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I hit my breaking point
Most of you that have followed me on Twitter, Big Soccer, or Reddit know that I have advised time and patience with the ownership. I repeatedly stated that I was convinced that Hackworth was the issue. With a competent manager, I was convinced this team would finally find its footing.
I was wrong.
This season has been the worst to date. I understand the injuries and suspensions have piled up. We are scrapping the very bottom of this team just to name an 18 for match day. However, this is part of the problem. Why are we paying a keeper $500k instead of investing in-depth?
Ladies and gentlemen, I have had enough. I am officially on the bandwagon calling for this team to be sold.
Nick Sakiewicz
Nick is a popular target for the frustrations of ZOLO fans. I used to defend him, but I just can’t anymore. His snarky, holier-than-thou comments have done nothing to endear him to the fans.
Look, I will openly admit I defended the Rais signing and was a major apologist of his for month. I thought it was unfair to judge a guy based off one high-profile mistake and that his international form warranted time here. However, the move has not panned out, and Nick needs to take the blame for this. With the money we have invested in Rais, we could have signed a left back, a defensive midfielder, AND a winger. We could have actual depth who could be stepping in right now.
Instead of addressing areas of need, Nick Sak has signed two keepers (Oka Nikolov and Rais MBolhi) in two successive years. Despite this, Nick will never admit he was wrong. Why does he refuse to acknowledge that he made these deals and other deals? Where is his humility and willingness to acknowledge his mistakes?
It’s bigger than Nick
Like I said, Nick is the target of our frustrations and rightfully so. However, these issues go far beyond him. If the owners buy out Nick’s stake tomorrow and let him walk, we still have deep structural issues. Where is the investment and backing the Union needs?
Hell, where is the coaching staff? I pointed out in the off-season that Curtin needed support if they wanted him to succeed. They brought in a goalkeeping coach that was already with the team and members of the youth academy. We are still one of the most understaffed teams in the league. Is it any wonder Curtin is floundering when you fail to provide him the support he needs to flourish?
More importantly, where is the plan for this team? For years now, the team has signed players willy-nilly without a plan of how they will fit into the team. Nogueira was signed as a 10, Maidana as a winger, and Edu as a box-to-box midfielder. None of them play those positions anymore. Vitoria was signed without the foresight that a backline of himself and White would be unable to cope with the speed of this league. It’s mind-boggling how this team never has a plan for how a player will fit into this side.
With that in min, why is there still no general manager for this team? Nick Sak clearly was not doing a good job. Instead, they replace him with Rene Meulensteen as a consultant and Albright in a dual-role as GM and coach. If this team is struggling both on and off the field, why are we not signing someone who can bring a clear plan of action to this team?
Even if Nick leaves tomorrow, we still have a pool of shit to wade through before this team even begins to resemble a decently run club. The owners seem to be happy to settle for cheap investments that turn a profit based off fans who will continue to attend matches whether this team wins or not.
What now?
For those of you who may not know, I have a bit of a background as a political organizer, and I aspire to be a full-time community organizer. I hate sitting and whining, and I always seek a pragmatic reaction to a problem. What can we do then?
Newcastle fans just created a new website – AshleyOut.Com – to promote a sell the team movement. The fans provide facts and quotes with sources to legitimize their complaints and to publicize their movement.
Why not do the same with the Union? There are legitimate concerns with the Union. The team once bailed on paying their taxes. The development plan that was attached to the public funding for the stadium has been all but abandoned. The on the field product has been shit for years despite the fact that this league is becoming more profitable and that this team used to lead the league in merchandise sales. A website of our own would go a long way towards legitimizing our concerns and promoting it to fans on the fence and the soccer media within this country. I know I would open my wallet for it.
Beyond that, several more ideas come to mind. We can always rent a billboard by the stadium or fly a plane banner during a match. We can cause a shit storm on social media to the point where any time the Union is mentioned, we make our discontent known. We can begin chants of “Sell the Team,” organize tifos demanding the ownership sell the team, and stage walkouts. There really is no limit to what we can do so long as people decide to take action.
We need a change. Sitting here and complaining won’t change anything. Taking action will.
So what now?
Before, I begin this article, I want to apologize for the lack of articles this week. I have had some stressful matters to attend to.
Anyhow, Union players are dropping like flies. Here is a current list of players missing due to injury, personal matters, or red cards:
* Chaco Maidana (injury)
* CJ Sapong (injury)
* Connor Casey (injury)
* Eric Bird (injury)
* Andre Blake (injury)
* Sheanon Williams (injury)
* Zach Pfeffer (red card)
* Fred (personal issues)
Three games in and this team is already decimated. Perhaps most importantly, we have absolutely no one who plays CAM. So what do we do now?
4-2-3-1/4-5-1
Well, we can stick with the 4-2-3-1/4-5-1. As a note, I would play Fabinho as a LB regardless of the formation until Sheanon is healthy, since we don’t have much in the way of options.
With the lineup we have now, I would put Vincent Nogueira in the 10 role and Michael Lahoud as the defensive midfield presence. This would put Mo Edu in the box-to-box role he prefers and allow him to bomb forward.
This isn’t pretty though. Vincent Nogueira has proved over and over again he isn’t a 10 and that he prefers to not play as a 10. As for Lahoud, he is the type of player who can play in a pinch but not someone you want to dwell on. He can certainly fill in well against a team like Chicago, but he is a mistake waiting to happen against better teams.
Further, this does nothing to address the fact that Nando has played on an island for most of the year. No one other than Chaco has provided him much in the way of support. Without further changes, we are just sitting and praying that one of the wingers finds their form.
Pros: Solid defensive shape, Puts Mo in a more comfortable role, Provides some tactical consistency for a team in turmoil
Cons: Nogueira isn’t a 10 and could be in for a rough game, Neither of our wingers have provided support for Nando up top, Lahoud is a mistake waiting to happen
4-4-2
I know this formation isn’t popular. I am not a fan of it myself. However, all the missing players may have forced our hands. So what would this look like?
I’d start by pushing Sebastian Le Toux up top to play off of Nando. At his best, Sebastian likes to find space to run onto the ball. Nando would be the target man Seba has never had. Plus, we take him away from the winger role in which he has been terrible this year.
Out wide, we can replace him with Jimmy McLaughlin or Eric Ayuk Mbi. I wrote an article last week about why I love Jimmy’s game. The coaching staff doesn’t seem to agree with me and played Ayuk last week. Either way, one of the two youngsters may offer the spark that we have needed on the wings all year. We may have speed and technical ability out wide for once.
Pros: Sebastian is moved to his best spot, No more Sebastian on the wing!, Gives the youngsters a chance
Cons: Too attacking of a formation to play against top teams, Leaves us undermanned in the center of midfield, Lacks creativity and possession in midfield
5-3-2
This is my outside the box idea. We certainly won’t see it, but it is worth considering.
Through this formation, I would start a back three of Vitoria, Marquez, and White. Fabinho and Ray would be the two fullbacks. In midfield, we would have Lahoud, Mo, and Nogueira. Up top, I’d play Sebastian and Nando.
Again, this is just an outside the box idea. It could offer some interesting possibilities:
- Fabinho’s main weakness is his defensive skills while he is talented at going forward. A three-man back line behind him would cover for his defensive weaknesses and allow him to focus more on getting forward and putting in dangerous crosses.
- The three-man back line would offer extra cover to stabilize what has been an inconsistent defensive showing.
- Our wingers have been terrible anyway. Why not just get rid of them on the field?
- It puts Sebastian back in the position where he found the most success.
Now, a lot can go wrong with this. We saw under Piotr Nowak in the playoffs the danger of switching to such an unfamiliar formation without proper preparation. If players don’t know their roles, mistakes will happen.
Also, the formation historically fell out of fashion as teams began switching to lone forwards. While successful against two strikers, a single striker is capable of dragging the three-man back line out of position. This creates pockets of space that can easily be exploited. A complete unknown like Ritchie Marquez could easily fall victim to one of these mistakes.
Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
Pros: Best fits the players we have available, Provides a more sturdy defensive shape, Adds another goalscorer up top
Cons: Too foreign of a formation for this team, Would force an unknown defender to play, Sacrifices width for defense
So what do we do? Personally, I’d prefer to play a 4-4-2 against a weak and questionable Chicago side. If we can notch a goal or two, we can then switch to a more defensive formation and grind out a result. It wouldn’t be pretty, but a win is a win at this stage. Once Fred comes back, I’d work into the 10 role in a five man midfield.
What do I think that Jim Curtin will do? I expect him to go with the 4-2-3-1 with Lahoud joining Nogueira and Edu in midfield. This team will play very defensively, grind out a result, and provide 90 minutes of terrible nationally televised soccer. Though is that much different from what we are used to seeing?
What say you readers? What starting XI would you pick, and how would you line them up?
Union Made: Jimmy McLaughlin
Union Made is a reoccurring series to cover the Union’s Homegrown Players (HGP’s), Academy players, and youth system. With Danny Cruz’s departure imminent, it seems appropriate to discuss his potential replacement – homegrown player Jimmy McLaughlin. Now, I have paid close attention to Jimmy since he debuted for this team in the friendly against Everton. I was impressed by his silky smooth play on the ball and his ability to just ghost around defenders. Let’s take a look at what that young talent has turned into three later. At a glance Date of Birth: April 30, 1993 Hometown: Malvern, Pennsylvania Youth Clubs/College: FC Delco, Colgate University Jimmy signed his homegrown deal on December 12th, 2011. Position Jimmy McLaughlin has spent his time as a winger, and he has shown his ability to play on both wings. His Harrisburg highlights shows he played mostly on the left where he cut inside on his dominant right foot. Union Career Jimmy has not had much of a Union career to date. He played one 17 minutes in 2012 and one minute last year. He has spent most of his time at Harrisburg City Islanders. Last year, he scored six goals and created three assists, notching the second best goals and assists total on the team. This time at Harrisburg is a double-edged sword. Jimmy has gotten plenty of minutes these past few years playing at Harrisburg. Compare this to someone like Zach Pfeffer who has been mostly sitting on the bench both in Germany and with the Union. However, Jimmy has not benefited from practicing week in and week out with this team. It may take him more time to settle in. Why should we be excited? Jimmy has a fantastic skill set that no one else on the team can match. Check out his highlights from last year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o56zz1J1Wg His balance, agility, and touch are fantastic. He can and will shoot from both distance and inside the box. He loves to run at defenders. He plays with tenacity and at a very high tempo. In many ways, he reminds me of a more skilled and less aggressive Danny Cruz and a quicker Justin Mapp that likes to take shots. At best, he can be a very, very good MLS winger. With all that said, I would like to see how he performs as an out-and-out winger. I doubt he will overtake Andrew Wenger on the left. His best option for seeing minutes will be on the right to spell Sebastian Le Toux where he won’t have the benefit of cutting inside on his stronger foot. Can he perform as well on the right as he appears to on the left? Looking forward With Danny Cruz now gone, this could be Jimmy’s time to finally seize some first team minutes on the team. As of now, Eric Ayuk Mbi is his only competition out wide, but Eric is an even rawer talent than Jimmy. Zach Pfeffer has played out wide for the U-20 national team, but I expect him to play more as a backup to Chaco and Vincent Nogueira. This leaves Jimmy as the top available sub out wide. If he starts making the bench now, this could be Jimmy’s breakout year. The rigors of the MLS season will likely see him earn a few starts this season. In the past, I have been hesitant to expect young players to get minutes on this team. However, Pfeffer has seen substitute minutes in both games this year. If Pfeffer is finally seeing time, can this be Jimmy’s opportunity to follow right behind him? I am really excited to see Jimmy develop. He may not have the potential of Zach Pfeffer, but he is simply an exciting player to watch play. If he can put all the elements of his game together, Jimmy may offer us the true out-and-out winger that this team has lacked since Justin Mapp’s departure. More importantly, Jimmy could give us a true successor to a Sebastian Le Toux that is not getting any younger. Zolo fans, be excited but remember that he is still a kid.
In Memory of Danny Cruz
Unfortunately, Kevin Kinkead revealed that Danny will be leaving on loan to FK Bodø/Glimt in Norway. I say unfortunately because Danny Cruz is my favorite player on the Union. I enjoy the sheer beautiful bundle of reckless chaos that is Danny Cruz. You never know what you will get from him: from tripping over the ball, to blowing up someone on the other team, to drawing a hard foul, to scoring the occasional goalazo. Watching D-Cruz play is always entertaining.
More importantly, Danny brought a real skill set to this team that Andrew Wenger and Sebastian Le Toux lack. He hugs the touchline, works his ass off, and runs at defenders. Danny is, also, one of the few players that will try a shot from distance. He is less prone to the back passing that has become far too common with this team.
Plus, Danny plays with an intensity that only Seba and Vincent Nogueira can match. When Danny Cruz is in the game, you know he will drive the ball down the field and try to make something happen. He will be a pest to opposing defenders. After watching the Colorado game, that is a skill and mindset this team needs.
My love for Danny aside, this causes a few issues for the Union attack. As I mentioned yesterday, depth out wide may be a real issue for the Union this year. Right now, this leaves our available wide players as Sebastian Le Toux, Andrew Wenger, Jimmy McLaughlin, and Eric Ayuk Mbi. Zach Pfeffer has previously played out wide on the U-20 team. D-Cruz was one of only two true wingers this team has, as both Wenger and Le Toux are converted forwards who still have forward tendencies. Width could soon become a problem for a Union attack that depends on wide play.
That said, I think Jimmy McLaughlin is the answer, and I will explain why later. Until then, I will honor the finest moment of my favorite player, the wonderful Danny Cruz Missile brace against Seattle:
Where will this season go right?
In my last post, I looked at where the Union could go wrong in 2015. Now, let’s be a little more positive. I think this is the most talented Philadelphia Union team we have ever seen. Where could this season go right for the Union?
1. Nando is the forward we have never had
Up until now, the aging Connor Casey has likely been the best forward in this team’s history (unless you count Seba as a forward). Nando has the potential to seize that title this season. He already has two goals to his name this year.
Let’s take a look at Nando the player. He is big, strong, a hard-worker, and a good finisher who so far seems cunning enough to put himself in good spaces. He is like Jack McInerney that is big and actually puts in effort. His first goal against Colorado is a testament to this work ethic. Jack would have quit on the play far sooner and would not have been in the position to tap in that rebound.
Last year, one of our biggest issues was that an aging Connor Casey was our only goalscorer on the team. Now, we have a young player who will be a real threat to score. Goals shouldn’t be an issue this year.
2. Chaco has a full year with this team
At his best last year, Chaco was among the league leaders in assists. He brought a level of creativity that we have only ever seen from Roger Torres and Kleberson. In his two games this season, Chaco has been the clear engine of this team that has driven the attack forward.
Importantly, he has a full year with this team and a fresh off-season under his belt. He had fitness concerns last, but it is worth noting that he came to Philly in the middle of the Argentinian season. He didn’t have a true off-season break last year.
If Chaco stays healthy and Curtin starts him, expect big things from the Argentinian #10.
3. Jim Curtin is the manager we need
Piotr Nowak understood tactics, but he was too flexible. His only consistency was his lack of consistency. New players started every week in a different tactical set up.
On the flip side, John Hackworth was as rigid and stubborn as they come. Hack refused to change his formation when it didn’t work, and he persisted in using the same players until it was clear to everyone that it wasn’t working. I still can’t get out of my mind the horror of watching both Michael Farfan and Keon Daniel attempt to play the #10 role.
Further, Hack constantly outsmarted himself and attempted to play people out of position. Amobi was not a center back. Keon and Michael were not 10’s. Wheeler certainly was not a center back. Wenger was not a forward. The constant experiments caused needless problems for this team.
Jim Curtin looks like he will be the happy mix of the two. He has a formation he prefers in a 4-2-3-1. However, he has worked in the 4-4-2 and shows a willingness to adapt if his plans aren’t working. Instead of persisting with the ineffectual 4-4-2 against Colorado, he replaced the injured Sapong with Chaco and switched to a five man midfield.
Plus, much of Curtin’s early success consisted of putting players in their natural positions where they could succeed. Maurice Edu was the lone exception, but you can make the case he would make a better center back than defensive midfielder. Regardless, the point is moot as Mo is back in the midfield.
If Curtin continues to bring the best of Nowak and Hackworth, he should have success this year.
4. We have depth!
Two major issues sunk this team last year: the lack of a goal scorer and the lack of depth. This was most evident in the Open Cup Final last year when Seattle was able to bring players like Obafemi Martins off the bench while we brought on Pedro Ribeiro.
The new signings have pushed some players to the bench while new acquisitions have given us some new bench options. Instead of bringing on Pedro Ribeiro or Brian Brown off the bench to put up top when we need a goal, we will be bringing Connor Casey, CJ Sapong, and Dzenan Catic.
Part of this will hinge upon how well we bring along our youth. Zach Pfeffer and Jimmy McLaughlin would be fantastic sparks off the bench. One provides a like for like sub for Chaco, and the other brings us a natural winger who runs at defenders and plays with aggression and tenacity. Both provide roles we did not have last year.
If we use our depth appropriately, we should not have the same level of burn out and the same ineffectiveness when chasing a game that we saw last year.
5. There are more playoff spots
This is slightly cheap on my part, but one extra playoff spot clearly improves our chances of finally returning to the playoffs.
What say you Union fans? Did I miss anything? What else will go right with this team?
Where will this season go wrong?
With the season still young, I thought it might be worth predicting how the Union will fare this year. This is the first part of a two-part article where I predict what could go wrong for this team and what could go right. If we crash and burn this season, I listed a few factors that may play a big role in our demise.
1. The dreaded 4-4-2
Jim Curtin toyed with the formation during the preseason, and he ended up employing it during Week One. Frankly speaking, we are not set up to play a 4-4-2.
Who goes in the central midfield? Vincent and Mo? Alright then, but where is your creativity? Vince isn’t a #10 as the Rapids game proved. Do you go with Chaco and Mo? Where does Vince play then? Chaco and Vince? Who is supposed to do the defensive duties then? The 5’7″ and 134 pound Vince?
Where does Chaco fit in this formation? Playing him centrally forces out either Vincent or Mo. He doesn’t have the speed to play wide nor the disciple to stay wide and not drift centrally. You have to choose to either sit one of your best players or give up having a true defensive midfielder and risk being overrun in midfield.
Speaking of being overrun in midfield, the 4-4-2 fell out of fashion for a reason. It simply can’t compete with a 5 man midfield found in formations like a 4-2-3-1/4-5-1/4-3-3. Many MLS teams have made the switch to the 5 man midfield, the Union included. Returning to a 4-4-2 would see us give up even more of the possession in favor of praying for a counter goal. Honestly, it’s just too risky of a formation, and we don’t have the personnel for it.
2. Jim Curtin doesn’t develop quickly enough as a manager
It’s no secret that Jim is the youngest and least experienced manager in the league. How badly will this lack of experience affect the team? What’s been worrying two weeks into the season is his hesitancy to use subs. Why did it take him so long to bring players on against Colorado? I personally hate only giving a player 10-15 minutes to make an impact in the game. It gives them very little time to fit themselves into the tempo of the match.
Another issue will be squad rotation. Last year, he ran this team into the ground by the end of the season by relying on a small group of players. It’s too early to truly assess his squad rotation skills, but I am still worried. Why hasn’t someone like Jimmy McLaughlin made the bench over someone like Fred? We can’t rely on playing two wingers all year. We need to use what depth we have while giving the youngsters crucial minutes to develop.
3. Age catches up to Le Toux
While Seba may no longer be the star of this team, he is still a very important player. He has notched at least seven assists in each of his Union seasons and at least 11 goals in three of his four seasons here. He is still expected to be a big contributor for this team.
Now, what if age catches up to Seba? Who will pick up the slack and generate those assists and goals? Outside of Wenger, we only have Danny Cruz, Jimmy McLaughlin, and Eric Ayuk Mbi out wide. We all know Cruz is a hustle player who won’t set the world on fire. As for Jimmy, I am a big fan of his, but the coaching staff has done a poor job working him into the team. He is very unlikely to make an immediate impact. Finally, we have Eric. I doubt that we can expect a young player coming from Thailand to be an instant impact player. Harrisburg seems more likely for him.
So if Seba can’t replicate his form, who do we replace him with?
4. The Defense
It’s no secret that the defense ships away goals in the dying minutes of games. We have seen many collapses over the past few years, with the Columbus game at the end of last year being the best example. Can the defense turn this around?
What could be a worry is that we have a new member of the back line which requires us to once again develop chemistry. However, Vitoria may not be the only issue. Ethan White is still an unknown quantity. I do like him, but there is still a risk that he may not be the starter we need.
The fullbacks raise issues as well. Ray is still not a left back. Playing him on the left continues to stunt his game. On the opposite side, Sheanon has truly regressed from the form of his first two seasons that had some of us mentioning national team potential. For me, the biggest issue is a poor work ethic. He often gets caught out of position and lightly jogs back. This puts unnecessary pressure on Ethan to cover for Sheanon’s lapses. This leaves us with a player who doesn’t put in the defensive effort and who can’t cross well consistently. All that leaves him with is a long throw-in which never works anyway. Plus, the way he slowly saunters to the ball slows down any counter opportunities.
Until we get a left back and the center back proven definitely proves itself, the defense will continue to be one big question mark for this team.
Here we have it Union fans. If we crash and burn again this season, here are what I consider to be the likely reasons. Did I miss anything? What do you think could be an issue this season?
Where does Sacha Kljestan fit?
Recently, US Mens National Team player and World Cup veteran Sacha Kljestan has been linked to the Philadelphia Union. I am late to the party here, but I thought I would weigh in with my thoughts.
Overall, I am really confused by this interest, and I would prefer to see us pursue other targets. To understand that, we need to look at our midfield.
The Five Man Midfield
Over the past few years, the five man midfield has taken the soccer world by storm. Very few teams dare to play the classic 4-4-2. The Union are among the teams that have shifted to a five man midfield, playing a 4-2-3-1 (more or less) under Jim Curtin.
Now, looking at this formation, the roles of the three central midfielders are critical. In a basic five man midfield, the center of the pitch has a destroyer, a shuttler, and a creator. The destroyer is your typical defensive midfielder. The shuttler is the player who keeps the ball moving. The creator is typically your #10 who links the ball from the midfield to the attack. The names may vary depending on who you talk to, but they are the same general roles.
So let’s look at the Union’s midfield. We have one of the best shuttlers in MLS in Vincent Nogueira. In the creator role, Cristian Maidana had a very successful year when he was healthy. With Amobi gone, we now have a big hole at the destroyer spot.
This is why I am critical of signing Sacha Kljestan. He simply doesn’t fit in our midfield.
Where does Sacha fit?
What we need is a destroyer. Sacha is not a destroyer. While he is at times listed as a defensive midfielder, Sacha has played primarily for Anderlecht and the USMNT as a deep-lying playmaker. In other words, he is a shuttler. Sacha stays deep and recycles the ball and passes it to his creators. We already have Vincent Nogueira in that role.
Now, we could play Sacha out of position. Jurgen Klinsmann certainly does (though he isn’t exactly a good model for tactics). We could play him as a #10 and push Maidana out to the wing. However, Sacha doesn’t have the natural tendencies and flair of a #10. Also, it negates Maidana’s effectiveness. Chaco didn’t truly flourish until Hackworth was fired and Curtin moved him from the wing to the center of the pitch. Playing Sacha as a #10 would negate the skill sets of two players.
We could play him next to Nogueira. Arsenal employs a similar set up. The Gunners have two creative midfielders that switch off between going forward and tracking ball. In theory it works. In reality, it’s the reason Arsenal fans have demanded a defensive mid for years.
Playing Sacha as a destroyer or switching him on and off with Nogueira really weakens and complicates our midfield. Neither player is a true ball-winning midfielder. I, also, doubt that they could cope with the physicality of MLS. Teams like Sporting Kansas City, Houston, and Chicago would bully our midfield around and leave us at a distinct advantage.
Also, this idea goes against Jim Curtin’s mantra. When he took over, a big part of Jim’s philosophy consisted of keeping things simple for the players. They played their roles, and they were not expected to perform any overly complicated tasks. If Sacha plays next to Vincent, it takes a lot of trust and understanding to know who is going forward and who stays back. Our midfield will likely be a disorganized mess in defense in the beginning of the season as they learn each others’ tendencies. I can’t see that sitting well with a manager who wants to build the team from the back.
Stepping Back
While Sacha Kljestan is a nice name to pursue, do we really need him? It continues a worrying trend of the Union throwing names against a wall and seeing what sticks. Hackworth clearly had no idea how to fit Cristian Maidana, Maurice Edu, Vincent Nogueira, and Brian Carroll into the same midfield last year. This inability to solve that conundrum is partially what got him fired. Sacha seems like a return to this trend: signing a big name without a clear plan as to where he fits.
Honestly, we have far bigger needs than Sacha right now. With the money he would be demanding, we could buy ourselves a true defensive midfielder or a big name striker. Heck, we could even use the resources it would cost to move up the allocation ranking to bring in an MLS player at one of those spots.
Is Sacha Kljestan a good player? Yes. Is he a player that would make the Union significantly better? Probably not.
A New Year
Happy New Year everyone. I was hoping to get this out sooner, but my year has started out with a fairly nasty cold.
2015 is here. With that said, here is my wish list for the team in this upcoming year.
1. I want to see the team bring in a big time striker.
Striker has historically been one of our weakest positions. It says a lot when a broken down Connor Casey is likely our best ever player at that position. To take the next step as a club, we need a big time goal scorer.
I’m pretty open to different options at the position. I don’t think we need a big name striker like a Jozy Altidore or an Emmanuel Adebayor. Would they be nice? Yes. Are they worth the money? Probably not.
I think we would find the best bang for our buck by finding a relative unknown willing to make a jump from Europe or a young, up and comer from the Americas. Sloan Privat from Gent was a name thrown around a few months ago. He may not have the name appeal of an Altidore, but neither did Bradley Wright-Phillips last year. I’m more concerned with goalscoring than name value.
The other option would be to find some young up and comer. It worked for Seattle with Freddy Montero. Erick “Cubo” Torres also hit the ground running and made a major impact. A young player could give us some much-needed energy up top and some much-needed re-sale value when they inevitably leave. A young player fits a smart business plan of buying young and cheap and selling high to Europe.
Either way, I want to see the Union commit to signing the clinical finisher that this club has lacked for years. We can’t take the next step as a club until that point.
2. I want to see a Home Grown Player finally break into the first team.
Despite all the talk from the front office about how great our academy is and how important we find youth to be, no home grown player has been able to break into this team yet.
This is an important year for our academy. Zach Pfeffer and Jimmy McLaughlin have been here for several years and have not been able to break into this team despite playing well with the youth national team and Harrisburg, respectively. If we are going to center our team around the academy, one of these players needs to step up.
With Pedro and Fred gone, there is a big hole in the central attacking mid spot behind Maidana. Considering his injury history, we need someone who can fill in for Chaco. This season, Zach has a real opportunity to finally claw his way into the team.
As for Jimmy, he provides depth at a position that is very thin. Out wide, we only have Wenger, Seba, and Danny Cruz. A real spark off the bench in that position would help this team push for the playoffs. Considering his successful season in Harrisburg last year, can Jimmy be that player here?
3. I want to see the team find a full-time sporting director.
Right now, Rene Meulensteen is advising the club and helping us find someone to fit the position. There have been reports that perhaps this period is a trial for Rene to see if he is interested in the spot full-time. Personally, I would love to see the Mule stay here and use his wealth of experience to improve this organization. However, even if he leaves, we need someone to take this role full-time. We don’t want Nick Sak running player personnel decisions full-time anymore.
4. I want to see the coaching staff filled out.
It’s a bit worrying that we have not announced any new coaching hires. We have a three-man staff consisting of Jim Curtin, Mike Sorber, and Chris Albright. How can we expect players to develop and maximize their potential with such an under-funded coaching staff?
5. I want to see the team figure out their USL affiliate.
Our relationship with Harrisburg has had several problems in the past. Most notably, players are not guaranteed to play in their natural spots. Last season, Harrisburg played Pedro Ribeiro at center back for several games. Clearly, that is not the position he will be playing in this league. That will not help this team.
Now, there are two real solutions. We stick with Harrisburg and sort the issues, or we create our own USL team. If we stick with Harrisburg, the Union need to take a more prominent role in the relationship. The team needs to sort out issues with their playing field and issues with not playing Union players consistently. Perhaps the Union buy the majority stake in the club. Perhaps the team is moved closer to Philadelphia. Perhaps the team practices at PPL’s training field. There are a lot of options, but some plan needs to hashed out.
Alternatively, the Union can follow the popular trend and create a Union II team (U2 if you will). I prefer this option. It allows us to sign more young players and give them professional minutes to develop. Further, it allows us to control their development so that we don’t see travesties like the Ribeiro playing as a center back. This option seems to make the most sense when we look at the Union organization’s emphasis on youth development.
6. I want to see Jay Sugarman continue to play a more visible role.
Everyone knows that Nick Sak is a very unpopular figure with the team. In his lone press conference with the team, Jay showed the ability to relate better to fans and to present a more humble image for the team. Jay has the potential to repair the strained relationship between the F.O. and the fans. It also would go a long way to dispel the idea that the F.O. only cares about making money at the expense of the on the field team.
7. I’d like to see a nice new away kit.
Admittedly, this is a minor concern, but a nice looking kit goes a long way. A few months ago, a potential away kit leaked online. Closer images revealed some stars on the kit (credit to billf on Big Soccer). Personally, I hope these are fakes. I like the idea of a yellow kit stylized after Club America. This team might as well look good on the field.
This is a brand new year for the Union. Now is the time for the organization to hit the ground running and put five years of failure behind them. Can them do it? It remains to be seen. Addressing the areas of concern would be a big step for this club. With all this said, what do all of you wish to see from the Union in 2015?
Monday Madness
It’s been a while. The workload at the new job has really ramped up. With the off-season underway, I am attempting to right the ship here. What better way to start than by reflecting on a hectic Monday that saw numerous big moves from this team? So let’s break them down.
Amobi Okugo
This is one of the major headlines. Kevin Kinkead, Jonathan Tannenwald, and others have really broken this move down well. In a nutshell, Amobi wanted to move. He preferred Europe, but Orlando was an intriguing opportunity.
Can we blame him for wanting to leave though? He got drafted by a manager who rode him on the bench or kept him out of the 18 for most of his first two and a half years. Then his next manager played him out of position for the next two years. His third manager moved him back to his normal position only to bench him in a handful of games, including the team’s first ever trophy shot.
The Philadelphia Union ruined his development. Imagine the player Amobi would be right now if we had been playing him at defensive mid since Year Zolo. Once his contract was ended, Amobi seemed set to leave. Again I can’t blame him for wanting to.
For the Union, this left us with two possibilities:
- Let him walk for nothing and try his luck in Europe. We all know Amobi wants to go abroad. All the Union would get out of this is ownership of his rights should he decide to return to MLS. That’s a big what if that doesn’t help this team now.
- Trade him for what you can. In this case, we got allocation money. While it has long been a running joke to see fan favorites traded for allocation money, it is seriously a useful resource. Allocation money can be used to pay down the salary of a player like MBolhi to prevent him from being a DP, opening up another DP slot for us. The money could be used to buy a player like Edu or a striker. The money could even be used to trade for another player.
In this case, we were stuck with two poor options. Either Amobi walks for nothing, or we trade him to a conference rival for something. As painful as it is to see him play for another MLS team against us, the Union did well to salvage the situation and get something out of it.
Sapong
The Union traded the 10th pick in the 2015 draft for the 10th pick in the 2011 draft. Sapong – a player the Union once tried to sign to a homegrown contract- fits the system well. He is big, strong, fast, and a good jumper. He can hold up the ball up top alone and distribute it to teammates.
Some will look at his stats and rightfully point out a lack of goals (20 in 110 appearances). To be fair to him, Sporting Kansas City attempted to turn him into a wide target man. For some players in this league like Wenger and Kei Kamara, that has worked. For Sapong, that does not seem to be the case. Here in Philly, Sapong will likely be moved back up top to his natural position.
Now saying all of this, I don’t expect Sapong to be our star striker this year. We still need a DP signing up top. However, this is a good start to building the depth we didn’t have last year. When Casey lost steam last year, we had nobody but else to bring on. Hell, we even tried to turn Ribeiro into a striker to give us some depth. This year we will Sapong coming off the bench and rotating in, providing us with an actual impact sub.
As for the first round draft pick, the MLS Superdraft is becoming more and more irrelevant as time passes. The chances of us drafting a player better than Sapong – especially given our track record – are incredibly slim. This trade better positions us to right this ship this season.
Expansion List
By now, we have all seen the expansion list, and it has raised a few questions and concerns. I’ll address the major issues.
The Keepers: Honestly, this was a smart decision. Neither team is going to pick up Mbolhi’s contract and blow a DP slot on him. He is virtually safe. MacMath is likely safe as well as Orlando and New York City both have starting keepers. Even if one is picked, it immediately solves the goalkeeping dilemma. Leaving both exposed helped us protect fringe players like White and Williams.
Fabinho: Poor Fabinho has become a major whipping boy, with some wanting to design a rocket with which they will fire Fabinho into the sun. While many are quick to criticize his faults, Fabinho is a much better left back than given credit. He won’t set the world on fire, but he adequately plays a spot that is one of the hardest to fill in MLS. Fabinho has a higher Castrol Index than players like Chris Korb, Leo Gonzales, Michael Harrington, Chris Wingert, and even Philly Union fan favorite Corey Ashe (Credit to chapka at BigSoccer for doing this research). Looking at the stats (which to be fair are usually subjective), trading for Corey Ashe and cutting Fabinho would be a downgrade.
Pulling it all together
Remember that this is the first week of the MLS offseason. Plenty of moves are yet to come. Don’t expect big transfer news until January. However, we have done well to start this offseason. The Union did well to get some resources from Amobi that can be reinvested in either buying Edu or signing a new striker. We also brought in an MLS veteran who fits Curtin’s system perfectly. Finally, we made some fairly intelligent moves with our protected list to ensure our goalkeeping dilemma does not cost us a valuable player like White.
Should we sign the rumored William Kvist, a DP striker, and some young homegrown depth, this roster will be well set up for a deep playoff run. Believe or not Union fans, but it looks like this team has a plan for once.
Zolo Talk 
