After giving up three goals for the eighth time in 2015, the Union (6-13-6) and their lackluster defense travel to Saputo Stadium on Saturday (8:00 p.m./TCN) to challenge legendary Didier Drogba and the Montreal Impact (8-9-4).
Here are five things you need to know:
1. Recovering from disappointment
In heroic fashion, Sebastien Le Toux scored the go-ahead goal in the 90th minute on Sunday against the Chicago Fire, only for Kennedy Igboananike to steal the equalizer deep in stoppage time. The match ended 3-3, gutting the defeated Union.
Now it’s Union manager Jim Curtin’s job to make sure his players don’t carry that to Montreal.
“To have the high of Sebastien’s goal and then the lowest of lows,” he said. “We broke that down in the film room, we have to learn from it, have to get better from it. We’ve have had too many dropped points and late-game collapses as a club in this season. It’s something we need to fix.”
Sunday wasn’t just a tough draw, but just the Union’s fifth result point since the start of July. It was also the third time in four matches the Union have allowed three or more goals.
“We’re running out of games in league, we know that,” said Curtin, whose club is currently ranked 19th of 20 teams in MLS. “We’ve dug entirely too deep of a hole for ourselves. We have to go out against Montreal and put in a good performance.”
Philadelphia Union
2. Leaning on Blake
Coming off two severe knee surgeries, the first overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, goalkeeper Andre Blake, could make his second MLS start on Saturday against the Impact.
“We’re thinking about it, we’ll make a decision,” Curtin said. “Andre’s been called in with Jamaica in about three weeks, and there’s a possibility that it makes sense to give him a game or two. We’ll see.”
Blake has only made one MLS start -- a 2-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo on Aug. 15, 2014. He is currently the third goalie on the depth chart behind John McCarthy, who has allowed six goals in his last three starts, and Brian Sylvestre, suffering through a reoccurring hand injury that has kept him out for three matches.
“[Sylvestre] reopened the wound in his hand,” Curtin said. “It split today in training. He was back in live action yesterday and then today and, at some point during the session, he split it open again. It’s in a tough area of his hand, kind of in the webbing of his hand, and it just won’t heal.”
3. Drogba’s Impact
With a 2-2-1 record in their last five matches, the Impact are working their rise up the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Helping that cause is Chelsea legend Drogba, expected to make his debut on Saturday.
“He’s been around for a long time,” said Impact coach Frank Klopas. “He’s excited to be a part of the team here and be ready to contribute and help the team in any way he can. We’ve been waiting for this day."
The Union have also been preparing for this day.
“Drogba’s a guy, who if you want to get into a wrestling match or physically battle with, you’re going to lose,” Curtin said. “That’s clear. All over the world that’s clear. A top goal scorer of all time, very good in the air. The hope is that he’s not 90 minutes fit. We’re preparing like he’s starting the game.”
But aside from Drogba, the Impact are bringing other forces to the table for Saturday. Center back Laurent Ciman is expected back after missing the Impact’s 1-0 loss to D.C. United earlier in the month.
“I just saw Ciman will now be back,” Curtin said. “He’s a guy we weren’t preparing for, he’s a top center back in the league for me and looks like he’ll be back in time for the game. Which is not good news, but something we’ll have to deal with.”
4. Injuries
Fending off forward Dominic Oduro and Drogba will get a little more difficult for the Union, who will likely be without center back Maurice Edu, who is fighting a serious groin injury.
“Mo is a guy who would be great to have this weekend,” Curtin said. “His groin is still partially torn. It’s not something that the doctors would advise playing through.”
On a positive note, the club is seeing the improvement of Andrew Wenger, who is slowly recovering from a concussion. But while Wenger will remain out, Vincent Nogueira, on the comeback from a quad injury, is expected to see some time on Saturday.
“He’s close,” Curtin said of Nogueira, arguably the team’s MVP. “He missed about a month of time now, so fitness is the issue. I think he’s healed completely and ready to go in that regard. He will play a role this weekend, but it’s still to be determined whether it’s as a starter or off the bench.”
For the Impact, former Union midfielder Justin Mapp is expected to make his MLS return after missing 20 games with a dislocated elbow. Playmaker Ignacio Piatti is a game-time decision with a calf contusion, while defender Hassoun Camara is expected out with a thigh injury.
5. This and that
• Defending Saputo Stadium, the Impact are 4-0-0 while playing host to the Union.
• The Union are 2-4-3 all time against the Impact, getting outscored 15-11 over that span. The clubs battled to a 2-2 draw at PPL Park in late June.
• The Union left Mapp unprotected in the 2011 MLS Expansion Draft, where he was scooped up by the Impact. Mapp is 5-2-2 all time against the Union with five assists.
• From that expansion draft, only two of 11 players, Brian Carroll and Le Toux, were on the Union’s expansion draft protection list and are still currently with the club. Only five of those 11 are still in MLS -- Danny Mwanga, Sheanon Williams, Michael Farfan, Carroll and Le Toux.
• Three players are on yellow-card suspension watch for this match. Union’s Warren Creavalle, Le Toux and the Impact’s Ciman are one yellow away from a one-game suspension.