Pros and Cons of Union’s First Two Matches
Before the MLS season was suspended due to the Coronavirus Outbreak, the Union had lost and tied in their first two matches of the 2020 season.
The loss came against FC Dallas on the road in a 2-0 affair, and the tie was earned against LAFC in a loud road environment. The 3-3 draw which was nationally broadcasted, sparked a lot of talk about Philadelphia and their ability to compete against top squads in the league.
Pros
Jakob Glesnes
Defender Jakob Glesnes’ outstanding free-kick heard round the world was the big storyline from that game, and Union fans had no choice but to immediately fall in love with the Swedish defender. He was able to distribute some well-weighted long balls and open up the field for the attackers to exploit. In the few games played, Glesnes was a pro of the team’s limited success.
Matt Real
Another pro was the ability of left-back Matt Real to step in and play well while replacing the injured Kai Wagner. Real was able to shut down attacks and prevent the opposition from crossing the ball in from his side throughout the majority of both matches. It must have been a tough task against LA’s Carlos Vela and Dallas’ Michael Barrios, but Real held his own and fulfilled his duties.
Sergio Santos and Kacper Przybylko
The last pro observed was the partnership up top between Sergio Santos and Kacper Przybylko, as they are shaping into their roles smoothly thus far. This will be a key element of the team’s success this season after Santos spent a majority of last season on the sideline injured. Santos started off the year right by scoring a spectacular curling goal against LAFC in the 29th minute.
Cons
Possession
A con that stuck out to me in the first few games was the squad’s inability to possess the ball throughout the match. Against FC Dallas possession was a fair 50/50, but versus LA the Union only controlled 38% of possession, an abysmal stat line.
While this was probably due to the fact that they were on the road, the Union will need to start taking care of the ball in order to control the tempo of games moving forward. This all starts in the midfield, with captain Alejandro Bedoya and Jamiro Monteiro having to step up in crucial parts of the game.
Holding a Lead
One other con that stood out to fans in the match against LA was the failure of holding a lead on three separate occasions. Santos scored a goal in the 29′ before Vela scored in the 38′, Glesnes notched a goal in the 48′ prior to Rossi scoring just a minute later, and Segura tallied a goal for the home squad just two minutes after Brenden Aaronson‘s goal to complete the scoring. The team must be able to hold leads as the season goes on, especially as they go on to face tougher opponents.
Jamiro Monteiro
The last con was the poor play of Jamiro Monteiro in the midfield of both road games. Monteiro turned the ball over on too many occasions and failed to start up attack using through balls or build-up play. Jamiro was also always a step behind everyone else in the two road games, and he must be on his A-game moving forward. He will need to distribute his passes more accurately and precisely as the 2020 season goes along, in order to ensure production from the midfield.
One player that had the most success and lived up to his role well was goalkeeper Andre Blake. Although he struggled a little against Dallas and made some poor mistakes, he certainly rebounded well against LAFC a week later. Blake made eight saves on 11 shots and kept the Union in the game time after time while ultimately earning a well-deserved draw.
A player the struggled in the first two matches was right back Ray Gaddis, as he failed to slow down former Union winger Fafa Picault and LAFC’s Brian Rodríguez throughout the 90 minutes. Both players were able to get down the wing with success and little resistance, as Ray failed to slow them down to any extent.
Here’s hoping the MLS season will return soon and the Union can continue to build off their impressive road draw at LA in the near future.
Stay healthy, safe, and home amid the Coronavirus epidemic in order to ensure your safety and end this epidemic sooner rather than later.
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