Change is coming for the Philadelphia Union.
After an ugly 4-1 loss in Columbus on Saturday night, Philly head coach Jim Curtin said he learned a lot about which players stuck with it and which ones bailed out, before vowing to shuffle the lineup for the Union’s next game.
What prompted such a strong response from the coach? And what can he do to save a season that’s quickly spiraling away from them? We’ll examine in this week’s Inside Doop.
Three thoughts from Saturday’s game
1. In reality, this game was probably lost when Curtin filled out his lineup card. Hampered by the absences of three important players –- Vincent Nogueira, Zach Pfeffer and Fernando Aristeguieta -– Curtin went with a conservative starting XI that featured both Michael Lahoud and Brian Carroll in the defensive midfield. The idea was probably to bunker in on the road against a very good Columbus team and try to strike on the counter-attack. And, to be fair, Carroll had some good moments in the first half and Lahoud has been solid in a limited role since becoming a starter last month. The problem, of course, is those two aren’t good enough to control possession or creative enough to lead a transition break. And it didn’t work on the defensive end either, as the Crew blitzed the Union with three first-half goals and effectively ended the game against their offensively challenged opponents before halftime.
2. While the decision to start Carroll and Lahoud together was at least partly due to circumstance, the insertion of Fabinho in the lineup in place of a healthy Sheanon Williams had little justification. Sure, Williams hasn’t been especially sharp recently, but he’s still an important member of this franchise that brings toughness and heart to the field every time he steps on it (traits the Union are lacking after trading and loaning guys like Amobi Okugo, Danny Cruz and Zac MacMath). And as for Fabinho, well, he may have had one of the worst games that a Union defender has ever had, as the Brazilian was partially or mostly responsible for three of the Crew’s four goals. Unless they sign a very good left back, this team needs Williams in the lineup.
3. Fabinho and Wenger also had little chemistry on the left side of the field, perhaps one reason why Eric Ayuk was brought on for Wenger at halftime. And the young 18-year-old Cameroonian did manage to provide a spark, scoring a goal on a very nice header and following it with his patented backflip celebration. But Ayuk also showed his age by committing some turnovers, making poor decisions on the ball and yes, doing backflips during a blowout (though, to be fair, a coach or a teammate probably should have told him not to do this.)
Three questions for the week ahead
1. Is it Andre Blake time? Curtin alluded to the fact last week that the former top overall draft pick could get some games in goal now that he’s fully recovered from preseason knee surgery. And considering John McCarthy allowed a couple of soft goals and didn’t make a single save Saturday, the time is probably right to move forward with Blake. The Philly-born McCarthy is a nice story and offered a helpful reprieve from the misery Rais Mbolhi brought to town, but he’s still a guy who was playing in the USL last year. And Blake, meanwhile, is a guy that many people said was unquestionably the best player in the 2014 draft. It’s time now to see what the Jamaican can do, even if brings us another chapter of the franchise’s never-ending goalkeeping carousel.
Philadelphia Union
2. Who are the other players Curtin may sit on the bench? A lot of fans are once again pointing the finger at wingers Sebastien Le Toux and Andrew Wenger, and it’s hard to blame them. Le Toux was really poor in Columbus, struggling to do simple things like possessing the ball. And Wenger, once again, looked indecisive while making his runs forward. It’s important to remember that these two were arguably the team’s best players as recently as last September. But at this point, it’s hard to argue that they need at least a week off to try to shake these slumps.
3. When Toronto FC comes to PPL Park on Saturday (4 p.m., 6ABC), it will be May. That means the Union will enter the third full month of the MLS season with only one victory. It also means we can no longer say things like “It’s still early.” It’s not still early, and the Union desperately need some kind of winning streak to save their season before its too late. Can it start against a star-studded Toronto team that features three of the best players in MLS in Giovinco, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley? The way the Union looked Saturday, facing those three must seem like a scary proposition right now.
Stat of the week
In the 178 minutes that Carroll and Lahoud have been on the field together this season, the Union have allowed eight goals and scored only two.
Quote of the week
“They’re all professionals. So they’re embarrassed. We got our [butts] kicked tonight. It’s unacceptable. But you have to get up off the mat. We want guys that are going to stick with this thing.” – Jim Curtin after Saturday’s loss
Player of the week
Although he didn’t score, C.J. Sapong put in a good shift for the Union. With Wenger and Le Toux struggling, he could be in line to start on the wing for the foreseeable future.