Moments ago the Philadelphia Union fell to Chicago Fire in a 4-2 loss in Florida. The game was frustrating in some areas but pleasantly surprising in others, so instead of delivering a full game recap..I’m going to break down what worked well..and what didn’t in Clearwater.
The Good:
Possession
If there’s one thing that Curtin’s emphasised over the past few seasons, it’s a possession based counter attacking style of play and it’s something the Union focused heavily on today. In a pass dominated game, the midfield worked well to push the ball out to both Pontius and Barnetta, but it was creating the chances and finishing them where the team struggled.
No nonsense finishing
A low driven cross from Le Toux and a one touch finish from Fabian Herbers symbolised what the Union have been trying to employ for a while now. It was a fast, aggressive run play and the chemistry between Le Toux and Herbers was evident. The Union have struggled previously when it comes to getting the ball into the center of the box on the ground..this was a promising sign.
and here's the equalizer, Le Toux to Fabian Herbers pic.twitter.com/lkuSenBlWZ
— Kevin Kinkead (@Kevin_Kinkead) February 11, 2016
Defense
Now this wasn’t “all” good, but when the ball was in the box, the Union’s back four seemed to clear the danger swiftly for the most part when it was an even chance situation. The Accam goal for instance was more of a midfield breakdown as was Chicago’s third of the day. Rosenberry looked physically intimidating and was impressive for the most part.
The Bad:
The void
With Maidana now gone, Nogueira’s role has changed slightly and this was evident in tonights Pre-Season loss. There has been a lot of talk about the Union needing a striker..a DM or a formation that ensures there’s someone back to maintain shape should be much higher on the teams list of priorities to stop moves like this occurring.
https://twitter.com/LiamJenkins21/status/697907011346964480
Take the straps off Restrepo
Restrepo is expected to be a key part of the Union’s plans going forward but it was rare to see him play a ball forward. His control when in possession is fantastic and his hustle when losing possession perhaps even more so, but instead of picking out an easy pass he tends to stick to the right hand side or weave around to play the ball back. Whether this is a lack of confidence or whether it was simply part of the Union’s excessive passing strategy remains unknown..but someone needs to take the chains off to see what he can do.
The Ugly:
Complacency
The Union seemed to enjoy flurries of great possession but to achieve this, the Defense were pressing so far up the field it hurt the team.The effect wouldn’t have been as bad if the team didn’t get complacent with their passing however. The one-two touch passing was a good way to break up momentum..but the ball seemed to stagnate in the middle third of the field which meant very slow build up play..and when players were panicking as Chicago began to pressure, the errors began to ensue.
https://twitter.com/LiamJenkins21/status/697898834756771841
On a side note, we are looking into an alternative commentary stream (unofficial, through our website) for the Union’s next pre-season match on the 17th..stay tuned!
photo credit: Philadelphia Union twitter account
