3 players to watch as Union deal with international call-ups and suspensions against St. Louis on Saturday

After trotting out the same starting lineup for the first four games of the season, the Philadelphia Union will be forced into major changes thanks to seven international call-ups and one frustration-born red card. With players like league-leading scorer Tai Baribo and number one (in the depth chart, maybe the league, and certainly our hearts) goalie Andre Blake off representing their countries, some less familiar faces will have to step up and perform for the Boys in Blue.

Here are three players to keep an eye on for Saturday’s clash against Union manager Bradley Carnell’s former team, St. Louis City

Nathan Harriel

A preseason injury disrupted Nathan Harriel’s start to the season, but after coming off the bench against Nashville on Sunday and playing nearly an entire half’s worth of minutes (thanks to the 15 minutes of stoppage time), he is in line to get his first start of the season on Saturday.

The question is, where? Right back may seem like the obvious answer, but with Ian Glavinovich also battling injuries to start the season, I think it’s more likely we see Harriel slotting in next to Jakob Glesnes at center back. It’s a position he has played before and held his own at, and right now, the Union just needs someone to play there. Frankie Westfield’s rise has meant Harriel’s absence to start the season hasn’t been felt as much as might have been expected, but look for him to remind everyone why he is an integral part of this team and will be getting a lot of game time now that he’s fit again.

Bruno Damiani

In other times, the Union’s three million dollar man not starting any of the first four games to begin the season might be cause for concern. But with all three primary strikers getting off to a scoring start and the team as a whole scoring 10 goals across the first three games (let’s just forget about the Nashville game), Bruno Damiani has had more time to settle into life in Philadelphia without the pressure that typically comes with being a team’s new striker- let alone a record signing.

Many fans are eager to see what Damiani can do with more time on the field. On Saturday, he finally gets his chance to show what he brings to this Union team.

Union, MLS — Image Credit: Philadelphia Union

Indiana Vassilev

Speaking of new signings getting to show more of what they can do, I’m expecting Indiana Vassilev and his glorious facial hair to get the start in midfield on Saturday next to Jovan Lukic.

When he initially signed, I was picturing him playing higher up the pitch in the Dániel Gazdag or Quinn Sullivan role. He has come on for both of those players, but against Nashville, he came off the bench for Danley Jean Jacques in what may have been an audition for a deeper-lying role against St. Louis. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him in attacking midfield, but I’m hoping that opportunity goes to someone like Jeremy Rafanello.

Can Union get a result in spite of missing seven players?

There’s going to be a lot of intriguing choices for this lineup with so many players missing. It would be nice to see some of the younger guys who came up through the academy get a run-out, in the way Nathan Harriel and Quinn Sullivan got extended looks during international breaks in past seasons. Along those lines, fans who have been clamoring to see more of Cavan Sullivan will likely get their wish. It would be cool to see someone like Sal Olivas or CJ Olney get a chance to show what they can do.

Want even more players to watch, maybe some Union players with their national teams? Check out Tom Aderinoye’s excellent article on the Union’s international call-ups here: