PHILADELPHIA UNION v. SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Greetings to my brothers and sisters in Green. Someone’s Mum or Da were always going on about “Don’t start what you can’t finish” or some such thing like that. In this instance, that’s sort of the general area where the Sounders FC and Philadelphia Union will find themselves tomorrow, completing the MLS league fixture which had been started but had to be abandoned for waterlogged pitch. Let’s hope it’s a bit less soggy in Chester come Tuesday night.

I’ve put yeoman’s work into this article. I bloody well hope I got it all right.

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

Where: Seaport Drive, Chester, Pennsylvania.

When: 4:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, Tuesday 30 April 2024 CE.

At Stake: Sounders have fallen to 27th place in the league. This is a rescheduled league fixture, so there are no other league fixtures on 30 April. So what’s at stake, at least in the short term, is very easy to calculate. If we defeat Philadelphia we will have nine points and move to 24th place, as our goal difference will likely be better than Orlando City’s -6. If we are defeated, nothing changes for now, we remain in 27th place in the league table with six points, 15 points adrift of league leaders Inter Miami.

Aside from the nuts and bolts just mentioned, we are trying to figure out how we’ve ended up in this situation, and right the ship with regards to our finishing in front of goal without sacrificing the defensive sharpness that we, and the rest of the league, have come to expect.

Where to Watch: MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

Where to Listen: iHeart Media, presumably for KJR, and El Rey 1360 AM.

Time for our Sounders FC to circle back to Chester and try and take care of some unfinished business. The irony is not lost on me that the weather in Chester on 9 March looked like a page out of our book here in The Evergreen. The heavy rains were enough to force the match to be abandoned in the 6th minute, as the pitch had become so waterlogged it was unplayable, and potentially hazardous to player safety. To be honest, I don’t know why the officials and the managers of both teams decided to proceed in the first place. But that’s neither here nor there, and we’ve got to finish what we started.

It’s going to be a lot like the resumption of a chess match that is temporarily adjourned, with the pieces on the exact same spaces on the board and the next move written down and placed in a sealed envelope. Well, we’re talking about human beings in this instance, so it won’t be quite as precise. Exceptions might have to be made, but as few as possible. The idea is to have the exact same lineups, and literally for the ball to be dropped where it last was on the pitch, or from the set-piece point when the match was abandoned.

With the intrigue of this unique situation, and the explanations out of the way, we must boil down and distill all of this to the fundament of what is important. And that is support. It’s what we do. I hope we’ll have an away section for this match, and for us at home in The Evergreen, the duty is clear. Pubs, dwellings, houses, flats, boats, ships. You know the drill. Project whatever positive psychic energy as you can towards ours at the match in Pennsylvania, and if possible do that with a bunch of your mates.

Time to hit the play button on our paused match. It’s Sounders football, under the lights in Chester. GO ON YOU SOUNDERS!!! GET IN!!!

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

And away we go.

The Good News

We have good players. Our coaching staff is good, though I disagree with the way we handle squad rotation, substitutions, and we could use some modernisation in our tactics. Despite this, Schmetzer and his stalwart coaches have kept the Sounders FC at 7th place in the league or better, with the exception of 2022 where we finished 21st in the league, and helped secure three trophies, including two MLS Cups and a CONCACAF title (they keep re-naming the bloody thing) in 2022. These are very good results for seven and half completed seasons, and we’ve been competitive even when we weren’t wining trophies.

Apparently the Sounders FC are welcoming new corporate partners. YEEEEE HAW! Maybe in exchange for further selling the soul of the club to the corpos, we could make some signings when the summer transfer window opens (18 July - 14 August). Just a thought. Don’t shoot the messenger.

Our support is best in the league. No question. It makes a massive difference, ask anyone at ECS proper or in any of the sub-groups. I believe in the Sounders FC. I believe in the Brougham Faithful. Franklin Foer once wrote that the supporters true relationship is with the club and the ground, as players come and go. This is an excellent time to understand that what is happening now, will not be so forever. Better must come and, in the end, youth must be served. Our club has a bright future, and in the present, our lads are stalwart, hard-working people, and they will continue to fight for us.

The Bad News

It seems like we’re playing football that’s of a fairly high quality, but the ball won’t go into the net for us. I don’t know what to make of it. I’ve seen us struggle before, but this seems different. I don’t know if it’s a knock-on effect of Nico leaving or what.

In the seven and a half seasons that Schmetzer has completed as Manager, we have not reached the Quarter-Final stage in the US Open Cup, and we have never won the league.

We can’t seem to get a decent referee to save our lives. It’s frustrating as fuck, and makes MLS look like a dick-slap of a league.

I was mistaken, it isn’t three matches in eight days, it’s four matches in 12 days for us, as we have a visit coming from Louisville City FC for our Round of 32 US Open Cup tie on 8 May - only three days time after our match against LA Galaxy. So our fixture clutter is worse than I thought it was, and it has far more to do with the weather in Chester on 9 March, corporate greed, and Leagues Cup than it does the US Open Cup, which will, of course be blamed.

Looks like the Gaffer decided to select players for the DC match that are going to have to play three days later in Tuesday’s resumption of the Philadelphia match. I can’t see the wisdom in it. There was ample foreknowledge that these players would be compelled to start the resumption of the Philadelphia match, but the Gaffer selected them into the team for DC anyway, knowing they would have only two days of recovery. I can only feel there will be consequences down the line as a result of this deployment strategy. I mean, what is the Manager playing at? Here’s a chart, make of it what ye will. Oy! You shut up Bob from Accounting, this is my PowerPoint!

PLAYER DEPLOYMENT CHART - SOUNDERS FC for DC UNITED MATCH

PLAYER MINUTES PLAYED AT DC

Rusnak 90 Can’t start @PHI , could be a sub replacement

Cristian• 90

Joao Paulo• 90

Gomez Andrade* 90

Bell* 90

Atencio• 90

Bakerº 79

Vargas• 69

Thomas• 59

Ruidiaz• 45

Morris•         45

Chu• 31

Frei 28 Can’t start @PHI, could be a sub replacement

Musovski 21 Can’t play @PHI, injured

Rothrockº 11

• Must play at the start of the resumption at Philadelphia

* One must play at the start of the resumption at Philadelphia

º Must be on substitutes bench for start of resumption at Philadelphia

Dear MLS, CONCACAF, and the powers that be in football, domestic and abroad - Stop fucking about with competition formats. Pick a fucking way and go with it ye tinkerin’ popinjay bastards. Also, can we please say “Bye, Felicia” to Leagues Cup. For a league that pisses and moans about fixture clutter, MLS were quick enough to dismiss it when enough money was involved. Impression of MLS corporate official: ‘Hey! US Open Cup is too many matches and no one comes because we don’t promote it! Let’s introduce a completely new tournament and further compress the schedule!’.

The Side I Would Select

It doesn’t matter who I would select. The team and substitutes for both clubs have to be as close to identical as practically possible from the start of the match on 9 March. The replacement for Arreaga, who lined up that day but has since been sold to New England, must be Bell or Gomez Andrade who were on the substitutes bench that day.

The Side I Think The Gaffer Will Select

The Gaffer has little choice in the matter. The team will be as close as possible to the selection on 9 March, with only certain exceptions permitted. This will be the team, barring injury or other permitted exceptions. As Arreaga was recently sold to New England, he cannot participate. The only choices for his replacement are Bell and Gomez Andrade, as they were the only centre-halves on the bench that day. The Manager has the option of naming a substitute to take the place of either Bell or Gomez Andrade on the bench, as the sale of Arreaga depletes our bench as it was that day by one player. In addition, Musovski was on the bench that day, and the Gaffer will have to select a replacement for him as well.

GK     Thomas

LB     Nouhou

LCH    Bell / Gomez Andrade

RCH    Ragen

RB     Alex

LDM    Vargas

RDM    Atencio

LM     Chu

RM     Cristian

LCF    Morris

RCF    Ruidiaz

Substitutes: Castro (gk), Gomez Andrade or Bell, Baker, Leyva, Teves, Rothrock, and two players to be named to the bench before kick-off to replace either Gomez Andrade or Bell depending on which one is selected to deputise for Arreaga, who is no longer in the squad and Musovski who is out with a hip issue.

Intangibles

If everything has to be the same, I wonder if that extends to the scab ref that worked that fixture? If so, it will be Erick Lezama. If not, I’ve no idea, and at this writing on Sunday night, there seems to be precious little info available about it.

UPDATE: Confirmed as of Monday night that the ref is Lezama. He was the ref at the start of the original match on 9 March during the time of the PRO Referees lockout, making him a scab. Fucking scab. He has three matches of MLS experience and had never before refereed matches including the Sounders FC or Philadelphia. He also had the poor judgement to attempt to start the match in the first place, even though it was raining stair-rods and the pitch was an unplayable lagoon. Saints preserve us all.

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

Real (Colorado Springs Switchbacks) loan

Comparison against common opponents

ATX 2:2 PHI

SEA 0:0 ATX

(against ATX: PHI 0-1-0 0, SEA 0-1-0 0) even

Know Thine Enemy

Philadelphia as they lined up against us on 9 March before the match was abandoned at 0:0 in the fifth minute due to water-logged pitch. The formation was a 4-4-2 with diamond-shaped midfield. The most recent injury news has Anderson out, with Blake and Lowe both matchday decisions. So expect changes to the lineup below.

Note: Matthew Real was loaned to Colorado Springs Switchbacks, so I’m guessing his place on the substitutes bench will have to be a replacement from the available squad.

GOALKEEPER

Andre Blake, 33

Jamaica (75/0)

Notable Clubs: Philadelphia Union (237/0)

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

Nathan Harriel, 23

United States

Notable Clubs: Philadelphia Union (63/2)

Estimated Transfer Value: €600,000

Notes: Developed by Chargers SC and Philadelphia Union. Has played for United States U23s (6/1).

Damion Lowe, 30

Jamaica (58/3)

Notable Clubs: Reading United (10/1), Minnesota United (27/2), Tampa Bay Rowdies (16/1), IK Start (50/2), Phoenix Rising (5/0), Al Ittihad (30/2), Inter Miami CF (28/1), Philadelphia Union (23/2)

Estimated Transfer Value: €600,000

Notes: Developed by Harbour View. Played his university football for Hartford (44/8). Was named to CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI 2021 with Jamaica.

Jack Elliott, 28

England

Notable Clubs: Philadelphia Union (202/10)

Estimated Transfer Value: €3.5M

Notes: Developed by Fulham. Played his university football for West Virginia (68/6). Won an MLS league title with Philadelphia.

Olivier Mbaizo, 26

Cameroon (14/0)

Notable Clubs: Rainbow Bamenda (10/0), Philadelphia Union (95/0) 

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.5M

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

MIDFIELD

Jose Martinez, 29

Venezuela (28/0)

Notable Clubs: JBL Zulia (60/3), Zulia (61/2), Philadelphia Union (100/3)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2.5M

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

Jesus Bueno, 25

Venezuela

Notable Clubs: Deportiva Lara (90/9), Philadelphia Union (35/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €500,000

Notes: Developed by Deportiva Lara.

Quinn Sullivan, 20

United States

Notable Clubs: Philadelphia Union (69/6)

Estimated Transfer Value: €3.5M

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).

Daniel Gazdag, 28

Hungary (24/4)

Notable Clubs: Honved (175/21), Philadelphia Union (97/45)

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.

FORWARD

Mikael Uhre, 29

Denmark (1/0)

Notable Clubs: Sonderjyske (94/14), Skive IK (44/18), Brondby (101/42), Philadelphia Union (68/25)

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.

Markus Anderson, 20

United States

Notable Clubs: Philadelphia Union (3/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €200,000

Notes: Previously played football in Spain’s third division for Rayo Majadahonda.

Familiar Faces

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

Squads

Note: These lists are short because only the players, with certain possible exceptions (injury, no longer with the club), who played in this match or were on the bench that day can play in the 30 April resumption of the 9 March abandoned match.

Philadelphia from:

Blake, Lowe, Elliot, Martinez, Harriel, Mbaizo, Gazdag, Bueno, Sullivan, Uhre, plus a replacement for Anderson from the subs list below..

Subs: Semmle, Glesnes, Baribo, Rafanello, Bedoya, Donovan, Wagner, McGlynn, + one player to replace Anderson and possibly up to two more replacements if Lowe and Blake are unfit to play.

Note: Matthew Real was on the bench for Philadelphia on 9 March but has since been loaned out to Colorado Springs Switchbacks. So I think that rules him out for Tuesday’s match, although I’m not certain of that.

Sounders FC from:

Thomas, Ragen, Nouhou, Alex, Vargas, Atencio, Chu, Cristian, Morris, Ruidiaz.

Subs: Castro, Teves, Baker, Leyva, Bell, Gomez Andrade, Rothrock, +2 players to be named to replace Musovski and Bell or Gomez Andrade.

Notes: Because of the sale of Arreaga to New England, either Bell or Gomez Andrade must play in his place. To replace Bell or Gomez Andrade on the Subs bench, the Gaffer must select another player as a replacement on the bench. Also Stefan Frei is not suspended this match as that wasn’t his status on 9 March - hey may be selected to the substitutes bench as a replacement for Arreaga or one of Bell or Gomez Andrade. Frei will serve a one-match ban for the LA Galaxy match on 5 May.

Injury List

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

Philadelphia -

OUT: Anderson (leg), LeFlore (knee), Pariano (knee), Trent (hand).

MATCHDAY DECISION: Blake (knee), Lowe (ankle), Makhanya (leg).

Sounders FC -

OUT: Musovski (hip), Nathan (quad), de la Vega (hamstring), Rodrigues (hamstring).

MATCHDAY DECISION: Baker-Whiting (hamstring).

Discipline

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

I’ll do the best I can here, using the league’s 2024 official Competition Standards. Checking the Competition Standards was rather a shock to me, as the refereeing over the past two weeks seems to indicate that MLS doesn’t actually have any standards at all.

No players were suspended that day, so I think we’re good and no one is out this match due to suspensions.

Fun Fact

Sounders FC Reserves defeated San Jose Earthquakes Reserves by a score of 3:2 at Starfire on 25 April. Bettache, De Rosario, and Sousa scored for the reserves. Well done, lads! The victory sees the Sounders Reserves in 4th place in the MLS Next Pro league table on 14 points, two points adrift of LA Galaxy Reserves. Next up are Portland Timbers Reserves at the Morrison Street ground on 10 May.