5 things We Observed from Union’s Four-midable Start to the Season

Riding on the wings of the city’s sporting fortune since the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory, the Union have stormed the MLS in cataclysmic fashion, reshuffling the league table in their favour this time. Having made their way to the league’s summit, Bradley Carnell’s side looks significantly better than their former selves that finished 12th some months back.

But beyond the luck that might be orbiting the City of Brotherly Love, the appointment of coach Bradley Carnell has induced a working system in the team, culminating in the kind of results we’ve seen them produce lately.

Here are five things we‘ve observed from the Union’s terrific displays this season.

1. Swift Transitioning from Defense to Attack

At the core of Carnell’s philosophy is a counter-attacking style that places more emphasis on transitional play than possession. Despite the general knowledge that the team in possession has more decisive tendencies on the field, Bradley Carnell’s approach is a systematic experiment of reverse psychology on the football pitch: that by leaving the other team to decide the game in possession, his team decides the result of the game—an idea he detailed in his first presser.

”I believe in the 60/30/10 right? 60% of all our transition goals or moments come from transition right? So, the 30% set pieces, 10% from possession. I’m not a 75% possession guy, and I believe in being [on the] front foot, proactive in your face, aggressive and very counterattacking.”

Yielding a league-high return of eight goals in two games, this quick transitional play has laid the groundwork for a good chunk of their end results. The last of Baribo’s hat trick, despite a 5-second delay by a goal-saving interception, was scored just 15 seconds after the ball left the last defensive line. Daniel Gazdag’s goal was no exception, as it came just three passes from the last defensive line, epitomizing the directness of Carnell’s style.

2. Pressure Play in the Opponent’s Half

Having less time on the ball implies the need for some intense toiling off it. Yet, Carnell’s men aren’t deterred by this in the least. Their 123.1 km distance covered on Matchday 1 was the most of any MLS team. A marathon as rewarding as the Philadelphia marathon, Carnell’s pressure play style has brought in huge gains on the opponent’s end of the pitch.

Uhre’s goal against Orlando was one such display, where the pressure mounted on the opponent’s defense forced a defensive error that led to a goal. The same can be said of Blaribo’s second goal against Orlando, which came after two Union players marked an opponent until there was a recovery. With more pressure from other team members, the Union forced an error leading to a goal.

3. The Union’s Target Man

In an era where there is so much more to the number nine than scoring goals, Carnell’s traditional philosophy of having a target man has paid off. It’s quite expected of a team that’s building its reputation around the counter attacking style, as possession-based teams are mainly the ones with the luxury of being more flexible with their 9s.

Scoring their first six goals of the season with the first six shots on target tells a lot about Carnell’s perception of the centre forward, with Baribo scoring four of those goals.

As a target man, Baribo has been absolutely clinical in front of goal. We saw the same with Bruno Damiani after he came on against Cincinnati. The evidence is clear that with Carnell, there is more emphasis on a flourishing center forward.

What then catches the eye is how Baribo, despite his goal-scoring responsibility, is able to hold up play, make calculated runs, and perform other roles of a false 9 in a proficient fashion.

4. Crosses

No other weapon has been as potent for the Union as crosses this season, accounting for about 75% of the Union’s goals. It was the team’s way of opening their scoring on both match days, as the league’s top scorer, Tai Baribo, was rightly positioned to slot home the low crosses coming from the left side of the pitch. Of his five goals this season, three of them have come from low crosses.

Bruno Damiani blended in so quickly as well. No sooner had he come on against Cincinnati, than he scored with a Baribo-esque finish from a low cross.

Union, MLS — Image Credit: Philadelphia Union

5. Crowding the Box

Carnell’s pressure play isn’t just a thing when the Union are without possession; they attack the ball with so much urgency, aiming at ending every stint on the ball with a goal attempt. At the time Baribo scored the first goal of the season, he had four other teammates in the box, which made it possible for the team to recover the ball after Sullivan’s soft cross was initially deflected.

With other goals, we see the numbers in the box distract the opposing defenders and drag them away from the target, leaving the striker free on most occasions. However, with his stunning form this season, more focus will be on Baribo in the coming weeks that might limit the amount of space he has in the opponent’s box.

But like we see with almost everything in life, there is a downside to Carnell’s philosophy as well; the vulnerability in defense due to the swiftness and intensity at which the team attacks.

The numbers pushed into the box often leave the team with a high line that could be well exploited by the opposition, should they find a counter-attacking opportunity. Against Orlando, Blake’s heroics saved the team’s blushes on many occasions where this played out. Regardless, Carnell possesses a sound philosophy that, though might cause a few struggles in certain areas and moments, looks to pay off in the long run.