VS. DATE / TIME: Saturday, April 27, 2019 5:00 PM EDT MATCH PREVIEW: MLS Match Preview VENUE: BC Place Vancouver, British Columbia Tickets GAMETIME FORECAST: Clouds and sun (retractable roof) Temp: 54° Feels Like: 59° 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, June 23, 2018 Talen Energy Stadium / Chester, Pennsylvania Philadelphia Union 4 - 0 Vancouver Whitecaps FC MLS Matchcenter
It's a long way to Vancouver...but they pretty much suck, so I say we draw this one. I really think a win is possible, though, but I have a feeling they stick to the defensive look on the road, rather than trying to push.
Vancouver also just handed LAFC their first loss of the season, so who knows? MLS is so unpredictable at times.
Vancouver has been much better recently. They beat LAFC on Wednesday at home and then narrowly lost at Orlando 3 days later. The Union likely will be without Blake, Fabian and Wagner. With home games next Wednesday and Saturday, I would assume that Blake and Fabian won't make the trip even if fully healthy. I also think it may make sense to leave Medunjanin home. And it's a long way to go. There are no non-stop flights from Philly to Vancouver. Even in a best case scenario, it's about 12 hours door to door. And the field is turf. It's either a loss or a "gutsy performance" that results in points.
I would assume that Blake and Fabian won't make the trip even if fully healthy. I also think it may make sense to leave Medunjanin home. Yes - let's save the swollen Mexican ankle and Medunnjannin ligaments from sitting on a 12 hour flight and carpet turf for this one. Maybe Jones even though he has not looked good with Steel. Or run out Crevalle for stability since he always gives a solid performance? Can't say that the lads have not been entertaining this year...
I voted win because I'm feeling rosy... Though not as rosy as FiveThirtyEight who for some reason currently has the Union as the second likeliest team to win MLS cup? https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/soccer-predictions/mls/ I think their algorithm is missing a 'Union adjustment.'
Start planning the parade! I'm gonna go save my seats along the route now. Wonder if it will be in Philly or Chester? Seriously though, that 2nd place ranking is probably bolstered significantly by the fact they in the weaker conference this year (their current point total would barely get them in the playoffs if they were in the west). Somebody HAS to make the finals from the East, and anything can happen in single-elimination final.
Golden opportunity.... go out, spend big in the summer window... bolster the talent on the team... push for the cup.
Serious question: Where would you look to bolster the talent? RB? Ray has been unspectacular but good. I would prefer to see someone with the ability to get forward and cross better. Striker? Santos is supposed to be the answer if he ever gets healthy. Not pick up the option on Monteiro's loan and get a higher priced and better 8? I know that Jim is in love but I'm still not sold on Aaronson being able to keep this up through 40 games. Assuming nobody is injured and out for the season, I don't see a need to upgrade GK, LB, CB, DM, RM (Bedoya), or AM at this point.
I'd upgrade striker and then deal one of the surplus guys like Fafa in league to upgrade RB. Maybe even thinking beyond this season and lock it down for a few years. If their odds look that good, and currently they certainly are a Top 7 EC team, what window are they waiting for (besides end of expansion and top dollar on club ownership scarcity)? Bedoya/Haris/Ilsinho are all in their 30s. This is (again like last year), a "win now" midfield. For all the talk of the Union playing youth, that starting XI on Saturday averaged 27.5 years of age. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/03/01/compare-average-ages-every-mls-team-2019-season Stats don't track to the narrative. Though they're second by a lot for minutes by HGP, mid table when it comes to roster age. So get you a baller who scores and upgrade the "well he didnt screw it up so that was good" RB and make a for real run. ATL / RB /NYC look shambolic right now. TFC seemingly has put it together, but they're always one Jozy hammy from falling apart. DC is solid but they are *checks notes* STILL coached by Ben Olson, so come on let's goooooo. Also, Ive gone completely off the rails for a matchday thread. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.
No Chartered Flight: They aren’t, but for the record, Vancouver isn’t the longest trip as the crow flies. San Jose is.Vancouver: 2,395.61 milesSan Jose: 2,491.09 miles— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) April 23, 2019
He’s correct. To let slip, I’ve been working on compiling all of their league results since 2010 with a travel overlay of miles/time zones/travel time to assess analytically what we know anecdotally, travel west results in less points. I can’t begin to complain enough about the sorry state of affairs of those early seasons from a statistical perspective. But yeah, anyway SJC is a touch longer than YVR, curvature of the earth an all that. Mercator type maps eff up your perspective of distance. And that’s my hot geography take.
ummm... so this was just dropped...wtf man... WTF... In response to me saying... "well at least they chartered to Houston for the USOC final" Actually, the players didn't charter to Houston... the staff did, but the players didn't.— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) April 24, 2019