Clubs: Philadelphia Union (103/10)

Estimated Transfer Value: €3.5M

Notes: Developed by Blau-Weiss Gottschee and Philadelphia Union. Won a CONCACAF U20 Championship with United States. Has played for United States at youth levels (30/2).

Quinn Sullivan, 19

United States

Notable Clubs: Philadelphia Union (62/5)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2M

Notes: Developed by Philadelphia Union. Won a CONCACAF U20 championship with United States. Named to CONCACAF U20 championship Best XI 2022. Has played for United States U20s (19/10).

Jose Martinez, 29

Venezuela (14/0)

Notable Clubs: JBL Zulia (60/3), Zulia (61/2), Philadelphia Union (94/3)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2.5M

Notes: Developed by JBL Zulia. Won a Copa Venezuela with Zulia FC. Won an MLS league championship with Philadelphia.

FORWARD

Daniel Gazdag, 28

Hungary (23/4)

Notable Clubs: Honved (175/21), Philadelphia Union (91/41)

Estimated Transfer Value: €8M

Notes: Developed by Nyiregyhaza and Honved. Won a Hungarian league championship and a Hungarian Cup with Honved. Named to MLS Best XI 2022.

Mikael Uhre, 29

Denmark (1/0)

Notable Clubs: Sonderjyske (94/14), Skive IK (44/18), Brondby (101/42), Philadelphia Union (62/23)

Estimated Transfer Value: €4M

Notes: Developed by Skovlund IF, Grindsted GIF, and Sonderjyske. Won a Danish league championship with Brondby. Won a Danish league Golden Boot, scoring 19 goals for Brondby in 2020-21. Named Danish league Player of the Season 2020-21.

Alejandro Bedoya, 36

United States (66/2)

Notable Clubs: Orebro SK (65/8), Rangers (12/1), Helsingborgs IF (21/6), Nantes (87/11), Philadelphia Union (216/23)

Estimated Transfer Value: €250,000

Notes: Played his university football for Fairleigh Dickinson (35/13) and Boston College (37/14). Won a MLS league championship with Philadelphia. Won two CONCACAF Gold Cups with United States. Named MLS Humanitarian of the Year 2022.

Familiar Faces

Former Sounders FC Reserves (17/1) and Jamaica (53/3) Defender, Damion Lowe now plays for Philadelphia.

Squads

Philadelphia from:

Blake, Semmle, Trent, Lowe, Real, Mbaizo, Wagner, Glesnes, Harriel, Elliot, Makhanya, Berdecio, Bedoya, Martinez, McGlynn, Craig, Sullivan, Gazdag, Bueno, Odada, Rafanello, Torres, Pariano, Ngabo, Anderson, Carranza, Donovan, Uhre, Pierre, Baribo.

Sounders FC from:

Thomas, Castro, Arreaga, Baker, Bell, Gomez Andrade, Hawkins, Nouhou, Ragen, Alex, Atencio, Kitahara, Leyva, Vargas, Chu, Morris, Musovski, Cristian, Rothrock, Ruidiaz, Teves.

Injury List

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

Philadelphia -

OUT: Flach (shoulder), LeFlore (knee).

MATCHDAY DECISION: Carranza (hamstring).

Sounders FC -

OUT: Baker-Whiting (hamstring), de la Vega (hamstring), Frei (hamstring), Joao Paulo (hip), Nathan (visa issues), Rodrigues (hamstring), Rusnak (ankle).

MATCHDAY DECISION: none.

Discipline

No players suspended for either club.

Fun Fact

Gearing up for the new MLS Next Pro season, Sounders FC Reserves have announced four new signings. Midfielder Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (draft), Defender Antino Lopez (academy), Goalkeeper Lars Helleren (Colorado Rapids 2), and Defender Owen O’Malley (St. Louis City SC2). Defender Travian Sousa was also re-signed. Last season’s Manager, Wade Webber, has been promoted to the position of Director of Development. The newly hired Manager is Herve Diese. Diese comes to The Evergreen after having served as a coach at CF Montreal. Good luck, Herve. Good luck, lads. Make us proud.