Match Preview: Winless Union Seek First Points of the Season with a Tough Road Test in Charlotte
After a two-week reset, Philadelphia looks to end its five-game losing run against a high-scoring Charlotte side
The Union (0-5-0, 0 points) remain the only team in MLS without a single point through five games. If they hope to earn their first point of the season this weekend, they will have to do it against Charlotte FC (2-1-2, 8 points) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on Apple TV. The match takes place at Bank of America Stadium, where the Union are 0-2-2 in four games played, scoring just two goals while conceding eight.
Both teams are coming off a two-week break following the FIFA international window. Andre Blake and Jamaica suffered a 1-0 loss to DR Congo on Tuesday night, ending Jamaica’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup. Meanwhile, Sal Olivas and Andrew Rick enjoyed success with the U.S. U20s, as Olivas scored a goal and Rick earned a clean sheet against Argentina’s U20s. Cavan Sullivan also impressed, scoring three goals for the U.S. U19s.
During his midweek press conference, head coach Bradley Carnell revealed that Andre Blake faced delays on his return flight to Philadelphia after Jamaica’s match against DR Congo in Mexico, and wouldn’t be back in Philadelphia until Thursday night. Agustín Anello, who has been sidelined for a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury, has been progressing slowly. He has been running and working on acceleration and deceleration but has not yet done any work with the ball. Carnell believes the 23-year-old remains a ways away from full recovery. Ezekiel Alladoh missed the Union’s last two games after Carnell initially cited personal matters. It was later reported that the absences were disciplinary, stemming from the 20-year-old forward being late to training for the matches against Club América and the Chicago Fire. Carnell confirmed that Alladoh will be available against Charlotte and that he has been “dialed in.”
After the loss to the Chicago Fire on March 21, Carnell said the team needed the international break for a “calibration” to figure out how to end their five-game losing streak. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he discussed what he and his staff reevaluated during the two weeks off.
“Yeah, there’s been a lot. It starts with the individual, starts with the unit, meaning backline, midfield, strikers, tens. What are we doing in each department?
“There’s been a lot of reflection, a lot of meetings, a lot of chatting, a lot of executing on the training ground, and a lot of competition. Last week, with the [intertnational] window, the boys were grinding it out over the weekend. We had an internal scrimmage against each other, which worked really well. I was grateful for that. The boys invested a lot.”
It remains to be seen on Saturday how effective those two weeks without games will prove to be. Charlotte will present a unique test, with several players boasting strong one-v-one ability, including Pep Biel (four goals this season), Wilfried Zaha, and Kerwin Vargas. Charlotte have been one of the highest-scoring teams in MLS with 10 goals, though those numbers are somewhat inflated: seven of the 10 came while opponents were down to 10 men following red cards. Most recently, Charlotte defeated Red Bull New York 6-1, with four goals scored after the Red Bull’s were reduced to 10 players.
When the teams met in the final game of last season, the Union fell 2-0 in Charlotte, with the result not affecting the Union, who had already clinched the Supporters’ Shield. They played primarily to maintain fitness before heading into the playoffs. Despite the loss, the Union created plenty of chances, including two first-half opportunities for Alejandro Bedoya that he could not convert. Philadelphia outshot Charlotte 23-8, but goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina made five saves. Both teams have undergone significant roster changes since then, with the departure of centerback Adilson Malanda to Middlesbrough in England’s Championship standing out as the biggest for Charlotte.
Even with those changes on both sides, are there any lessons Carnell and his players can draw from last season’s matchup?
“I think anytime you come up [on] artificial turf, the game can get stretched really quickly, said Carnell. “You saw that against the Red Bulls, and then the red card happens, but then there’s just two teams of 5v5 in one direction, ball turnover, 5v5. It just gets stretched real quick. We did feel that as the game went on in Charlotte, and I’ve seen it the last two weeks ago with the Red Bulls or even in the Miami game. So it’s going to be a battle again: who wins the transitional moments, who can dictate the play in certain phases, who can recover best, and who can penalize the opponent in the simplest ways. Because if you turn over the ball too quickly in a transition, then it’s coming back the other way, and the track meet starts to happen. Especially on the turf fields, this is something that we want to mitigate.”
With the season still young, Saturday’s match offers the Union a chance to finally earn points and begin turning their fortunes around. How they handle Charlotte’s attacking threats and the challenges of Bank of America Stadium could provide an early indication of whether the adjustments from the international break are taking hold.
Video Credit: Philadelphia Union