MLS Matchday: Philadelphia Union vs Orlando City SC
By Nick Butler
The Philadelphia Union and Orlando City SC are set to kick off for their 17th match all time. The Philadelphia Union has a record 7W-5D-4L all time against Orlando City SC. This is their first of two meetings this season with the second being played in Orlando in June. Early on in the season, both teams could use the 3 points, especially with how crucial earning 3 points early in the season is.
Both teams will be missing some players with the international call ups, and this could affect the way both teams will be looking to attack tonight. Both teams will also be without their starting goalkeepers. Andre Blake and Pedro Gallese will both not in the goal tonight for their respective teams so this should make for some interesting play.
The weather will also most likely play a factor as rain is being forecasted for the duration of the game itself. I expect this to be a battle tonight and both teams are going to be pressing early to set the tempo.
Philadelphia Union 2W-0D-2L (6th in the Eastern Conference)
Jim Curtin is going to have some hard decisions to make. With Julian Carranza taking a red card in their loss to CF Montréal and Daniel Gazdag receiving the call up for international duty, the Union’s options for goal scorers are slim to none. I also shouldn’t fail to mention the other international call ups and the loss of 3-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year recipient Andre Blake. The Union are going to have to battle to keep their unbeaten streak going at home.
Jim Curtin is going to be leaning heavily on Mikael Uhre tonight to get the offense going. With Carranza unable to play and Gazdag away, Uhre needs to get himself going. Since coming to the MLS, Uhre has shown flashes of brilliance but hasn’t quite been able to maintain the form. Uhre’s dynamic play fused with his ability to create space and speed would be deadly for most players, it seems like Uhre just can’t get himself fully integrated into the offense and play style of the MLS. It took Daniel Gazdag a full season to settle in. Maybe in Uhre’s case, he could be in the same boat. His confidence was at an all-time high against Montréal and he put two into the back of the net. Tonight, he is going to have to be just as brilliant.
Jose Martínez, another starter for the Union, has been called up to play for Venezuela. Martinez is an integral part of the Midfield for Jim Curtin’s 4-3-1-2. With the diamond usually being extremely effective and the Union being an extremely opportunistic team, losing Martínez is going to hurt them tonight. However, Jesús Bueno plays a very similar style to Martínez and could provide the gritty play in the middle that this team thrives on.
As for Curtin’s 4-3-1-2, I’m sure he will most likely keep the formation the way it is. Curtin might slot Joaquín Torres or Chris Donovan in the Carranza’s spot. Torres can also be played in Gazdag’s spot or Andres Perea in against his former squad. Regardless of who gets the call, everyone needs to be playing with the next man up mentality and mindset to be the one to help this club tonight.
As for Andre Blake, he is still out due to injury, and we will see Joe Bendik in net. While Bendik hasn’t had a ton of playing time in Philadelphia, with the departure of Matt Freese this past offseason, Bendik has slotted into the back up. The Union have relied a lot on Blake in the past to bail them out when things weren’t exactly going their way and will need Bendik to be just as brilliant as Blake normally is. I know it is a hard ask of the 33-year-old, but the Union will need it with them missing some key pieces that are integral to their formation.
The Union need to get out early and play a little more aggressive to start the match and get the first goal. Orlando only has 3 goals for but only 3 against. The Union are going to have to work tonight, even if it’s just against a backup goaltender. The Union themselves have 7 goals for but 6 against. The Union gave up 2 in the 90th minute plus and are going to have to clean up some of the mistakes.
Orlando City SC 1W-2D-1L (9th in the Eastern Conference)
Talk about a team who has been struggling to find goals. Orlando City SC will be looking to get their second win of the season. Orlando finished in 6th place last season and will look to improve. Getting a win against the defending Eastern Conference Champions will do wonders for their confidence moving forward. With their starting goalie, Pedro Gallese, being on international duty, Orlando will also have their backup goalie, Mason Stajduhar, will get the nod in net.
Orlando will be without Facundo Torres, who is a big piece to Orlando’s attacking strategy. Duncan McGuire and Martin Ojeda are the two to watch on the front. Even with Torres, these two will be looking to both add to their goal totals and continue being productive for their team. They will have to get through the tough backline of the Union, and I expect it to be a tougher task after their breakdown last week.
Óscar Pareja will most likely set up his 4-3-3 formation against the Union. If they expect to get through the big defensive bodies of the Union, they will have to work the ball to the outside. Testing Joe Bendik is going to be key for this team. Getting shots early and making the Union trail while they are missing their two best goal scorers will make life hard for the Union and a lot easier for Orlando. It is still going to be a battle but expect Orlando to come out hungry.