VS. DATE / TIME: Saturday, March 23, 2019 7:30 PM EDT MATCH PREVIEW: MLS Match Preview VENUE: Talen Energy Stadium Chester, Pennsylvania Tickets GAMETIME FORECAST: Mainly clear Temp: 45° Feels Like: 42° TELEVISION BROADCAST: PHL17 (Local) COMCAST: Channel 807 HD, 7 SD Verizon FiOS: Channel 517 HD, 17 SD CURRENT MLS STANDINGS MLS INJURY REPORT MLS DISCIPLINE REPORT LAST MEETING: Saturday, September 29, 2018 Mapfre Stadium / Columbus, Ohio Columbus Crew SC 0 - 0 Philadelphia Union 0 MLS Matchcenter
Feeling a win in the cards here. A lot of starting XI shakeups on both sides, and the Crew are prime for their first loss of the season.
It will be an interesting game. At a minimum, Columbus will be missing Steffen, Francis, Trapp, Meram, Keita and Zardes. Five of those players were in the 18 last week and four of those players started. The Union will be without Blake, Real, Creavalle and Burke. I assume that Przybylko still will be out with the toe injury. I also think that Aaronson may start at LM even if Jamiro is ready. I believe that Freese was on the bench in Atlanta so Coronel could get a start for Steel in preparation for starting for the Union on Saturday. Maybe we'll see something like this: Picault-Accam Fabian Aaronson-Bedoya Medunjanin Wagner-Trusty-Elliott-Gaddis Coronel If McKenzie is ready, he may start for Elliott. I also could see Ilsinho and/or Mbaizo getting the start.
What I'd love to see: Picault - Fabian Aaronson Monteiro - Bedoya Jones Wagner - Trusty - McKenzie - Mbaizo Coronel Reality check: Picault - Ilsinho Fabian Monteiro - Bedoya Medunjanin Wagner - Trusty - Elliott - Gaddis Coronel
Any chance Aaronson plays? He looked really good against ATL and I was looking forward to watching him again. Also what has happened to Medunjanin? Last year when I watched you guys he looked like one of the best players on the field every game...This year, yuck. Good luck. I see this being a close game, maybe 1-1 or 2-1 you guys. Missing Blake seems like a big loss for you from what I've seen (he's really developed into a nice player), but without Zardes, we shouldn't have much going forward. I imagine we try to pack it in and rely on our stout defense to keep it low scoring.
Aaronson SHOULD play and most Union fans WANT him to start, but our manager is generally reluctant to give minutes to young players unless he has no other options, as was the case with Aaronson last weekend and our platoon of young CB's last year. Regarding Medunjanin, we are using a new formation this year and using him in a role that exposes his defensive liabilities that he had cover for last year but have always been lurking under the surface. Most of us are hoping to see him on a different role than how has been used so far this year, although our manager seems to think he's doing just fine. We'll certainly miss Blake in goal, but I'm curious to see his backup get his first MLS minimum. I guess you guys are without Steffan, so it's probably a wash.
Aaronson will most likely play somewhere at some point. According to Curtin today they won't even have 18 active players.
MLS and their pesky international rules getting in the way of the Union. At least we seem aware of them this time and aren't on the cusp of doing something illegal right before kick-off. To add some details here: I just checked with someone at the club.Burke and Santos can't be loaned to Steel, if the Union choose that option, to open up an int'l spot for Monteiro because of Burke's call-up to Jamaica and Santos' injury. #DOOP— Joe Tansey (@JTansey90) March 20, 2019
They will loan Coronel and Freese will get a red card and Gaddis will finish out the game in goal after stopping the ensuing PK. That's the only way I can see this going.
Counting Chickens Before they hatch again, are you Union? Tanner says he's expecting two green cards in the near future. Notes they will likely have one international spot open and that 26 players on the roster is enough.— Philadelphia Soccer Now (@phlsoccernow) February 8, 2019
I still don't understand how the team will have only 17 players available for this game. Between call-ups and injuries, there's still more than 17. What are we missing?
If Monteiro is not available because they can't clear an international slot, they have 17 available: Aaronson Accam Bedoya Collin Coronel Ilsinho Elliott Fabian Fontana Freese Gaddis Mbaizo McKenzie Medunjanin Picault Trusty Wagner INJURED: Fabinho, Przyblko, Santos, CALLED UP: Blake, Burke, Creavalle, Jones, Real
Remember when HCI only had 14 players on a gameday roster and that was including, like the groundskeeper and somebody they recruited that day in the parking lot?
Per Joe Tansey's Twitter, looks like Fabian may receive another game suspension for the supposed red card incident 2 weeks ago. DisCo decision to be announced today. Would be ridiculous as I don't think the original incident even warranted a red.
Can't find confirmation on MLS or Union websites but per Bedoya's Instagram Fabian is suspended for the game this weekend too. PRO and DisCo hate the Union apparently.