PBP: 2018 Match Day #30: Union v. Sporting Kansas City, September 23, 2018 p/d/p

Well, we no longer have Collin, Feilhaber, or Dwyer, who were three who seemed to draw the most ire from opposing fans. Still have Espinoza though, who backs down from approximately zero challenges. And guys like Sinovic and Zusi are sneaky physical, like John Stockton back in the day.

 

Let us know what you see... Mabaizo seems a lock imo...

I’ll let you Twitter sleuths figure out the Union lineup, but Curtin said every player starting Sunday has experience playing for the team except one.

— Joe Tansey (@JTansey90) September 21, 2018

Only other player would be the Polish guy.

 

Everyone at the Open Practice today saw tomorrow’s starters. Curtin requested that the fans not report on it.

If anyone really cares and is a regular poster on here, feel free to DM me.

 

Fontana most likely NOT playing tomorrow as he is starting for Steel FC today. At the 8, and Arronson gets the nod at the 10.

Here is today's #SteelGoesGold Starting XI presented by @LVHN!#BSTvTOR pic.twitter.com/vLXCiqIqNY

— Philadelphia Union II (@PhilaUnionII) September 22, 2018

 

What a wet dreary morning... lol it’s going to be empty today.

 

That will look great on ESPN.

 

It was an Open Practice that he swore you to secrecy about?

 

Yes. There was an Open Practice yesterday. Curtin said that it was obvious who the starters would be and requested that we not report it on social media.

 

Were the media members sworn to secrecy too?

 

This lineup doesn’t inspire confidence.

1043896990776651777 is not a valid tweet id

 

And lo, it came to pass.

 

I loved hearing Adrian Healey talking about Jay Simpson saying that Curtin had praised his professionalism and that Simpson is a victim of the system the Union play. Way to spend big on a square peg.

#LocalHelmet with a great save.

SIMPSON!!!!!!!


A nice volley.

 

Jay Simpson, goalscoring machine!

Like I said...

 

Called it.

 

We won! I’m in disbelief. What the hell is happening?!

 

That’ll clinch it. Twellman can suck it with “this city needs to support this team”. Yeah, it’s our fault they’ve sucked for a decade.

 

The Union's recent run of results is proof of the Many Worlds theory of cosmology.

 

To be fair he was talking about everyone not on Bigsoccer.

 

What the heck did I just witness?

 

It also didn't help MLS scheduled them opposite an Eagles home game. You'd think for all the data MLS keeps on these things they know better than that by now.

 

Jim Curtin beat the best team in the West with backups.

I have no explanation. I'm soaked and happy.

Also, FiveThirtyEight has the Union >99% to make the playoffs for the first time ever. So that's cool.

 

Gotta give credit to Curtin for playing the correct 11 given Wednesday's final. Even his subs seemed right and timely to me. Also, Simpson has contributed to the last two wins, and I applaud his professionalism in being ready to play. He could have quit on his whole Union fiasco a while ago.

 

There ought to be a Jay Simpson highlight clip in the email basket of every GM of every league even remotely close to the level of MLS by Monday morning. There will never be a better time to unload his contract. Love what he did for the team the last 2 games but I don't think he is the future starter or backup here and this just may decrease his cost to the team (unless his contract is up then it doesn't really matter)

 

If I remember correctly, this is the case with Simpson.

 

Everything about this game was strange and I loved it.