A few weeks ago the Philadelphia Union was leading the Eastern Conference, and many considered them an MLS Cup contender. We can fast forward to August, however, and things have changed a lot. Poor displays on defense and a lack of attacking power has the Union in fourth place in the East. They are still on possession of a playoff spot, but they’re definitively trending down.
Fortunately for the Union, they are still six points clear from the red zone. But they can’t get complacent and they need to start winning as soon as possible. They are one of the most balanced teams in the league, and they don’t deserve to be out of the postseason considering the season they’ve had.
It’s hard to say when things went downhill for the Union, but the results haven’t been there for them. Since the MLS regular season returned in June 18, Philadelphia has three wins, two draws and six losses. That’s good for 11 points in 11 matches. To put things into perspective, the worst teams in the league average around one point per game: Houston Dynamo (24 pts in 24 PG), Columbus Crew (23 pts in 23 GP), and Chicago Fire (22 pts in 23 GP).
What’s even worse is that they have conceded 24 goals in those 11 matches while scoring only 21 times.
Is the lack of offense a reason for their struggles? Sure, Philadelphia has a few goal-scoring midfielders like Roland Alberg (eight goals in 20 appearances) and Chris Pontius (10 goals in 25 matches). Alejandro Bedoya can also finish inside the box from time to time. And both Tranquillo Barnetta and Ilsinho can create chances with the best of them. But nothing of that will sustain over time if the Union doesn’t have a striker who can score consistently. C.J. Sapong (seven goals in 22 appearances) and Fabian Herbers (one goal in 23 matches) simply aren’t doing enough.
Despite their recent struggles, Philadelphia should be able to bounce back fairly quickly. Andre Blake remains one of the best goalkeepers in MLS. The defensive line has room for improvement, and if they tighten things up a bit then Blake won’t suffer as much as he has this year. The midfield is very good, too, and the addition of Alejandro Bedoya should only make them stronger. As we explained above, however, they need a proven striker to add some much-needed firepower.
The main thing we need to analyze is if the Union will have enough time to turn things around, because they might leave the playoff zone if they keep playing like this. As we outlined above they have a decent advantage, but their upcoming matches include Columbus and Sporting Kansas City before the end of the month.
September will be a key period, however, and it could make them or break them. Philadelphia will take on Chicago before a tough three-game stretch against Montreal Impact (home), Portland Timbers and Toronto FC (both away).
Will the Union be up to the task, or they will fail when it matters the most? Only time will tell us.