Can Union right the ship in CCL Quarterfinals against Atlas?

The Philadelphia Union will kick off the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday night when they face Liga MX side Atlas. The lone MLS vs Liga MX matchup sees teams that have struggled in their seasons as of late. Philadelphia has started its 2023 season with two wins, one draw, and three losses, and Atlas has played 13 matches and has just two wins, seven draws, and four losses. This matchup is one that could kickstart either team to an early-season turnaround!

Union vs Atlas kicks off CCL Quarterfinals

Philly kicks off the CCL quarterfinals against an opponent from a quality league. In years past MLS vs Liga MX matches in this competition always went the way of the team from Mexico. However, in the past few seasons, MLS sides have raised their game. There is more balance now; the frequency in which these teams from these leagues have played each other over the last few seasons (including the last two iterations of the MLS All-star game being against Liga MX All-stars) has swung the momentum from Liga MX to MLS. Will this be the case Tuesday night in Chester?

We all know how MLS has been on the rise in this region in a short amount of time. Seattle Sounders won the competition for the first time last year, becoming the first MLS side to do so. Now, there are three MLS sides in the 2023 tournament’s quarterfinals, and the Union is the one to kick things off this round.

The struggles Philadelphia has had recently are well documented, but Atlas has been a struggling side too. From the start of their season in January to the start of CCL, they racked up just one win. In this tournament they started off by falling on the road 4-1 to CD Olimpia; they racked up four goals and a clean sheet in the return leg at home to advance to the quarters. Since then, Atlas has a win and a draw in Liga MX play. Now they travel to play the Union.

Will Philly’s attack wake up?

If you look at Philadelphia’s front three, each of them has two goals through six MLS matches. Uhre, Carranza, and Gazdag are an elite attacking trio, but they seem to be overthinking their goalscoring opportunities as of late. Looking at the numbers, Philly has produced eight through six MLS games. However, they have the fourth-best expected goals (xG) in the league through six matchweeks with 9.7.

Can this attack, which is getting in good spots, find the back of the net more often? The talent is there, but the confidence seems to be lacking. Carranza and Gazdag both got their goals six weeks ago, Uhre got his three weeks ago. The goals are coming in spurts to start the season, but getting some in this big match could help Philly wake up.

The club’s gaze has been fixed on CCL early this season. While the team has not always looked the best early on in 2023 league play, their form in CCL has been top-notch. A rotated squad featuring many homegrowns got a point in a tough place to play in El Salvador, then routed Alianza 4-0 in the return leg to make the CCL quarterfinals. If Philly can win this first leg of the quarterfinals handily, then it could kickstart a big turnaround.

The perfect time for a turnaround

Over the last few years, when the Union plays in big games they have risen to the occasion. They will hope that this is the case on Tuesday night in CCL play. A win could produce a huge turnaround for this Philly side that’s still in the early stages of their season. The focus has been on this competition, and the team knows what is at stake.

Having the first leg at home can lead to a more challenging road forward if you fail to win. This will be the first time the Union will be hosting the first leg in this competition, and it will be very important for them to play the way they know they can. Defend as a unit, choose when to press effectively, and find the finishing touch on counterattacks when Atlas gives them those opportunities.

Philly will be favored to get a positive result in the first leg, and getting one will put them in a great spot for the return leg at Atlas next week. If this team can put it all together, then there is no reason they can’t get a win at home. Will this be the game that helps kickstart Philly’s 2023 season, or will it be an early season wake-up call that says this team isn’t at the same level it was at last year?