[2013 Preseason Matchday 2] Union v Columbus Crew - Feb 13, 2013 p/d/p [R]

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! It's another preseason game!!!!!

If the Union fail to impress in this one, I look forward to this thread devolving into this...

(The guy calling for calm at the end is Dills)

Building on Saturday's game, this is the starting 11 I want to see on Wednesday:

LeToux-Casey
Daniel-Torres-Marfan
Carroll
Garfan-Parke-Soumare-Williams
MacMath

I'm not saying that it's the best 11, but I would like to see Marfan out wide with Torres providing service to LeToux and Casey. This also would allow Okugo to play some mid (although Jordan was really good on Saturday.)

I am stoked for this one! Why? Because I'll be there! Flying down tomorrow for the day on Wednesday. C'mon the U!

Me too.

Florida is part of my territory at work. My guys in Orlando were able to arrange some client visits this week. I have Wednesday afternoon free to check out the U

I like this, but I start Jack over Le Toux, and Okugo over Caroll. Soumare played the last game for a half hour. Let's see if he is fit and holds up over 90.

Give me

Then delete the other one as I accidentally posted it there.

From today's "Final Whistle with Hack". It looks like the subs from the Orlando game will get 60 minutes against the Crew with perhaps the unused group (Konopka, Albright, Mendoza, McLaughlin, Anding, Okai, Kassel, Hoffman, any mystery trialists, a few of the Orlando starters) getting the last 30 minutes so they can play the majority of the minutes in the Jacksonville game on Friday against Montreal.


Now for the juicy stuff, the game Saturday night against Orlando City (OK, I am exaggerating; it’s not really that juicy). While it was good to finally play against somebody else beside ourselves, we didn’t exactly preform to the best of our abilities. Some of that is just a result of it being the first preseason game, some of it was Orlando being a quality and motivated opponent, some of it was heavy legs from three weeks of double days, etc., etc. However, excuses aside, our team knows that we still have a lot of work to do in order to reach the level that we all know we are capable of playing. We still have five preseason games left in the next two weeks. We scheduled that many games so that we could make sure our plan to ramp up each players “minutes” in successive games was achievable. For example, in Saturday night’s match, the starting 11 played 60 minutes, while the second group played 30 (duh). In our next game on Wednesday against Columbus, the majority of that second group will play 60 minutes. The plan is to increase the minutes in each match until all the players are ready to play a full 90 at the level of intensity that we have trained for.

A couple additional thoughts from Saturday night’s game. It was great to finally see Jeff and Conor in Union jerseys. Oh yeah, and it was great to see Seba back in one. Also, how about a rookie scoring a goal in his debut? We like Leo and think that you might see more of him in the next couple games. Our staff thinks there are a few other rookies that you’ll also like before our preseason is complete. Lastly, there were some good individual performances last night, but rest assured, you haven’t seen anything yet.

I am new to the site and a fairly new Union fan (last 3 or 4 seasons, but just got season tix for the Sons of Ben Fiver End this season so I'm am all in).

I am curious, shortage or forwards aside, why haven't we seen the 4-3-3 yet? It seemed well spoken of all preseaon and I was looking forward to seeing it. Plus it seems like their strengths are up the middle with Carroll and Ckugo as DM's, Soumare with Parke in the back starting XI CB's, Marfan as CAM with Torres as a sub, and up front with all their forwards (though some may have some issues switching to the "wing" in the 4-3-3). It just seems like forcing guys like Cruz and Daniel (though I could stand Daniel as a LW in a 4-4-3) and other younger wings is wasting manpower, and most in the MLS teams are going to 4-3-3. It seems with the Union personnel it would be attacking with enough holding D's.

Do you guys think they may be legit and stick with the plan for the 4-3-3 once they are playing with a full roster, or maybe just plan on using as a "mix it up thing"?

You guys and gals can teach me a great deal with your knowledge, and I look forward to chatting with you here and seeing at the games!

This season?

It's been one game...
And trust me, we don't have a shortage of forwards.

The average height alone is threatening one of the most time proven philosophies of Union soccer.

Oh. I agree it's only been one game and a split roster. I had read someplace on here that they may have felt they couldn't have two healthy starting XI's with 6 forwards with the two 4-3-3's (Hack wanted 2 separate XI's for each half), which is where I got the "shortage" part. To the absolute contrary, I know that our depth at forward is a deep strength and hence the sensibility of the 4-3-3.

In essence I was wondering if you guys feels we will play a primary 4-3-3 or that it may be a seldom used "gadgety" thing to get Saba, Casey, and Mac on the field (or for that matter Wheeler, Hopp, Hoffman, etc...) in three forwards (obviously not including the CAM in the 4-1-2-1-2 - I , mean a true 4-3-3 with the 3 mids in a triangle with two holding Mids and one attacking Mid).



This is kinda what I was thinking for an opening day starting 11 to give a visual using the 4-3-3. I guess you could also call it a 4-2-1-3 with the triangle rather than flat 3 in the mids.

I applaud everyone's effort at the witchcraft that is Union formation predictions... but I think we all need to admit to ourselves that we can't really name a formation and then put LeToux in it.

He just simply will not stay put.
Don't get me wrong, I love the guy and how hard he works for the team, but he is either (a) making everyone else on the field adjust to his free-floating position or (b) trying to stay in one position and simply being ineffective.

When it's working (which really is most of the time), then our guys can predict him but the other team can't. And that's brilliant.
When it's not working, then no one knows where he will be. And that's painful.

For that reason I think we should start predicting our formations as if we were playing a man down and just count LeToux as a bonus free floating player.
Like 4-3-2 (+1).
Because we know LeToux will have a lot more impact on the midfield than a 'normal' forward would.

I think that's all of us. That being said, welcome.

If this game ends in a draw or loss the next Final Whistle better include an "It Gets Better" video.

Since some MLS teams provide pre-season rosters and others (like the Union) do not, here is the roster for tomorrow's game based on info currently available:

1 - Konopka - G***
2 - Valdes - D (Loan)
3 - Albright - D***
4 - Soumare - D**
5 - Jordan - M**
6 - Casey - F*
7 - Carroll - M*
8 - Vidal - M**
9 - McInerney - F**
10 - Torres - M**
11 - Le Toux - F*
12 - Wheeler - F (Out - Illness)
13 - Lahoud - M***
14 - Okugo - D/M*
15 - G. Farfan - D*
16 - Francis - D**
17 - Hoffman - F***
18 - MacMath - G*
19 - Okai - M***
20 - McLaughlin - M***
21 - M. Farfan - M*
22 - Richards - D***
23 - Hernandez - M (Out - Injured)
24 - Mendoza - M***
25 - Williams - D*
26 - Daniel - M*
27 - Pfeffer - M (Loan)
28 - Gaddis - D**
29 - Hoppenot - F**
30 - Schoenle - D**
31 - Parke - D*
32 - Harrison - G**
33 - Fernandes - M**
44 - Cruz - M*
? - Anding - M***
? - Kassel - M***
? - Keegan - F (Yet to Arrive in Camp)

* - starter against Orlando City
** - sub against orlando City
*** - did not play against Orlando City

While Hack will likely do some line-up mixing with 3 games in 4 days, there are at least healthy 10 players (Konopka, Albright, Richards, Kassel, Lahoud, Mendoza, Okai, McLaughlin, Anding, Hoffman) who did not play against Orlando City - assume that they may get some minutes against Columbus tomorrow and likely more minutes against Montreal on Friday.

Thank you. I look forward to getting to know you guys. If I get outta line set me straight

And like I said I also now a proud member of the Sons Of Ben, so a hearty hello to them as well.

hey guys im new to the philly union forum but i figured id post because i wanted to see what you guys think about my friend Leo Fernandes. I was so happy to see him score his first goal for Philly against Orlando and I would love to see him playing along with some of the vets like Le Toux and Casey. I know a lot of people didn't expect for him to get picked but the Union have been following him for a while now. You guys are very lucky to have him. He is extremely talented and I know he will continue to prove himself

....

Just #LeTouxIt