The Union take on New York Red Bulls in the round of 16 in the US Open Cup tonight. This is the third straight year the Union meet New York in Open Cup play. As the Philadelphia’s MLS season is still rocky, the Union look to start a US Open Cup Run.
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Already beating Harrisburg City 3-1 two weeks ago the Union will now face New York Red Bull’s in the round of 16, and either DC United or New England Revolution in the quarter finals should Philly beat New York. This puts the Union in a prime spot to find success in the US Open Cup, and make a run for the cup.
The Union can make this a Cup run by playing the Red Bulls the way they did in the first half of their last meeting. Two weeks ago the Union kept the ball away from Bradley Wright-Phillips in the first half of the match, and attacked the Red Bulls by beating the press. These things need to happen again. The key to victory lies in the central Union players.
centerbacks Josh Yaro and Jack Elliot, will have to be good when starting attacks. The Red Bulls love to press the center backs into making mistakes. Yaro and Elliot will need to be as good on their feet as ever, and their distribution has to be good. Both do well finding players from the back.
The central midfielders have to help with the transition play. Medunjanin did well against Red Bulls last time out, but his passing needs to be top-level to help generate attacks. Derrick Jones will need to be the tenacious ball winner he is for the Union, but will need to stay away from lunging in. He will have to learn from his red card he received during the last Red Bulls match, and still be sure enough of himself to make necessary tackles.
The central attackers need to have production if the Union want to advance. Roland Alberg should have another chance to try to get the number ten role back. He will need to be able to get involved in the attacking build up play to get himself into the positions where he’s most dangerous. Jay Simpson should have another opportunity to show he was worth his price tag tonight. He’s looked dangerous in past games he’s featured in, but if he can’t combine with Alberg, or make the most of good service, he will have another mediocre night.
If the Union’s central based players can do what they need to do, the Union have a better chance beating the Red Bull’s, and starting a US Open Cup run in 2017, which is a club priority.
The Union have always prioritized this competition under Jim Curtin. He’s only lost three matches as manager in this competition, two of those being losses in the 2014 and 2015 finals. Philly have yet to lose before the quarter finals in the past three seasons. This is a priority for the team, and he lineup should reflect that.
The Union will likely put out a strong starting squad:
Blake; Wijnaldum, Elliot, Yaro, Rosenberry; Jones, Medunjanin, Picault, Alberg, Epps; Simpson.
Bench: McCarthy, Onyewu, Gaddis, Tribbett, Pontius, Sapong, Davies.
This lineup makes the most sense. Blake is with the Union until Sunday, he then leaves for the Gold Cup with Jamaica. The club said that Blake was getting an X-ray for a rib bruise, but if he’s healthy he has to start! Derrick Jones and Marcus Epps come in replacing Warren Creavalle from the last Open Cup match. Creavalle is dealing with a aggravated hamstring, and Sapong moves to the bench for rest purposes. This squad should be strong enough to fight the Red Bulls. It will be interesting to see who the Red Bull’s play.
Will New York present their normal 11, substitutes or a mixture of the two? In their fourth round victory over NYCFC, they mixed their 11 with some substitutes. I’d expect them to do the same here. New York is fresh off their first win over an MLS team in Open Cup play since 2003, now it’s time for the Union to start a new losing streak for New York.
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The Union take on New York Red Bulls tonight at 8PM. The match will be live streamed on USSoccer.com!
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
