Yup, 7 points this week. Fairly confident all of us would have taken that a week ago. Frustrating that both goals Orlando scored were preventable, and also against the run of play.
7/9 is good, yes, but when they drop points I can't help but feel that it'll put them back into a funk. I hope not, but I still don't trust this team to be consistent. Especially if Dockal is going to be out.
How can you have this feeling. They are 6-2-1 (2.1 ppg) in the last 9 league matches (nearly 2 months). 10-6-2 (1.77 ppg) since May 12th. Shows you how much that 2-5-2 (0.88 ppg) start hurt us (San Jose, Orlando, Columbus home points dropped). Flip a few results and we are on 46-48 points and in the hunt for the 3rd spot. Glad they are getting the points. They take 3 wins out of their last 8 should put them into the playoffs. They have a decent shot at 4th if they can keep the wins coming. Taking 7/9 in the 8 days with 2 of those being road matches. The best teams take that every time. Yes a full 9 would have been great, but that's like in MLS. Road points 1 or 3 are massive.
Inconsistency is like the only thing they're consistent on, and this isn't the first hot streak they've had only to fall apart down the stretch. While I commend them on their recent good form, I still trust this team about as far as I could throw Ilsinho.
You can probably throw Ilsinho further than Sapong (a target "striker") can send a cross into the box as a winger. I'm not sure he had one successful forward pass past midfield tonight. I don't get Jim's play here.
Seriously.... Also the Union have only dropped 5 points from leading positions this year (3 vs. LAFC, 2 vs. Orlando tonight). That's an exceptionally low number, particularly for the Union. They've had seasons where that number is in the mid-teens.— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) September 2, 2018
I'm not fearing a funk. I really think we turned the corner (for this year at least). The result is the same on paper and timing wise of the game tying goal, but it just doesn't feel like the Union of old. They controlled the game, they were without a doubt the better team even after they lost Dockal, and even after Ilsinhio had to be swapped for dead weight Accam. This is something where you were rooting for them to pull it out rather than rooting for them not to blow it. Good feelings aside - without a doubt left two points on the table, they need to execute on games like this and they didn't. Even if Fafa didn't score that goal and it ended 1-1 I'd feel the same way. Orlando was BEGGING for us to win that game and I think we know that the team is now capable of doing that but we didn't. Doesn't help that the Crew beat NYCFC tonight either... would have been good to keep that gap as narrow as possible with a crowded schedule that demands rotation for open cup on the horizon. This team is much better than it was, but they still need every edge they can get, the home game would be huge.
I mean I'm really not buying the faith here. The Union play some good soccer right now. For sure. They're also notoriously good at regressing to poor form. We're talking about a sub-season stretch of games. I think the sample size is still too small to say this is the new "normal" for them.
The biggest indicator for me is they aren't playing scared on the road. They've never done that in their history. They aren't world beaters by any stretch of the imagination, and there is A LOT that can be done to improve this team, but this a ********-ton better than the shit we've been fed the last 9 years. Yes, they are great a regressing, but in the past they have already regressed by now. They aren't off the hook at all in my book... they need to do better, they need to spend more, they need to get better players and bolster the team... but visually they are noticeably better and more appealing to watch and it doesn't look like a flash in the pan that we may have seen on the odd game here and there in the past, this isn't just an unbeaten streak, we've had some of those in the past, but they didn't scream confidence the way this run of games has... this is a streak where they are unbeaten and they look good doing it.. they are sustaining it over a long stretch. This is the first real forward progress I think I've ever seen out of the team. Long long long ways to go until they are golden (or platinum) in my book.. but this is at least a start. (and yes, my goal posts will keep moving, as they get better we should demand more and more... never be content)
I commend the effort to try to win on the road which, like the others have mentioned, is not something they have tried to do in the past. Orlando was begging to be beaten today and it almost happened, if not for the fact that Gaddis is not a professional player.
They've actually been playing like this since May. They've been improving every game. Hell, they played very well against Portland and really should have gotten at least a point in that game if not for two individual errors. They're one poorly timed Gaddis challenge/Will Johnson dive from taking all 3 points tonight. Again, Orlando was begging the Union to take all three points. They are clearly a team that is mailing it in. The Union are also clearly a better team this season. In years past they would have lost this game tonight, in addition to the New England games. Probably wouldn't have won against DC midweek either. They just took 13/15 points from teams they are in direct competition with for a playoff spot. 7 of those points came on the road too!
They’ve done well. They are playing much better. They’ve got two weeks to heal up cause the last few games matter. They’re in the playoffs, they’ve got a 10 point lead on a shit Revs team. If you give DC all 9 in the three in hand they’ve got, we are still 4 points clear. MTL - 3 @SEA -0 SKC - 1 @HOU @CMB -0 Cup hangover MNU - 3 RB - 1/3 @NYC- 1/3 I’ve got them getting 8-10 points thinking they’re going to only win one of the NY games or draw both. I don’t see them losing both. Tough to predict because the first round byes might be set by then so who knows who rests starters. The NYC game may be the preview of first round playoff. I’m not fussed about the dropped points last night. They’re going to track right into 4th/5th and win a trophy. The only way Curtin blows this and enters Marv Levy territory if he completely botches the lineups for KC. If there was ever a game to start Creavalle, Jones, Fabinho and Simpson, it’s this one. Rest to Win that Cup and we’re playing Champions League matches and celebrating a trophy.
I'm not doubting they'll pick up a playoff spot, but I'm still not sold they won't just limp in and go out in the first round. It's an improvement for sure, but they need to actually do better than losing a Cup final and a first round playoff exit. Otherwise we're right back where we were in 2016.
I know negativity is your shtick, and I appreciate the fact that the first part of your post was fairly complementary, but this statement makes me believe that you haven't actually watched any of the Union games recently, maybe just the highlights. Gaddis will never be an all-star, but in a salary cap league with a dearth of LB talent, he is above average (seriously, have you seen some of the FBs in this league?). Since you only pop-up when something bad happens, you did see Fabinho against Portland, right?
FYP It would be a hugely pleasant surprise if the Union ponied up the $$$ to pay the hefty transfer fee............unfortunately that is NOT happening.
I think they win the Cup and a first rounder. Pretty sure nobody here is accusing me of being the overly optimistic sort. Two years ago I was out front saying they’d make the playoffs. I’m not negative about this team, unfortunately I’m realistic. To Ed’s point, yeah failing to win the Cup and limping out is cause for termination for everyone from Albright and Curtin to the schmuck who didn’t order enough dogs for dollar dog night (thought I’d forgotten about that, well I’m still bitter). And realistically, a Cup win and a FR loss is ok, not great, because I’d like to get that “9 years 0 postseason wins” thing off our back.
I am 100% with you in that I'm a realist also. I'm certainly not overly optimistic but I'm not negadelphian either. Realistically though, the Union are underdogs in the USOC Finals and will be underdogs in the playoffs unless they can move into 4th place which seems unlikely. I'm hopeful that they'll win the Cup and/or a playoff game but realistic that losses all around are most likely.