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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71791191517926208332016-05-28T14:39:53.374-04:00Union TallyA Philadelphia Union blog hosted by Christopher A. Vito and Matthew De GeorgeChristopherhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-57724025709229434342016-05-20T18:25:00.000-04:002016-05-20T18:25:18.034-04:00Union-DC United: Lineups and prematch thoughts
Union (4-2-3-1)

Blake

Fabinho-Marquez-Yaro-Rosenberry

Carroll-Creavalle

Pontius-Barnetta-Le Toux

Sapong

Bench: Jones, Gaddis, Tribbett, Restrepo, Alberg, Fernandes, Herbers

D.C. United (4-4-2)

Worra

Kemp-Boswell-Birnbaum-Franklin

Neagle-DeLeon-Sarvas-Nyarko

Acosta-Saborio

Bench: Hall, Opare, Mishu, Vincent, Espindola, Jeffrey, Buscher

Preview

- The big name missing is a late injury to Vincent Nogueira, who suffered a left oblique strain late in the week that rules him out. In his stead steps Warren Creavalle as the No. 8, the American preferred to Roland Alberg apparently. Other than that, the only change is to go attack-minded with the left back with Fabinho in for Ray Gaddis. Ilsinho's absence also continues with some minor injuries to his legs.

- Chris Pontius is obviously out there tonight against his former team. He's in good form, and you know he'll be jonesing for some bragging rights after six seasons with D.C.

- D.C. is unchanged from last week's win against Red Bulls. The attacking duo is Luciano Acosta and Alvaro Saborio, with Fabian Espindola on the bench for reinforcement. The challenge for the Union back four is to mute that front-running pairing, as it'll often be them on the counterattack trying to hit the Union. Matthew De Georgehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-16340517202532505812016-05-19T15:50:00.002-04:002016-05-19T15:50:36.522-04:00Counting the Union's costs: MLS Players Union reveals May 2016 salaries

Midfielder Roland Alberg will earn $377,250 this season
with the Union, per MLS Players Union filings,
just under the designated player thresshold.
(Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)

The MLS Players Union released its salary figures Thursday morning (pdf), its first such release this season following the closure of MLS's transfer window last week. It's the first look we get at the price the Union paid to significantly overhaul the team last season, bringing in essentially half a squad.

Below are the numbers, broken up by on-budget and off-budget, listed alphabetically in groups of five. (A reminder of the guidelines is here, and you can find other league-wide ramifications of the numbers here.)

On-budget

Roland Alberg $328,000/$377,250#
Fabinho $142,000/$142,000
Tranquillo Barnetta $650,000/$687,500#
Brian Carroll $120,000/$120,000
Anderson $150,000/$165,833#

 Warren Creavalle $118,000/$125,666
Maurice Edu $725,000/$793,750*
Leo Fernandes $63,000/$63,000
Ray Gaddis $150,000/$152,500
Ilsinho $430,000/$478,333#

 Matt Jones $75,000/$80,625
Sebastien Le Toux $300,000/$310,228
Richie Marquez $63,000/$63,000
John McCarthy $79,000/$85,250
Vincent Nogueira $400,000/$400,000

 Chris Pontius $380,000/$411,000
Walter Restrepo $125,000/$139,500
CJ Sapong $225,000/$225,000
-- budget space empty --
-- budget space empty --

 Off Budget

Andre Blake $100,000/$138,000**
Fabian Herbers $100,000/$125,500**#
Josh Yaro $130,000/$194,000**#
Eric Ayuk $62,500/$62,500#
Cole Missimo $51,500/$51,500

Keegan Rosenberry $62,500/$63,750
Ken Tribbett $51,500/$51,500
Taylor Washington $51,500/$51,500

 Exempt

Michael Lahoud $110,00/$115,637 (season-long lone to New York Cosmos)

* designated player; ** Generation Adidas; # international

 Totals

Salary Budget (Players 1-20): $4,523,000/$4,820,435
Full Budget (Players 1-28): $5,132,500/$5,674,322
All salary expenses (inc. loans): $5,242,500/$5,674,322

 Some observations on the numbers:

- The big numbers we all wanted to see pertained to what the Union paid for their newest players, knowing none of their offseason acquisitions were designated players and leaving Maurice Edu as still the only Union player in that category. Ilsinho is above the designated player threshold ($457,500) in his guaranteed compensation of $478,333, but his base salary budget charge is paid down to under the threshold at $430,000. Roland Alberg is just under the $400k mark. Anderson is making just over $150,000, while Walter Restrepo is under that figure.

- The big dollar figure change compared to last season is CJ Sapong, who signed a new three-year deal in February. His old deal paid him $140,000. He's up to $225,000 this season. Vincent Nogueira is another big mover, having made $330,000 last year, $70,000 less than this season.

- Chris Pontius made a hair under $400k last season with D.C. This year, he's up to over $411,000 in compensation, an increase of $15k. That's a fairly standard increase, echoing the elevators in the deals of Tranquillo Barnetta, Andre Blake, Warren Creavalle and Edu. Ray Gaddis' salary increased by $20k.

- For the veterans, Sebastien Le Toux penned a new deal that sees his salary increase $25,000 to a $300k base. Fabinho enjoyed a significant increase in his new deal, going from $118,500 in guaranteed compensation to $142,000. Brian Carroll, however, took a paycut from $150,000 to $120,000

- It's fairly clear the emphasis the Union have put on the midfield. Their top seven earners (Alberg, Barnetta, Edu, Ilsinho, Le Toux, Nogueira, Pontius) are all in the center of the pitch. Barring a change in philosophy that reallocates Edu to central defense when he returns AND an injury to Sapong pushing Le Toux or Pontius up top, it's difficult to conceive of all those guys being on the field simultaneously.

- By contrast, the defense is a relative area of thriftiness. Anderson has the highest budget charge of the entire backline contingent, all eight of them. Ken Tribbett is a low minimum earner at $51,500, while Richie Marquez and Keegan Rosenberry are high minimums at $63,000. Josh Yaro outearns Rosenberry and Marquez together at $194,000 ($130,000 budget charge), though that's subsidized through the Generation Adidas program that he, Blake and Fabian Herbers are in. Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-17608288227774192512016-05-18T14:47:00.002-04:002016-05-18T14:47:36.290-04:00Prepping for DC: Notes from Curtin's press conference

Jim Curtin said the Union are taking it "game-by-game"
with Andre Blake in determining when he'll be released
to Jamaica for Copa America. (AP)

It's a truncated week for the Philadelphia Union, with D.C. United coming to town Friday night for a big Eastern Conference clash. Plenty has been made of MLS's splashy Rivalry Week exercise in synergistic branding, which includes a look at the DC-Union history, and much will be written this week about Chris Pontius facing the team that drafted him for the first time (check Thursday's paper for that).

Beyond those obvious items, training was fairly quiet Wednesday (nothing that rhymed with "blatan" was brought up). Here are the high points:

- Ilsinho remains in injury limbo with leg issues, including the quad problem that kept him out last week, that don't qualify as full-fledged injuries. He didn't train fully Wednesday, but he did exercises with the group. Jim Curtin said he's "anxious to get him back involved," but "it'll be close for selection this weekend." Curtin sounded the "we have to be smart about it" bell, so if Ilsinho doesn't pass fit this week, Curtin has three more games in the next two weeks to aim for.

- Roland Alberg has found playing time hard to come by lately, and we've speculated what it would take to get the club's major international offseason signing back on the field. His absence is partially due to how well Tranquillo Barnetta and Vincent Nogueira have played. But Curtin thinks Alberg is doing what's needed to stay in the conversation. Said Curtin:

"Roland's been doing excellent in training. He's been very good. He's been making my decision every weekend tough to not put him out there. Again, it's a team thing where we have to get a little more stable, a little stronger as a group defensively and in attack to where we can get more attack-minded guys on the field, and Roland is an attack-minded player. He wants to get forward. He wants to make assists and make goals. And he's going to contribute.
"I think with every new player that comes into a team, there's still that adjustment period. Tranquillo went through that last year. So it doesn't just click instantly with the group. He's done well with his minutes. He's pushing for more."

- Andre Blake will be in goal Friday for D.C.. Beyond that, Curtin and the Union are playing it game-by-game as to when the goalkeeper joins Jamaica for this summer's Copa America. The Reggae Boyz open the tournament June 5 in Chicago against Venezuela, and it's likely that a training camp of about a week will imperil Blake's chances of playing against Columbus June 1 (though that is still being debated). The Union travel to Orlando May 25 and Colorado May 28. "We're working with Jamaica now," Curtin said. "Nothing is concrete. We have a good, open dialogue with them right now as to what's best for Andre and when the release date will come. … Andre has been very important for us. He's staying sharp, and it's a matter of communication and open dialogue with Jamaica and doing what's best for both parties to keep Andre playing at the level that he's playing at."

- Eric Ayuk received a call-up Wednesday to Cameroon's Under-20 team for a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Zimbabwe Sunday, for what could be his international debut. Ayuk departs Friday. The 19-year-old, who played 28 games for the Union last season and set a number of youngest-ever club records, has played consistently with Bethlehem Steel this season, where he leads the team in goals (two) and assists (one). Cameroon starts a two-leg series with Zimbabwe in the second of three rounds of qualification for the tournament to be hosted by Zambia next February. Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-84842713242256141152016-05-16T14:55:00.000-04:002016-05-16T14:55:47.829-04:00How the Union have improved from last season in four stats

On many fronts this season, Keegan Rosenberry, right,
and the Union are markedly better than last year's bunch. (AP)

Believe it or not, the Philadelphia Union are a third of the way through the MLS season. By the time the league breaks for Copa America in just two weeks, we'll essentially be halfway home on the 34-game season.

As such, the time for talking about starts to the season is near its end. The targets of what teams are and what they aspire to be have a little more time to resolve into one distinct point. But the cost of the weeks spent in that quest for self-discovery are compounding with each turn of the schedule.

It's too early to draw definitive conclusions about most teams, and the league's playoff structure doesn't require teams with championship ambitions to perform at their peaks in May. Even for the Union's bright 10-game salvo, christening Jim Curtin's team as anything more concrete than encouraging is problematic.

What we can say with absolute certainty is this: The Union of 2015 (and 2014, and 2013…) were afflicted by myriad problems. The 2016 team has made demonstrable progress on many of those fronts. In a number of categories, the Union have been vastly improved from failed seasons past.

Here are four areas in which the Union are proving this season to be different:

'Keeping things steady

So once or twice in the past, some people on the Internet may have poked a little fun at the Union's goalkeeping situation. In their defense, it's only because the Union have consistently produced such ineptitude at the position that it does boggle the mind.

As long as Andre Blake is healthy, though, the goalkeeping ghosts remain silent. Blake has gotten plenty of attention this season, for the quality of his saves and his potential at Copa America with Jamaica. He's on the path to being an elite goalkeeper, and it won't be long before a club in Europe comes calling for the 25-year-old.

What's important for now, according to the Union's past, is that Blake is providing better goalkeeping than the Union has ever gotten.

For starters, Blake's 33 saves already constitutes the sixth-best total in a season in Union history. And he's had only 10 games:

 Player, Season	 GP	 Saves	 GAA	 Sv %	 CS

 Zac MacMath, 2013	 34	 101	 1.29	 68.7	 12

 Zac MacMath, 2012	 32	 93	 1.34	 66.9	 8

 Zac MacMath, 2014	 29	 77	 1.55	 61.6	 5

 Chris Seitz, 2010	 23	 68	 1.86	 59.6	 0

 Faryd Mondragon, 2011	 27	 49	 1.04	 62.0	 7

 Andre Blake, 2016	 10	 33	 1.10	 75.0	 2

Obviously, Blake requires time to catch his predecessors in most of those categories. But with the exception of Faryd Mondragon in 2011, Blake has the lowest goals-against average. He's also way above anyone else in save percentage. Some of those metrics are independent of Blake as a goalie (for instance, Blake has little control over how many and how dangerous of shots he faces). But he's doing a job within the confines of a team structure, and that's leading to results.

Two's company

The Union have allowed 11 goals in 10 matches, tying them with Toronto for the lowest total in the Eastern Conference and second-lowest in MLS. That's a healthy number since, as Curtin referenced last week, his team is in any game where they allow one goal or fewer.

And that's precisely what they've done: The Union have a streak of 11 games dating to last season of allowing two or fewer goals.

Generally speaking, it's obviously beneficial to prevent the opponent from scoring. But these numbers require context. In 2014, for instance, the Union didn't allow more than two goals in a game for the first 12 matches, averaging 1.25 per game. That early stinginess didn't portend success on balance for the season. In 2015, they conceded 1.8 per game over the first 10.

In 2011, the Union's first and still only playoff appearance was backstopped by holding opponents to two of fewer goals in each of the first 26 games.

So why might the early goal parsimony be particularly vital this season? Look at 2014: The Union went 12 games without allowing an opponent a goal-figure greater than two. Then New England came to PPL Park and hung five. Within a month, John Hackworth was fired.

Tranquillo Barnetta alluded to the fact Saturday in Montreal that the team didn't collapse around the early goal as in past years. So keeping opponents under two goals – whether it's a rampant Dallas in the opener or a menacing Galaxy midweek – allows the Union's self-belief to keep flourishing.

A self-possessed ideology

Not to invoke the name of Hackworth again, but there was a time when a Union manager decreed that passing and possession to be the way of the future, and the players he assembled tactically scoffed at him one misplaced pass at a time. There, skepticism that the Union could unlock the secret to fulfill that ball-keeping edict found its logical roots.

But Curtin's reinvention and the players he's deployed have made good on the training-ground emphasis.

Last season, per Opta Stats, the Union won the possession battle seven times in MLS games. They were 2-4-1 in those games (seven points).

In 10 games this season, the Union have been on the right side of possession six times (Dallas, Orlando, Seattle, San Jose, L.A. and Montreal). They're just 1-2-3 in those games (six points), illustrating some of the fallacy of taking the numbers as gospel truth.

However, there are other meaningful figures here. Last season, the Union's possession bottomed out at 32.4 percent (in the Sporting KC debacle, aka the Raymond Lee Incident, aka the final nail in Rais M'Bolhi's coffin. Good times!) On 10 other occasions, the Union earned less than 40 percent.

This season, the Union's worst game was the home win over New York City, when they owned 35.1 percent of the ball. The three other games on the wrong side of the midpoint have resided in the 40s.

Possession is an extremely imperfect metric as a determinant of team success (ask Leicester City). But what the Union's figures say is this: They may not be winning games directly as a result of having the ball, but unlike last season, they're not letting teams steamroll them off the pitch and deprive them any ability to generate attacking momentum. Even if they're not winning because of their time on the ball, they are no longer losing because they've been denied the ball.

True to formation

In 10 games, Curtin has repeated the same formation on three occasions. He started the same 11 players against New England March 20 as against Chicago April 2. He named an identical lineup April 23 against NYC and Wednesday against the Galaxy. And the group Curtin penciled in Saturday in Montreal matched a week earlier against San Jose.

In 2015, Curtin cobbled together the same starting lineup a grand total of once: Three days apart for Columbus and New York City in early June. That includes Open Cup games.

Even if you just consider the field players, separate from the carousel of four goalies, Curtin used 36 distinct combinations in 39 games.

Curtin only deserves so much credit for this, much the same as he only deserved a certain amount of blame last season for the spate of injuries and suspensions. But stability is something the Union prized in the offseason. So the investment in sports science to more closely monitor players' efforts in training likely correlates with the diminished incident of soft-tissue injuries. The regimentation of a two-deep depth chart standardizes roles and reduces the flip-flopping (Ray Gaddis as left or right outside back, specifying footedness of central defenders, the floating conundrum of Cristian Maidana, the wing or central dilemma with CJ Sapong, etc.) that contributed to last season's incessant changes. And all those relationships that have been allowed to prosper certainly bring benefits on the field. Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-73670326437348753082016-05-13T14:41:00.001-04:002016-05-13T14:41:07.779-04:00Curtin hints at 'geting aggressive' with Union midfield
The Philadelphia Union are facing the second installment of six games in 22 days Saturday when they venture north to Montreal. The fixture load presents plenty of opportunity to flex the Union's newfound depth. They also offer the chance to tinker and introduce tactical nuance to the mix.

One such change pertains to the Union's midfield balance. Jim Curtin has constructed a regimented depth chart that essentially looks like this (and we can quibble about who's ahead of whom):

Carroll Nogueira
Creavalle Creavalle

Pontius Barnetta Le Toux
Ilsinho Alberg Fernandes

But this structure isn't rigid. The question was posed to Curtin Thursday as to whether the backlog of games could introduce some deviation to that plan. Could, as I posed for instance, Roland Alberg be considered as a No. 8? Or could Ilsinho be called upon centrally for Tranquillo Barnetta?

Here is Curtin's response:

"Long term, my goal is to get more attacking guys on the field. I don't think we're quite there yet as a group, and that's the entire group, to be able to execute defensive responsibilities and attacking responsibilities. But ideally, we would like to have two offensive-minded guys playing in the center, whether it's Alberg and Barnetta, you see last night (Vincent) Nogueira can be offensive as well, so again, we're looking and working towards playing more aggressive, more attacking style, but I don't think we're quite there yet where we can throw two guys who think offense first in the center of the field just quite yet. We are working towards that."

The veiled message is something many have long suspected: That the prospect of Alberg as a No. 8 represents a new frontier for what the Union can do attacking-wise.

The reason came a question later, about Curtin's desire to push the issue centrally:

"We have our wide guys tuck in, so (Chris) Pontius and (Sebastien) Le Toux will tuck in, Ilsinho when he's healthy as well, just to create a decision for that outside back. And then the past two games in particular, San Jose and L.A., we were 3-v-2 in the midfield, between Barnetta, Nogueira and (Brian) Carroll last night and Barnetta, Nogueira and (Warren) Creavalle the week before. There's always one extra guy. And they've done a good job of finding that advantage. Was it perfect, and did we get a chance every time? No, but at the same time, being a number up in there and having that second midfielder commit to getting into the box, especially, we've found ourselves getting some success."

The Union missed an opportunity the last two games at home. They weren't as aggressive as they should've been going at Fatai Alashe and Anibal Godoy when the San Jose center mids picked up yellows in the 1-1 draw two weeks ago. And they didn't overload Steven Gerrard enough in the center of the park in the 2-2 draw with L.A.

When they did, it resulted in a goal. On his goal, Nogueira beat Baggio Husidic and Gerrard 1-v-1. Here's what it looks like when Fabinho delivers the ball into the box.

That's a 3-v-2 overload, with Mike Magee tracking back in vain, and Nogueira fends him off to score on the second chance.

Similarly, CJ Sapong's golden chance vs. San Jose was generated by Barnetta running up the gut at San Jose, exploiting acres of space in the coveted Zone 14.

This weekend likely isn't the time to tinker. They Union have a tough trip to Montreal against a quality opponent, one that plays a 4-2-3-1 like they do and unlike the previous opponents (San Jose went 4-4-2; L.A. was a 4-3-3 that was basically a 3-1-3-3 with the extent to which Jelle van Damme stepped up into midfield where you'd expect a No. 6 to be.)

But consider the situation next week: In the likely event the Union fail to win in Montreal, they'll be without a victory in their last three, facing D.C. United at home Friday night with two road games looming. Curtin said Thursday that Ilsinho isn't 100 percent and won't start until he is, and Montreal isn't the time to push his limits. If Curtin opts for a conservative posture with Creavalle and Nogueira in central midfield, you could see next Friday as a chance to rest the Frenchman.

That could make the time right to try Alberg at the 8, Barnetta at the 10 and Ilsinho on a wing (most likely opposite in-form and champing-at-the-big former D.C. man Pontius). That is a more aggressive approach. Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-4448293982181033452016-05-11T18:18:00.000-04:002016-05-11T18:18:53.889-04:00Union-Galaxy: Lineups and prematch observations
UNION (4-2-3-1)

Blake

Fabinho-Marquez-Yaro-Rosenberry

Carroll-Nogueira

Pontius-Barnetta-Le Toux

Sapong

Bench: McCarthy, Tribbett, Gaddis, Creavalle, Alberg, Ilsinho, Herbers

Galaxy (4-3-3)

Kennedy

Rodgers-Leonardo-VanDamme-Cole

Magee-Husidic-Gerrard

Dos Santos-Keane-Zardes

Bench: Rowe, Lletget, DeLaGarza, Larentowicz, Boateng, Romney, Steres

Preview

 - Changes are minimal for the Union this week, as expected. Brian Carroll steps in at central midfield Josh Yaro keeps his spot in the lineup with Ken Tribbett healthy enough for the bench. Fabinho returns to a start after his suspension, Ray Gaddis back on the bench.

- The stars are out for the Galaxy. Robbie Keane started Sunday after six weeks out, and he's in the lineup again. Steven Gerrard, whom many fans are here to see, came off the bench Sunday and is ready to start this one. Dan Kennedy (or bizarro Antoine Hoppenot) steps in between the posts, while Ashley Cole is in the backline. I think this is pretty close to the full complement of L.A.'s weapons, but let's see how they jell.

- One matchup to watch for is in central midfield. The Union didn't do enough against San Jose to press the issue centrally when Fatai Alashe and Anibal Godoy picked up yellow cards 10 days ago. If Gerrard and his 35-year-old legs are marooned in central midfield, then the Union need to attack with Tranquillo Barnetta. And if he can't do it, they should be quick to introduce Ilsinho for those purposes. Matthew De Georgehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-42665063190504760702016-04-27T15:13:00.001-04:002016-04-27T15:14:04.396-04:00Curtin at the mic: Looking ahead to San JoseFor being atop the Eastern Conference standings, it's a relatively sedate week around Talen Energy Stadium, with just a few odds and ends to wrap up from manager Jim Curtin's weekly press conference Wednesday.

First, let Curtin take you down memory lane with his recollections of Earthquakes striker Chris Wondolowski from their days in the defunct MLS Reserve League.

Jim Curtin presents, Tales from the Reserve League, starring @ChrisWondo pic.twitter.com/XgDW6U5V2g
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) April 27, 2016

With Fabinho suspended this week,
Union manager Jim Curtin will likely turn to Ray Gaddis
at left back. (AP)

To no one's surprise, Curtin likely will turn to Ray Gaddis Saturday against San Jose (4 p.m., 6ABC) to replace Fabinho, who is suspended for yellow-card accumulation. I spoke to Gaddis Tuesday, and much of what he said was echoed by his manager a day later:

"I thought it was good for Ray to get the 45 minutes. I thought he did very well in that. He's a guy who's a great professional. He's been itching to go. A little injury went against him early in the season and Keegan (Rosenberry) was in good form, so as challenging as that is for a pro, I'm very happy with how Ray's handled it. He has his opportunity now. He's not a guy that I get too nervous about because I know how good of a competitor he is, how good of a player he is and he'll be up of the challenge to slot in this week."
The other injury is Ken Tribbett, who trained fully Wednesday as he recovers from an ankle knock. Curtin has options regardless of Tribbett's fitness, thanks to the strong play of Josh Yaro:

"Both are playing very well. Ken is, in his own words, not 100 percent yet, but at the same time, he looks pretty darn good in training. Josh is playing good as well. I'll let Dom (Kinnear) have to think at least what we're going to do."
Curtin delved into the decision to lift Fabinho at halftime of last Saturday's 2-0 win over New York City FC. The Brazilian drew a yellow card in the first half, and twice this season, early yellows have turned red in the first 10 minutes of the second half, putting the Union in a lurch.

Curtin's staff convinced him of that danger:

"It weighed in the decision. It made it a little easier to make the adjustment with Fabinho getting the yellow card, knowing that he's going to have to sit the next game, the fact that we've given up two red cards in the 50th minute, it all weighs into the decision. There is something to Ray getting that full 45 under his belt so it's not his first action on the weekend against a really good San Jose team. …
"(The 2-0 lead is) another factor that weighs in. To be honest, I give my staff credit for that, because I was against it. I didn't want to do it. There was enough voices, my assistants – Oka (Nikolov), Mike (Sorber), BJ (Callaghan) – in talking with all those guys, I thanked them after the game, too, because we're all in this together."
Saturday was Curtin's first chance to interact with NYCFC manager and Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira, who made quite an impression on Curtin:

"I've crossed paths with him in the preseason, but the first time I actually met him was before the game, and then after the game as well, we shook hands and had a quick chat. First and foremost, you never know with guys that are literally walking legends of the game, what they're going to be like. And he was humble, soft-spoken, nice guy. And I did say to him after the game, when I shook his hand, 'you guys outplayed us today and probably deserved something from the game.' From that regard, I did see things similar to him."
Finally, last week we discussed Curtin's chance to become the Union's all-time leader in victories in all competitions, which he accomplished Saturday. Any joy over that accolade will wait for another day:

"It doesn't do anything for me. We're a team that's trying to get better. We're a team that's trying to get back in the playoffs. I think the regular season is team-based. At the end of the year, we can reflect on individual accolades, whether they be for our staff, for our players when they get rewarded for hopefully some best XI or all-stars or different things like that. But I think the regular season is for team. The postseason, the offseason is for individual recognition or whatever comes along."
Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-57571812120086698912016-04-21T14:56:00.000-04:002016-04-27T15:01:04.680-04:00Curtin on the verge of Union coaching history

Union manager Jim Curtin, seen coaching in Seattle
last week, would move into the club lead for wins
in all competitions with his next victory. (AP)

Philadelphia Union manager Jim Curtin has often been blunt this season about his only full campaign in charge. 'We weren't good last year,' has been Curtin's message about 2015, paraphrased though its many uttered variations.

While no one's lining up to argue that, the manager in his third season is approaching a piece of significant history: With his next win, Curtin will become the Union's franchise leader in coaching victories. It's possible that could come at home, with the Union embarking on a season-long, three-game homestand starting with Saturday's game with New York City FC.

Curtin has managed 67 competitive matches for the Union (MLS and U.S. Open Cup). He carries a record of 25-26-17 in those games, even on wins with his predecessor, John Hackworth.

Hackworth went 25-32-20 in 77 matches. Peter Nowak, who oversaw a franchise-best 81 games, posted a 23-33-25 record and is already in Curtin's rearview mirror. (Updated: I neglected to include Nowak's two playoff games, both losses to Houston, in his record. Anyone else forget those?)

A major driver is Curtin's record in the U.S. Open Cup. Over the last two seasons, the Union are 5-1-4 in the competition. (Technically, winning by penalty kicks is regarded as a draw, but it we want to get qualitative, Curtin's team has advanced in eight of 10 matches.)

Curtin's next MLS win will be his 21st, tying him with Nowak for second-most all-time and putting him two behind Hackworth.

Nowak, signed before the club's inception, was in charge for two and a half seasons from the inaugural game in 2010 to June 13, 2012. Hackworth took over then and coached for three days shy of two years, when Curtin took over on an interim basis June 10, 2014 and was made full-time in October of that year.

The obvious difference between the coaches becomes obvious on points per game (in MLS play):

 Coach	 GP	 W	 L	 D	 Pts	 PPG

 Peter Nowak	 75	 21	30	23	87	1.16

 John Hackworth	 73	 23	30	20	89	1.22

 Jim Curtin	 57	 20	25	13	73	1.28

Curtin is well ahead of either of his forebears in that all-important ppg category. Barring a drop to last season's 1.0 ppg levels or unforeseen circumstances, Curtin should top his predecessors this summer. And he has the potential to do it in many fewer games.

To add in the Open Cup component for total wins, Peter Nowak went 2-1-1 in the competition (including the qualification bracket in 2010 and 2011), both of his wins coming in the weeks before his dismissal in 2012. Hackworth won one game in 2012 and one in 2013 for a 2-2-0 record. Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-31191055211616508592016-04-13T19:32:00.003-04:002016-04-13T19:32:37.119-04:00Change could be a good thing on long trip to Seattle

The trip to Seattle might present a chance for the Union
to rest midfielder Brian Carroll, left, though manager Jim Curtin
has plenty of options to try. (AP)

Game 6 of the Philadelphia Union's season presents the fourth road trip, so Jim Curtin isn't a stranger to the demands of the road with this group.

But the confluence of factors in Seattle – a cross-country flight, a 10 p.m. Eastern start time, the turf at CenturyLink Field on which the Union will also train Friday – makes it unique among the Union's away dates this year. It's one of only two trips to the Western time zone in 2016 (Portland being the other).

But the circumstances Saturday mean that the Union's squad depth will be tested in a way it hasn't this season. Or, put another way, the Union can flex their tactical depth to change things up.

"We actually have options to juggle things and rest," Curtin said Wednesday, a statement so simple yet so rare in the Union's history. And two training sessions from Saturday's game with the Sounders, the Union's options are plentiful and obvious.

First, there's the return of Warren Creavalle from last week's red-card suspension. Creavalle has impressed in training, and with Brian Carroll earning praise from Curtin and Vincent Nogueira as seemingly the first-choice No. 8, Curtin has decisions to make. Add in the choice between Roland Alberg and Tranquillo Barnetta at the No. 10, and the possibility of one shuttling out to the wing, and you have the "good problems" that Curtin often references.

Here's Curtin on the situation:

"Warren comes off of playing some very good games. Had the unfortunate red card vs. Chicago, which is difficult. He's learned from it. He's hard on himself about it. His play in training has been excellent. Again, good problems to have. Is there a rotation? Is it with the distance, the travel, the turf, is it a game where you're smart with BC, who's put in a heck of a great five games? We actually have options to juggle things and rest. I'm not a guy, as you guys know, I like consistency of lineup. I think it's important. But if you've learned something in your first year as a head coach, to use all 28 guys is critical. To have that rotation is important, and it might not seem like that now, but as you get into August and September, the minutes start to wear and is it an option where it's Warren and Vince? Is it BC and Warren?"

The two injury questions this week concern Ilsinho and Ken Tribbett. The latter's ankle knock doesn't seem severe enough to preclude his trip to Seattle, and even if it were, Anderson is the ready-made replacement.

The Ilsinho situation has more moving pieces. In last Friday's win over Orlando, Curtin brought on Fabian Herbers late, using him up top and moving CJ Sapong to the wing. Sebastien Le Toux is the obvious choice out wide, given his defensive responsibility, but options exist. Curtin again:

"Fabian's great. We just had individual player meetings, and Earnie (Stewart) and I have gone through with each player individually, a couple a day. We went through Fabian's and he dropped the hint, too, that 'I can play wide, too, coach.' He just wants to be on the field. He's a good soccer player. He could play wide left. He could play wide right. I like his movement as the No. 9. It's a little different type of player, different look than CJ gives. CJ's the big, strong guy who will fight for everything and hold balls. Fabian does it in a different way where he draws fouls and has a way of moving his body that manipulates defenders. Both have a tremendous skill set. Both are good attacking options."
Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-38099457300276038902016-04-09T15:42:00.000-04:002016-04-09T15:42:10.532-04:00A Danish treat: The inspiration behind the Union's free kick magicUnder an unfamiliarly euphoric Talen Energy Stadium Friday night, Philadelphia Union manager Jim Curtin let the media peer behind the wall at the club's free-kick methodology.

Tranquillo Barnetta provided the visual aid, his stunner of a free kick curling around the wall, past a stupefied Joe Bendik, off the underside of the bar and in to give the Union a 2-1 win over Orlando City. But more intriguing was the approach that may have contributed to the beauty.

Here's the video. Notice the extra line of players set up by the Union two strides behind Orlando City's wall at 10 yards:

Barnetta didn't have much to say on the free-kick strategy:

"Actually I don't know. I wasn't at the free kicks (design). You saw the keeper, he had no view to the ball and it was a little bit confusing for them because they saw the wall was like offsides, but they stepped two yards forward when I shoot it. I think that's a really good idea to take the view off the keeper."

Here's Curtin:

"Our entire staff works very hard on restarts. (Assistant coach) BJ Callaghan specifically has been the point man. We have a good catalog of things. We've spent a lot more time and have been working on them a lot more. The second wall, if you will, the timing of that gives a little bit of a distraction. It's something we picked up from another team that was successful with it. It provides a little bit of a different look. We checked with the linesman on the first time they did it when Tranquillo hit it way over, just to make sure the wall wasn't offsides and there wouldn't have been an issue. And the second time, they executed it well."
It's an unusual tactical design, one I'd never seen before. Sometimes you'll see walls between the ball and the opposing wall, like this sliding-door approach from English club Brentford or AC Milan's bulrush technique. Lining your players offsides hampers the goalie's visibility and depth perception (not that Bendik has done particularly well under normal circumstances in the River End) but takes them out of the play for rebounds, unless they check up to be even with the last defender before the ball is struck so as not to be offsides.

So what's that mystery team that Curtin got his design from? It looks like Danish club Midtjylland, which has used it plenty. You may remember Midtjylland as the former club of Danny Califf, and it's a regular fixture in Champions League or Europa League, for devotees of those.

They also get creative with free kicks. A few examples. There's two in the first two minutes of this highlight tape:

Then 35 seconds into this vid:

Also at the 2:20 mark of this video from Europa League.

The Union aren't the first team to employ this style. In the FA Cup in February against Shrewsbury, Manchester United scored courtesy of this Juan Mata goal on a similarly-designed free kick:

Louis Van Gaal was asked where he drew that up, and he said plainly that it was Midtjylland, which the Red Devils ousted in the Round of 32 of the Europa League that month, which inspired them.

It should be said that no matter the novelty of design, that's just a sublime take from Barnetta. I don't know if Bendik is stopping that shot if Barnetta tells him where he's aiming, and the act of using the distraction is rendered meaningless unless Barnetta delivers such a pristine kick. This wasn't some hidden ball trick, but a tactic used to maximize the chance of Barnetta deceiving the keeper.

The intriguing part from the Union perspective should be on the team's growing "catalog of things." MLS should always be fertile ground for experimentation, whether it's formations or analytics of what have you. So look forward to the Union, a team that has never had a track record of set-piece lethality, tinkering with some new approaches on that front. Matthew De Georgehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-55398514502230937232016-04-08T18:38:00.000-04:002016-04-08T18:38:02.187-04:00Union-Orlando City: Lineups and prematch thoughts
Union (4-2-3-1)

Blake

Rosenberry-Tribbett-Marquez-Fabinho

Carroll-Nogueira Le Toux-Alberg-Pontius

Sapong

Bench: Jones, Anderson, Gaddis, Barnetta, Restrepo, Fernandes, Herbers

Orlando City (4-5-1)

Bendik

Ramos-Hines-Collin-Boden

Carrasco

Winter-Ceren-Nocerino-Molino

Kaka

Bench: Edwards, Alston, Mateos, Rivas, Barry, Baptista

Preview

- The suspension of Warren Creavalle for a red card last week against Chicago makes the reintegration of Vincent Nogueira relatively easy, the Frenchman slotting into the No. 8 role. Ilsinho also misses out with an undisclosed injury, Sebastien Le Toux inserted on the wing. Tranquillo Barnetta remains on the bench behind Roland Alberg starting, but after debuting last week, the Swiss midfielder could be fit for a longer spell.

- I discussed the Brazilian influences running through both teams this week, though that has been minimized sans Ilsinho. Former Real Madrid, Roma and Arsenal forward Julio Baptista makes the bench and could debut, reportedly in some of the best shape of his life. The thought of Ken Tribbett and Richie Marquez defending Kaka and Baptista still seems a touch ridiculous, but that's the magic of MLS.

- Brian Carroll today will play in MLS match No. 349 of his lengthy career, sixth in MLS history and two behind Davy Arnaud for fifth. Two of the players ahead of him on the list remain active, including Brad Davis, whom Carroll temporarily passes for third all-time in his 326th start. Kyle Beckerman (382 games) and Steve Ralston (372 starts) are the all-time leaders.

- Orlando City are forced into a raft of changes by injuries (Tommy Redding, Cyle Larin and one to Cristian Higuita late enough that Orlando names a short bench) and Brek Shea's suspension. Luke Boden and Aurelian Collin step into the defense, providing two areas for the Union to attack with pace, particularly with the overlap of Keegan Rosenberry down Boden's wing.

- No shock that Kaka starts as the false nine. How the rest of the midfield buzzes about him, with the midfield triangle of Servando Carrasco, Darwin Ceren and Antonio Nocerino, will be interesting to observe.

- Red cards have become anything but unexpected in MLS this season, and these teams seem particularly susceptible. Of the eight games the teams have been involved with, only four have ended without a red card, and last week's Portland-Orlando game doesn't really count since Shea was assessed a red retroactively. Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-89210760327516975822016-04-06T15:24:00.000-04:002016-04-06T15:24:24.611-04:00The trickery of Ilinsho's Brazilian magicReaders of this blog are likely among the hundreds of thousands who've viewed Ilsinho's tricky bit of skill in last Saturday's game against the Chicago Fire that has made the rounds of the web. If you haven't, here's the elastico in all its glory:

Ilsinho bringing some heat on a very cold day. https://t.co/A8TL9fAfQX
— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) April 2, 2016

My colleague and I, Dave Zeitlin of MLS, discussed the move with its author Wednesday, and Dave will have a more in-depth look at it. I'll have more on Ilsinho and the samba influence that the Philadelphia Union's game against Orlando City Friday night will have.

One takeaway from Ilsinho's interview, in addition to his admiration for dribbling pioneer Rivelino, was where the move against the Fire ranked for him all time, and two comparisons came to mind. One was against Santos, he said, in 2006 when he was with Sao Paulo. Through the glory of search engines, here's that highlight:

My Portuguese isn't good, but I'm pretty sure I know what "humilha" translates to. And I suspect part of the reason why this was so memorable was against whom it occurred. That's Ze Roberto, who had just wrapped up a successful decade in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich and was capped 84 times by Brazil, and Kleber, a left back who played primarily in Brazil but made 20 appearances for the Selecao. At the time, Ilsinho was a 20-year-old hot prospect in the Brazilian set up, making waves as an attack-minded right back.

The other video that's worth putting in here was uncovered by a redditor. And I would hope that the name Roberto Carlos, even though he was 37 at the time and winding up his career in 2010, needs no introduction.

Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-64589896091313336592016-03-25T15:10:00.001-04:002016-03-25T15:10:16.491-04:00Clear-eyed Steel ready to debut in Montreal (w/ video)As Brendan Burke addressed the media two days before Bethlehem Steel FC plays its first USL game, the coach made abundantly clear one fact: In just four months on the job, Burke has managed to establish a more cogent ideology around his team than its seven-year-old parent club has yet uncovered.

Burke's expectations and methodologies seem clear-cut when Steel FC debuts Friday evening at FC Montreal (7 p.m., live stream below).

Burke's roster is sparse, comprising just 13 players after the addition of Fred as player/coach Thursday. (That's even less populous than I surmised last fall.) There may be one or two bodies forthcoming to swell the ranks on a permanent basis. But Burke is assured in Steel's place within the Union's hierarchy. Instead of stuffing the roster with players just to meet quotas and artificial expectations, the guiding philosophy has been only adding players with legitimate chances of breaking into the Union's MLS squad.

"I think we're in great shape," Burke said. "We're a small but focused group. … We've had a number of trialists through, but I think what we found is that we're happy keeping a smaller number of players who we really trust and who we really think have an opportunity to move through to the first team at some stage in their developments."

Most of Steel's roster fits that bill. Captain Ryan Richter has MLS and NASL experience. Irish midfielder James Chambers adds a wealthy of European games. Young players like Nigerian-born Bolu Akinyode, Canadian midfielder Josh Heard, Jamaican forwards Amoy Brown and Cory Burke and Liberians Gabe Gisse and Seku Conneh have been identified by Union brass for large upsides. Academy product Derrick Jones is the first Homegrown to land in Bethlehem, and he'll surely be joined by more in the near future.

The roster includes USL stalwarts like goalie Samir Badr, defender Michael Daly and Ardmore native Nick Bibbs, who'll mentor younger players and contribute to what Burke hopes is a winning side, though that's not the primary goal.

More important is that the Union's affiliate reflects a similar playing style as what has finally emerged from the MLS side, all the better to facilitate promotion of high achievers from USL to MLS.

"I think part of our goal is to tactically mirror what the first team does and to reinforce some of the things that the younger first-team players are being taught and what our players would need to know to step into that environment," Burke said. "So I think if we get it right, we should look very similar to the first team on the field."

On the personnel side, this week is unique, the FIFA international window giving the Union a bye. More players than usual will be shuttled to Bethlehem, with the Union sending Eric Ayuk, Leo Fernandes, Fabian Herbers, John McCarthy, Walter Restrepo, Taylor Washington and Josh Yaro. Steel will also use Academy players as opportunities arise, though many of those prospects are away with various U.S. age-group squads this week.

Burke didn't make any promises on a lineup, but it's a safe bet that playing loaned Union players is a priority. Guys that have made the Union's gameday 18 in the first three weeks like Herbers, Fernandes and McCarthy aren't going to Canada to sit the bench. The same goes for Yaro, who'll likely pair with Daly in a backline that'll feature Richter and possibly Washington. Burke heralded Jones's work this preseason, so he'll likely start as the holding midfielder. Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-49069907107181530032016-03-23T15:22:00.002-04:002016-03-23T15:24:13.724-04:00Despite misses, Curtin retains trust in Union's penalty-kick processWhen you're coming off a 3-0 win at home like the Philadelphia Union Sunday, it's easy to write off struggles from the penalty spot as easily fixable issues, ones the fortunately did not affect the outcome against New England.

Jim Curtin Wednesday more or less regarded the failures from the spot as an anomaly, and the numbers reinforce that. For one, there's this stat on Revs goalie Bobby Shuttleworth, which is pretty impressive:

Bobby Shuttleworth the fourth GK in MLS history to save two PKs in a game (Tony Meola - 2002, D.J. Countess - 2003, David Ousted - 2015).
— Nicholas Rosano (@nicholasrosano) March 20, 2016

But even more illustrative of Sunday's oddity is this stat: The Union missed as many PKs against the Revs as they had in their first six-plus seasons of MLS play. Here's the breakdown by year, including John Hackworth's infamously lamentable PK-free year of 2013, in which the Union scored on 20 of 22 penalty kicks awarded in MLS play until Sunday:

2010 3/3
2011 4/4
2012 5/6
2013 0/0
2014 7/7
2015 1/2
2016 0/2

The two misses were Michael Farfan against Sporting Kansas City in 2012 and Maurice Edu last year against Seattle, equaling the number of failed conversions proffered by Ilsinho and Sebastien Le Toux Sunday. For the Frenchman, it was his first missed PK in 14 attempts with the Union.

The process for selecting shooters, in the game and in shootouts, is necessarily democratic, Curtin said, something players expressed last season after prevailing in the shootout at Red Bull Arena in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal. Here's Curtin Wednesday:

"When Seba's on the field, I think his 13-for-13 prior to that takes (precedence). I'm a big believer in, it's feel. I'm not a coach that designates who that guy is before the game because you can have an instance where say, Ilsinho on the play that he takes the first PK, say he gets killed and he's maybe not feeling quite right, so I would never say it's one person that does it. I trust my players in that situation. It's unfortunate that we missed two. I don't think that'll happen again. It's a unique one. At the same time, I leave it up (to them). I think there's a discussion maybe about CJ (Sapong) taking it maybe on the hat trick. But at that point, you still want your best guy taking that, and at the end of the day, I still think that's Seba when he's on the field. (Roland) Alberg came up to me after the game and said he's on penalties from now on, so when there's a mistake, everybody wants to jump up and grab a hold of it. We had a good laugh after the game with Ilsinho and Seba. … It's in the moment. I'm a believer in, trust your players in that regard. It's not like basketball, hot hand kind of thing, because it's different, it's a dead-ball situation. So I'll leave that to them, but hopefully it'll never happen again."

In practice, that usually means conversations on the field for players to sort it out. That allows extenuating factors – like Sapong being on a hat trick – to factor into the logic.

You'll notice on the second PK won by Sapong that Le Toux makes a beeline for the ball. Not shown was a brief conversation between he and Sapong that apparently settled who'd take the kick.

Whatever transpired there or in conversations held around Ilsinho's penalty in the first half, for which Le Toux was not on the field, resolved the question. And while twice Sunday it didn't arrive at the right answer to fire home the spot kick, it was still a display of what Curtin deems to be the right process. Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-75657258280088275122016-03-20T13:56:00.000-04:002016-03-20T13:56:37.422-04:00Union-New England: Lineups and prematch thoughts
Union (4-2-3-1)

Blake

Fabinho-Marquez-Tribbett-Rosenberry

Creavalle-Carroll

Ilsinho-Alberg-Pontius

Sapong

Bench: McCarthy, Anderson, Gaddis, Fernandes, Le Toux, Nogueira, Herbers.

New England (4-2-3-1)

Shuttleworth

Tierney-Goncalves-Farrell-Watson

Koffie-Caldwell

Fagundez-Nguyen-Rowe

Bunbury

Bench: Knighton, Neumann, Hollinger-Janzen, Barnes, Woodberry, Agudelo, Herivaux

- The Union won with this lineup in Columbus last week, so why not go back to the well? The central midfield pairing of Warren Creavalle and Brian Carroll appears a little conservative, but it should give free reign for Creavalle to get forward. He did score plenty of goals in the preseason, and he's made some smart runs forward, so let's see if he can shift the numerical balance in attack.

- Roland Alberg gets his first start with the Union, moving Ilsinho to the wing in place of Leo Fernandes. It's a good chance to see how those two work together and whether that brings the advanced dynamism that Jim Curtin hopes for.

- All is quiet on the defensive front. Ken Tribbett and Richie Marquez reprise their partnership, while Keegan Rosenberry gets a third straight start. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

- The big change for the Revs is enforced by Charlie Davies' hamstring injury. He misses out, with Teal Bunbury shifted up top and Kelyn Rowe introduced. It's not a huge change, and Lee Nguyen and Diego Fagundez are still out there to ease any transition. Juan Agudelo is on the bench in case things don't work and Jay Heaps can make a change.
Matthew De Georgehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-35534542092872472332016-03-07T02:15:00.002-05:002016-03-07T02:15:31.732-05:00Panic in the Frisco! The good and bad of the Union's opener in DallasBy the doctrine of lowered expectations, the Philadelphia Union's 2-0 loss to FC Dallas contained positives. I mean, what did you expect from a team that had turned over half its roster, handed MLS debuts to six players (Union debuts to seven) and had just two holdovers from last year's opening-game starting lineup traveling to the team that finished atop the Western Conference in 2015?

That the Union failed to embarrass itself should ring as hollow consolation. But adding to those hope dampeners the absence of the last two players to wear the captain's armband, and maybe survival without humiliation is a moral victory of sorts. Put another way, at least the Union can still proudly trumpet that they are not the Chicago Fire.

First the positives, even if most reek of damning with faint praise. Andre Blake's outing was an unqualified success. He was hung out to dry twice, but it would've been a four-goal game had the Union had an average keeper in net. He's been a very busy man for the Union:

With 8 saves today, Andre Blake has made 41 saves in 8 MLS starts. For comparison, Rais Mbolhi made 17 saves in 9 games.
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) March 6, 2016

Now the qualifiers. Ken Tribbett didn't look completely out of place of MLS. Ditto Anderson. Keegan Rosenberry decisively passed the Raymond Lee Rookie Right Back Test (patent pending). Ilsinho looked willing and able to contribute in MLS. You can only be so sanguine watching Fabian Castillo do this:

#SpeedKills #FCDvPHI pic.twitter.com/7mUuvXb576
— Ben Jata (@Ben_Jata) March 6, 2016

Even the numbers are better. The Union actually won the possession battle with 50.9 percent of the ball, something that occurred just seven times in MLS last year. (The Union were 2-4-1 in those games, the last occurring July 18 at Toronto FC.) Two shots on target – one a sharp-angle header by Anderson off an overcooked corner – aren't enough of a payoff, but a passing percentage of 69 is passable if not ideal given the circumstances. Consider that last year's 2-0 loss to FC Dallas at PPL Park, marred by Zach Pfeffer's red card, afforded the Union 46 percent possession.

Every part of Sunday's affair comes with this push and pull, and nowhere is it more profound than in what could broadly be called the Union's "style." It may be too much to expect an injury-diminished team to internalize and acclimate to a drastically novel way of playing in game No. 1. But so much of Sunday felt regressive.

The Union still deployed Brian Carroll as a holding midfielder, essentially a deep-lying double pivot with the ghostly Vincent Nogueira. They still turned to Sebastien Le Toux for a late-game spark and their best goalscoring chance. They still "went with the big ball a little too much today, which is not what we did in the preseason," according to Chris Pontius, too often bypassing midfield to feed an under-pressure and isolated CJ Sapong too high up the pitch.

Some of those concepts will take time to implement. Take Jim Curtin discussing the fullbacks. While Rosenberry showed some glimmers of attacking promise, Fabinho struggled mightily, a product of Dallas's attacking pressure wearing out the defense and pinning them back.

"(Our outside back) are good on the ball. They're comfortable. They can make passes. I think it's important spacing-wise that they're in an area of the field that's a little higher up then they receive it, so Castillo or (Michael) Barrios isn't the one running at them. They're ahead of that so they can create man-more situations, 2-vs.1. So being as a starting point a little higher. Part of it also is our center back shaving the confidence to hit the little clipped ball over the wingers."

Those are issues that may take months to acquire fluency in.

At the end of the day, the pressures seem to be in opposition. It's a results-oriented business, and Curtin needs to get results, particularly if his seat is as hot as many league-wide pundits believe. But let's be clear: The Union were highly unlikely to get a result in Dallas, much the same way that they're very unlikely to return from Columbus with points next week.

This early in the season, in such early days of a comprehensive rebuild, the process warrants attention. The Union want to operate differently than the club's past milquetoast iterations. Curtin reflected that in his selections Sunday – Leo Fernandes over Le Toux, Rosenberry over Ray Gaddis, Anderson over Richie Marquez.

But on the basis of one game – and it is only one game against one of the MLS's most daunting opponents – not much beyond the customary carousel of names has changed. Matthew De Georgehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-18984089148632541782016-03-05T12:57:00.000-05:002016-03-05T12:57:04.731-05:00Peering into the crystal ball for the Union's 2016 season

So numerous are the illustrations of change within the Philadelphia Union that the numbers no longer astound. Yet 365 days from the 2015 season opener, one more stat about the tumult and Earnie Stewart-overseen cleanout seems worth mentioning.

Thanks to a bevy of new arrivals like Fabian Herbers, left,
Vincent Nogueira is one of the few holdovers from last season's
Union lineup. (Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)

Of last year's starting XI for the opener against Colorado, six are no longer with the Union. Coupled with Maurice Edu's injury absence and (depending on who you ask) the tenuousness of certain veterans' spots, it's possible that CJ Sapong and Vincent Nogueira are the only two players to start consecutive openers.

Stewart's rebuild is still in the nascent phases (Josh Yaro is to the Union as Michael Carter-Williams was to the Sixers?), and the club opted for the prudent course of building for the long term instead of spending more on short-term patches.

Those tempered expectations portend another season of playoff-free soccer at The Stadium Formerly Known as PPL Park, even if the elements thereof contain more redeeming and hopeful qualities.

For mocking purposes, here's my prediction for the Union's 2016 result:

11-13-10, 43 points, 8th in the East
The Union will improve. They'll capitalize more often on opportunities afforded by MLS's schedule, like games when none of LA's designated players want to fly east or when Toronto has four guys on international duty. They'll drop fewer points from leading positions, their hallmark. They'll threaten for the playoffs before fading as other teams get serious and pull away.

But they also lack the firepower to consistently collect wins. Having Sapong as the lone striking option isn't dire if the midfield responds by creating chances more consistently than last season (or if they splash some cash in the summer, maybe for some guy whose name rhymes with "Blatan"). Andre Blake's stability in goal will be an unfamiliar yet appreciated boon.

By the end of 2016, the goal should be for the Union to have fewer liabilities within the squad and have identified the path toward remedying them and achieving regular playoff contention.

And now, league-wide predictions:

Eastern Conference

After stumbling in last year's MLS Cup final, Ethan Finlay
and the Crew are poised to be back in the picture again. (AP)

1. Columbus. Kei Kamara is paid and happy. Ethan Finlay is getting his due in the national team picture. The Crew hit their stride last year, and if Wil Trapp features more this year than last, the Crew are Supporters Shield contenders.

2. Toronto. The Big 3 are back, and even if Sebastian Giovinco doesn't ascend the heights of last year's MVP campaign, the rebuilt defense should even out the peaks and valleys to help the Reds collect points more consistently.

3. New York Red Bulls. The Red Bulls have won the Supporters Shield twice in three years. Any drop off this season in replacing Matt Miazga promises to be slight within a Jesse Marsch system designed to exceed the sum of the individuals.

4. Montreal. If Didier Drogba replicates what he did late last season over 30 (or because of turf, 26) games, the Impact will compete for MLS Cup. Smart offseason additions mean that the Impact are more than just a one-man team.

5. New England. The injury to DP acquisition Xavier Kouassi puts a damper on their offseason, but the passel of attackers entering their primes jelling for another year should eliminate some of the nagging inconsistency of the past.

6. Orlando City. The Lions threatened for a playoff place in their expansion year. While Cyle Larin may suffer a sophomore slump, less roster upheaval and more time for a young nucleus to coalesce should portend improvement.

7. New York City FC. The defensive issues have been addressed, and the team seems closer to competing. But accommodating Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard in the same midfield hasn't become any more conducive to winning.

8. UNION. Earnie Stewart has improved the team in his first offseason at the helm. He's positioned them well for the future. But those gains won't yet bridge the sizeable gap between the Union and the ever-increasing standard for playoff inclusion.

9. D.C. United. With no replacement for Perry Kitchen, D.C.'s group is another year older and not that much wiser. The Ben Olsen hoodoo on opponents started to wear off last year, and this might be the year all the narrow escapes catch up to D.C.

10. Chicago. Vjelko Paunovic's rebuilding project is on the order of years. He's cleared out some lots of dead weight on the Fire roster, and David Accam is a valuable piece who will attract international transfer attention, but there are no expectations of an instant turnaround.

Western Conference

Kekuta Manneh, left, the the Whitecaps
are primed for a stellar season. (AP)

1. Vancouver. The Whitecaps are one of the most daunting trips in the league. They have so many pieces back from a squad that started to flourish last year, and that continuity should yield wins with alarming regularity.

2. FC Dallas. Dallas will contend for MLS Cup. After winning the West last season, their youthful core can still improve. The only reason for pessimism is the possibility of a hiccup if a foreign club woos Mauro Diaz or Fabian Castillo this summer.

3. Seattle. Jordan Morris will have a role instantly with the Sounders, breathing new life into a side that seemed to stagnate last year. The regular season is just an elongated exercise in ramping up, since it's MLS Cup or bust this year.

4. Portland. The reigning MLS Cup champs could experience a slight hangover. But they struggled early last year, too, and with the bulk of the team back and strategically reinforced, the Timbers will be in the conversation once again.

5. L.A. Galaxy. There's too much talent for the Galaxy not to make playoffs, even while trying to replace Omar Gonzalez, finding a role for the aged Steven Gerrard and keeping the disciplinary report from being renamed in Nigel De Jong's honor.

6. San Jose. The Earthquakes finally seemed to hit on something a little too late to salvage last year's season. Dominic Kinnear knows how to win in MLS, and if they can maintain the same strong spine while finally unlocking Tommy Thompson's potential, maybe the playoffs are in the offing.

7. Real Salt Lake. The dependence on Jamison Olave, whose knee ligaments are one tackle from oblivion, to anchor central defense is concerning. The return of Yura Movsisyan could be invigorating, but he's struggled to score in MLS before.

8. Sporting Kansas City. SKC is better in most respects. Their defense is healthy, they have a bevy of MLS effective midfielders. But they didn't replace the wing scoring of Krizstian Nemeth, which puts an uncomfortably large burden on Dom Dwyer after a lackluster season.

9. Houston. Owen Coyle is accruing pieces. But how they all fit together remains a question that requires time. Will Bruin could have a crazy breakout season to keep them in contention, and while they won't be easy to play against, that doesn't a playoff team make.

10. Colorado. Shkelzen Gashi could be one of the big surprises in MLS this year, and the Rapids season is in a holding pattern until the Tim Howard rumors resolve themselves. Stockpiling young talent bodes well, but the rebuild shows no signs of abating, even if Jermaine Jones makes it more interesting.

MLS Cup: FC Dallas over Red Bulls.

Supporters Shield: Columbus. Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-62336431606863749732016-03-02T15:03:00.003-05:002016-03-02T15:03:58.373-05:00Two injuries, two questions remain for Union's first starting lineupThe Philadelphia Union are four days from the start of the 2016 season. They also have, according to manager Jim Curtin, "two spots left where there are still discussions about" who starts against Dallas.

Perhaps it's coincidence that that number equals the amount of practice absences this week – midfielders Maurice Edu and Tranquillo Barnetta. Edu (stress reaction in leg) has yet to train with the club and has been in and out of a walking boot in recent weeks. While Curtin stopped at doubtful in his assessment, it's almost assured the midfielder won't play.

Barnetta received an injection in his knee, which was surgically repaired during his stint in Germany, and didn't train with the team Tuesday or Wednesday. Curtin said that the Union, "(will) monitor that and be smart." That seems to peg Barnetta as doubtful for the opening week with no need to rush him back.

Without those two, what does a Union lineup look like? Try this one:

Bench: McCarthy, Anderson, Creavalle, Carroll, Ilsinho, Restrepo, Herbers

Curtin's two battles are likely for the starting center back spot alongside Richie Marquez and the composition of central midfield. He's said that Vincent Nogueira has played as a No. 6 in preseason, and with Edu's absence open-ended, Nogueira may see significant time there. Brian Carroll could get the nod if the Union want to go defense-first with Nogueira as the No. 8 bumping Roland Alberg, but omitting Carroll would signal that the Union want to play differently, not reverting to the caution of the past.

As for defense, Anderson has made strides, but Ken Tribbett has been one of the "revelations" of preseason and is further along in familiarity and fitness. Through Tribbett, Curtin can send the message that players who train well will be selected. The same goes for Leo Fernandes, who scored twice in training Wednesday and has impressed in preseason. He's the logical replacement for Barnetta.

There's no question about CJ Sapong up top. Fernandes would be an option to supplant Chris Pontius or Sebastien Le Toux on a wing was he not needed centrally, or if either of those two faltered this preseason, which they haven't. And we don't even need to talk about goalies, for once.

One understated aspect of the positional debate is the captaincy void. Barnetta and Edu are the last two players to wear the captain's armband, and while Curtin lauded each for their contributions behind the scenes, someone has to lead the team out in Dallas. The need for veteran presence could shift the Nogueira/Carroll discussion in the latter's favor. Or if could fall to a new captain – Le Toux or Ray Gaddis, perhaps – to earn that honor. Matthew De Georgehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-13589882962572787062016-03-01T13:20:00.000-05:002016-03-01T13:25:22.314-05:00Pratice notes from Union training TuesdayThe Philadelphia Union returned to Chester Tuesday to begin the final preparation for their season opener in Dallas next Sunday at 3 p.m. The club has been in Florida for the better part of the last month, taking part in six official preseason games to go with a pair of scrimmages. A few notes from practice.

The Philadelphia Union returned to training in Chester Tuesday
ahead of Sunday's season opener.

- The two notable absences from the group Tuesday were also the last two to wear the captain's armband in MLS action: Maurice Edu and Tranquillo Barnetta. Edu has what manager Jim Curtin termed "a stress reaction in his leg" that is unrelated to his offseason sports hernia surgery. You'll remember that this entire affair began last July with a partially torn groin that has morphed into much more. Edu has yet to train with the Union this preseason, still working off to the side. Curtin labeled him as "doubtful" for Sunday's trip to Dallas. Here's the full quote:

"Mo still hasn't trained with us at all. Obviously a big piece of our team, a captain, a leader, a guy we always expect big things from. To not have him is a detriment, but everybody has picked up the slack, and has played well. He's looking doubtful to be honest for Dallas, but the players in his spot have competed well. Obviously we're a better team with Mo on the field, but the reality is the game doesn't wait for anybody and we have to move on. It's not likely he'll be part of the Dallas game."

- Barnetta's absence, Curtin said, stems from tendinitis in his knee. Recall that Barnetta had several major knee injuries in his time at Schalke in Germany. Barnetta did, however, log 60 minutes last Saturday in a scrimmage with Montreal (prior to the game against Toronto).

- The other injuries were minor. Cole Missimo left training a little early, though Curtin didn't list an ailment. Josh Yaro was somewhat limited due to groin soreness. Ray Gaddis has largely shaken off his knee soreness and appeared to train fully.

- On Ilsinho, Curtin had some good things to say: "We knew probably two games into the preseason that he participated in that it was something we wanted to get done. … A guy that has come in, came from a big club in Europe, the situation there wasn't ideal for him, so he came with us, turned our heads immediately."

- Caught the end of some tactical drills at training, where it looked like the "first" team featured Richie Marquez and Anderson as the center back pairing. Brian Carroll was the holding midfielder with Roland Alberg and Leo Fernandes in the central attacking midfielder spots. Not sure if that's a hint for this weekend, but there are a lot of pieces to still fall into place with this lineup in the coming days. Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-84193061810851405512016-02-24T16:16:00.000-05:002016-02-24T16:16:17.043-05:00Two's company, 26 is a roster ... or so it appears for UnionThe Philadelphia Union have added three players in the last two days, Tuesday inking deals with Ken Tribbett and Cole Missimo and Wednesday finalizing the long-anticipated capture of Ilsinho.

And with that, I present the 2016 Philadelphia Union…

OK, maybe there's no need for that level of drama. But in practice, this roster is essentially finished for the winter window, it would seem. The Union avowed in the offseason not to make hefty changes to the roster. Sporting Director Earnie Stewart has made it clear that the aim is not to fill every spot just to fill them. Jim Curtin has said – and other MLS clubs operating "II" USL franchises have illustrated – that a spot or two of roster flexibility is preferable to accommodate high achievers in the minors (which the Union have preemptively done with Tribbett).

This is not to say that the Union will absolutely, 100 percent enter the FC Dallas game March with this exact roster. The conclusion of camps often brings a flurry of trades and transactions as positional battles are settled, players are deemed expendable, strengths and weaknesses are weighed and injury subtractions are compensated for. If a low-cost, MLS-experienced, American forward were to become available, then maybe the Union could be enticed into an addition. (Please, no Amobi Okugo questions here.)

But barring that possibility, the Union's roster stands at a healthy, albeit midfield-heavy, 26 players:

Goalies (3): Andre Blake, Matt Jones, John McCarthy

Defenders (8): Fabinho, Anderson, Ray Gaddis, Richie Marquez, Keegan Rosenberry, Ken Tribbett, Taylor Washington, Joshua Yaro

Midfielders (13): Roland Alberg, Eric Ayuk, Tranquillo Barnetta, Brian Carroll, Warren Creavalle, Maurice Edu, Leo Fernandes, Ilsinho, Sebastien Le Toux, Cole Missimo, Vincent Nogueira, Chris Pontius, Walter Restrepo

Forwards (2): Fabian Herbers, CJ Sapong

On the face of it, there's a fair amount of balance. The goalkeeping situation has been ironed out. The eight-strong defensive contingent involves four center backs, two right backs and two left backs, with Ray Gaddis and Anderson Conceicao adding left-back flexibility, plus Warren Creavalle. The search to be two-deep at every position is taken literally for the center-forward pairing.

In the midfield, there are four players that can play at either the No. 6, No. 8 or No. 10 positions. One area of redundancy is the wings of the 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 or whatever we're calling it. Normally, that would be fertile grounds for a swap for a forward. But considering that the Union 1) just added Chris Pontius, Walter Restrepo and Ilsinho; 2) wrangled for the return of Leo Fernandes; 3) rightly see Sebastien Le Toux as the backup center forward; and 4) view Eric Ayuk's age and talent as an asset for the future on the field and for his sell-on value, a trade for a short-term forward stopgap seems unlikely. Matthew De Georgehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-55482673243348391042016-02-11T13:13:00.002-05:002016-02-11T13:16:24.580-05:00Playing with Fire: What to look for in preseason game No. 2 (w/ video)The second real installment of the Philadelphia Union's preseason comes Thursday when they meet the Chicago Fire at 4 p.m. in Clearwater, Fla. (Livestream below and available on Union's YouTube channel.)

As manager Jim Curtin mentioned in a conference call Wednesday, the preseason opener in the rain against Jacksonville Armada last Saturday, a 1-0 loss, turned out to be a glorified training exercise. With trialists new to camp and Roland Alberg having just touched down in the States, the performance was understandably disjointed, not helped by 30-minute shifts of players that prevented anyone getting much of a rhythm.

With a thinner roster this time around, the Union should deploy more cohesive units. So what to look for? Here are five things:

- What does midfield look like sans Alberg? Curtin confirmed that Alberg is unavailable, having returned to the Netherlands to sort out paperwork. Against the Armada, he started in central midfield next to Tranquillo Barnetta in front of Vincent Nogueira. What will that look like today? Does Nogueira slide up with Warren Creavalle or Brian Carroll holding? Or does Leo Fernandes get a chance?

- Another dose of Ilsinho. Even in limited time, the Brazilian proved he can do special things with a soccer ball. An extended runout with the first team or something closer to regulars should bolster the amount of info the club can collect to arrive at a decision.

- In the defense. Curtin Wednesday declared that the battle involves four guys. Having either Anderson Conceicao or Josh Yaro take steps toward developing a rapport with Richie Marquez would be beneficial, but seeing either play alongside Ken Tribbett isn't damning.

- Separation on the wings. Curtin spoke highly of Chris Pontius Wednesday. We all know what Sebastien Le Toux can do, and then there's sorting out the contributions of Walter Restrepo and Eric Ayuk before determining if Alberg or Fernandes would be required on the wing.

- A goal against grown-ups. A 5-0 training win over the United States Under-17s was nice this week (and symbolic for spanking the team coached by John Hackwor…I should stop there). But a goal against adults would be nice, and that focuses not just on CJ Sapong but the other attackers. Presuming Curtin rotates in 45-minute shifts (as he progressed in last year's preseason), the onus is on whomever starts as a forward in the second half, probably Fabian Herbers, unless another trialist emerges. Matthew De Georgehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-58990231817152207222016-02-06T14:26:00.001-05:002016-02-06T14:26:10.530-05:00So it begins: Five things to watch in the preseason opener vs. Jacksonville (w/ livestream)The first game of preseason may mean little in the grand scheme of a lengthy soccer season. But the Philadelphia Union's inauspicious exhibition start last year ushered in an equally underwhelming campaign.

There's no causality between the 3-1 loss to Jacksonville Armada 364 days ago and the sluggish start to the MLS season or the disappointing exclusion from the postseason for a fifth time in six seasons. But that doesn't completely strip Saturday's return voyage to Jacksonville of meaning. (Livestream is available on the Union's website, and embedded below.)

  Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Last year's meeting was more pertinent for the hosts, playing the first competitive match in franchise history and jumping out to an early lead before 13,000 spectators. It also featured an Andrew Wenger goal, a rare sight that wouldn't manifest itself in a meaningful game for another five months. Seven of the starters in last year's game are no longer with the Union (though one never was, to be fair).

So what's in store this time around? Here are five things to watch for:

Formation. Jim Curtin and his staff have played it coy on committing to a formation. We're left to speculate that it'll be a 4-3-3, which seems to fit the personnel, but what will that look like in practice? How will (presumably) Tranquillo Barnetta and Vincent Nogueira space themselves in central midfield? What balances will be struck by wingers like Sebastien Le Toux and Chris Pontius cutting inside? Will the professed desire for fullbacks to get higher up the pitch result in concrete changes? Where does Roland Alberg fit?

Changes in concepts. Earnie Stewart wants the Union to change the way they play in some fundamental ways. Even accounting for lack of sharpness, fitness and familiarity with each other, glimmers of that should shine through. We can get certain indications about certain precepts – ideas like short passing, playing out of the back, schemes for pressuring the ball – are sinking in.

The defensive hierarchy. The draft process likely leaves Joshua Yaro a little more fit than Anderson Conceicao, so no grand declarations if he gets the nod to start the game at center back. But seeing both of those guys play alongside Richie Marquez could give indications as to Curtin's thinking on pairings.

Trialists? The Union have been uncharacteristically mum about who's in camp. Last year, their openness on that matter still resulted in the brief dawn and eclipse of the Pape Gassama era. If the Union repeat last season's tack of utilizing three waves of outfield players in 30-minute shifts, we'll be exposed to plenty of the candidates.

A little patience. The Union are playing six preseason matches, the other five against MLS opposition. The hefty workload differs from previous years' sketches, which certainly stems from Stewart's influence. Last year's Armada loss was followed by winning the Suncoast Invitational, which led to the disastrous start to the season. Those are the perils of ascribing too much meaning to any result before the games that matter start. Matthew De Georgehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-85305203401483933502016-02-05T18:13:00.000-05:002016-02-05T18:13:21.287-05:00Doing the math: How close is the Union to a full roster?A move like Thursday's capture of Dutch midfielder Roland Alberg has been long anticipated, and one could argue that it's the biggest non-draft acquisition of the Philadelphia Union's offseason. (Or at least that's the hope provided by Alberg's potential contributions.)

The Union stand on the eve of their first preseason game with a roster occupying both ends of the spectrum. On the one side, it stands at 21 players, theoretically nowhere near the MLS-permitted maximum of 28 players. On the other, Sporting Director Earnie Stewart has made it no secret that the objective "(is) not to fill every spot," but rather to build a stable and sturdy lineup according to the Union's perceptions, not external expectations.

The guiding mythos of that search seems to be Stewart's declaration of being two-deep at every position. By that lens, how far are the Union from a completed squad? In basic math, they're at least one player shy, plus the unavoidable need for a third goalkeeper.

But otherwise, the offseason rebuild may not be far from completion. Consider these two formations, in the assumption of a 4-3-3 (left to right):

Blake
Fabinho-Marquez-Yaro-Gaddis
Edu
Nogueira-Barnetta
Alberg-Sapong-Pontius
 McCarthy
Washington-Conceicao-????-Rosenberry
Carroll
Creavalle-Fernandes
Ayuk-Herbers-Le Toux
 Extra: Restrepo

Listed above are 22 players, all but one of whom (Taylor Washington) has a deal for the 2016 season. There's only one bona fide question mark among the first two teams, that being a fourth center back on the depth charter. They drafted Mitch Lurie in the third round of the draft, and he's one candidate for a cheap, American fix. That player, Lurie or not, would presumably by player No. 23 on the roster.

The second XI indicates a weakness in the lack of a reserve No. 8. Theoretically, Tranquillo Barnetta could play there with Alberg or Leo Fernandes as a No. 10. The defensive responsibilities of that position are probably a little beyond Fernandes. That's an area to look at for player No. 24.

Another forward option could be player No. 25, as I can't imagine the idea of entering the season with Fabian Herbers as the only reserve center forward being the ideal situation. And a third goalie, obviously beyond those first two XIs, would seem to be the priority for slot No. 26.

Limiting the roster there would allow the Union the flexibility it desires to bring up players from Bethlehem Steel if they prove worthy. It also provides room for summer dealings if Stewart's observations of his assets in game action fall short of predictions and he opts for replacements.

For this window, then, the Union's dealings could be near an end. Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-80339381663430663732016-01-28T20:18:00.003-05:002016-01-28T20:18:52.150-05:00What they said: Highlights from Union media day

At his first Union media day, Sporting Director Earnie Stewart
had plenty to say. (Times File)

As far as I can recall, Thursday marked the first Philadelphia Union media day (at least in the three-plus seasons I've been covering the team), which gave reporters an opportunity to sit down with players and get some info ahead of the season.

Among the headlines were Maurice Edu's position and national team prospects, plus a lot of the usual status talk from Jim Curtin and Earnie Stewart. All that and more will produce hours of sound, video and reading for the coming days (keep an eye out for some rookie profiles and more next week).

But the couple of hours' worth of conversations yielded a few gem quotes, so let's throw a few of the best out there.

Let's start with Sporting Director Earnie Stewart, who had a couple of provocative responses. The first, about off days which I thought was worthy of tweeting, may be a little splashy in the message that can be distilled from it, but it's a thoughtful response that warrants some real consideration and discussion. This came from a question of roadblocks that Stewart has encountered in MLS that maybe surprised him. It also, for what it's worth, echoes many of the criticisms of college soccer and its efficacy as a player development tool:
There's rules that you have to abide by that I'm not used to, when it comes to days off in a week that are mandatory from a players' union perspective or mandatory vacation days that there are. I'm not used to that. It's a short period of time. I feel in the United States, we're working very hard to create players that are world class players. And on the other hand, we have a lot of days off, and the combination of those two, I don't get. So those are things that I have to get used to, and hopefully towards the future, we can tweak those because I think for every sport, no matter if it's soccer or if you look at swimmers or what they do every single day getting up at 5 o'clock in the morning and then practicing in the afternoon. If they want to be Olympians and they want to get a gold medal, they have to work hard. And vacation will come someday. But not when you're in the prime of your life. So those are things that you have to get used to, but they are what they are.
Stewart also had an interesting response (at least to me) to Kevin Kinkead's question about the difference between American soccer media and its European counterpart:
There's not too much. They ask questions, you guys ask questions, it's all about soccer. I'd say if there's a difference, it's the questions asked. I do have to say that in the last two years, and you see that a lot in Europe, it's usually about the negative things in what's happening and hardly every reflect on the positive things. And now in my experience with your guys has been that you get both sides of it. When it's bad, it's bad, it's simple as that. But when it's good, it's also good. Maybe there's a small difference there, but nothing major.
Here are three quick hitters from manager Jim Curtin. First, on defender Anderson Conceicao:
Anderson has kind of separated himself as a guy who can really pass out of the back. We'll have to continue to build on that, but he has some really great starting points in terms of starting the attack with that left foot of his. He plays through the lines very well to (Vincent) Nogueira, eventually Mo, and also (Tranquillo) Barnetta.
Curtin on Vincent Nogueira's expectations:
I think again Vincent falls into the category of, if we do a little better job with the talent of players around him on the field, he's a guy that can be that connector, that link from the back to the forwards. He's a guy that can play the diagonal ball, so we need to get him on the ball more with a little more time and space than we have. We've sometimes tended to force things into him with guys on his back. He's no secret now.
And a nice quote on Richie Marquez (I'll have more on Marquez at some point next week):
Richie Marquez is a guy who has shocked a lot of people. It's players like him who are kind of like finding gold. They're very friendly on the salary cap, they kind of come from nowhere, overachieve and not only just do OK in the league but can compete and cover the best strikers in the league, so very happy with where he's at.
This response from CJ Sapong on the ordeal that he endured last year, in terms of injuries and legal troubles, is enlightening for its thoughtfulness and self-awareness, with those unique Sapong vibes thrown in:

I'm completely grateful for that because I think before all those things took place, I felt like I had an understanding of where I was as a player and a person, and not to say that I was far off, but it's always good to gain a little bit more perspective. And I think that's what led me to have success after those situations. I completely surrendered to a lot of my own internal issues that maybe I wasn't looking at before, and I think coming back, I was able to emanate more of a cohesive energy to my teammates, which in turn made me feel my own validation which allowed me to play at the best of my abilities.
Here's Ray Gaddis on what the emphasis on possession means for his approach:
It really doesn't change my perspective on the game, but in the back, we have to be a lot more clinical because if you make a mistake, they're right at goal. It's good to be on the ball a lot more, and that shows the confidence that the coaching staff has with the backline and with the players that are here now.
Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179119151792620833.post-77309248817580780932016-01-25T14:54:00.002-05:002016-01-25T14:54:26.851-05:00In the Bubble: Highlights from Day 1 of Union training camp

There wasn't a whole lot going on at the first day
of Union training camp at the Bubble at Penn Monday.

As first days go for the Philadelphia Union, Monday's practice at Dunning-Cohen Field on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania was stunningly uneventful. To the media throng (ahem) in attendance, there was little of the drama of past years. No established star was told they didn't have a place on the team, no one walked out, and there wasn't much in the way of mystery trialists.

Instead, the Union's lively session consisted mostly of new, unfamiliar faces. With many veteran mainstays cleaned out by the offseason roster cull, there were frankly a bunch of guys no one recognized and whose identities may not be very important unless you're a devoted follower of USL. Here are a few observations:

- Two important takeaways: Much of the field was populated by current or prospective Bethlehem Steel players. That includes all six signed players signed – Boluwatife Akinyode, Michael Daly (pretty sure on this one, but not 100 percent), Gabe Gissie, Ryan Richter, Derrick Jones and goalkeeper Samir Badr. Many of the other players in attendance are likely vying for USL deals more so than realistically threatening for MLS positions. (Former Harrisburg and Rochester defender Ken Tribbett is an example.) There were also several Academy players training – Andrew Verdi in goal, I believe Auston Trusty was there before he departs for the U.S. U-19 camp later this week. Remember, when the Union are in Florida, there are dozens of players doing the camp-to-camp hop, so trialists are more abundant.

- The second interesting observation: Everyone, save for Maurice Edu, who is recovering from sports hernia surgery, was a full go. The Union rotated three teams of nine players in the 40 minutes we watched. Two played full-field games, while the other ran. Veterans like Vincent Nogueira, Tranquillo Barnetta, Sebastien Le Toux and Chris Pontius all hit the ground running. The days of Conor Casey sitting on a training table or working the bike for an hour are gone, literally and symbolically. Here's Jim Curtin on the matter:

"We wanted to set the tone that there's no pro days or off days for the older guys. We didn't ease them into it. They were up to the task and were pushed hard. We're going to be a team that is going to be at the top fitness-wise. We want to be a team that outruns the competition."

- Defender Anderson Conceicao was absent from training. He'll arrive Tuesday or Wednesday. Chalk it up to the weather.

- Curtin said the club is likely to bring Badr to Florida, as he's big on training with four goalies. As far as the goalie situation, Curtin said, "There's still a plan to bring in another goalkeeper. We'll see how it plays out. At this time, Andre (Blake) will be our No. 1." Stay tuned?

- One of the most impressive players Monday was Fabian Herbers. The rookie scored a pair of goals and looked good in finishing drills against the backdrop of largely dreary finishing. Let's not get ahead of ourselves on this – you'll remember the splashy finishing of Dzenan Catic last preseason, and he's no longer with the Union. But Curtin did list Herbers behind CJ Sapong in his usual "we're in the market for a striker" communique.

Fabian Herbers beats Andre Blake. pic.twitter.com/DSqhLQjx2h
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) January 25, 2016

- Another 9-v-9 goalscorer was rookie Mitch Lurie on a header off a corner. He also launched a few accurate long passes from the back. That is prized by Earnie Stewart's build-from-the-back tenets.

- Other than that, not much happened. Warren Creavalle scored a nice goal on a turn and shoot in finishing drills. Akinyode looked pretty good in the run of play on the wing. Ray Lee is the lone draft pick from 2015 still standing. Didn't see much from Josh Yaro and Keegan Rosenberry, but it's early yet and there were a lot of bodies out there. And Fred's absence is more startling than I ever would've imagined. Matthew De Georgehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com


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June 19, 10:00
Health Connection 2016 - Well-Being Event
June 19, 10:00
Randwick Artisan Markets
July 03, 10:00
Notice Board
That Great Market Launch 'Laurelbank Market'
The team behind 'That Great Market' in East Lindfield are excited to announce the launch…
Calling Stalls - The Entrance Market 'New'
Organic Food Markets are excited to announce The Entrance Market, Central Coast will be open…
Calling Stallholders - Cambridge Winter Markets
Cambridge Winter Markets 2016In the grounds of Vaucluse Public SchoolSunday 31st July from 9am to…
Calling Stalls - NEW Henry Deane Market
Henry Deane Markets is back on the 5th of May 2016 from 12:00pm-7:00pm. Located at…
Our blog
Indigenous flavours: the hot new trend that's 40,000 years old
Indigenous flavours have been around for 40,000 years, so it's probably wrong to call them…
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Northside Produce Market Launches 1st Saturday Market
Northside Produce Market is going bi-monthly! From 7th May 2016 the market will be held…
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Markets in May 2016 - Pop-up Market Martin Place
Welcome to Markets in May, our annual showcase of local Sydney markets, brought to your…
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