2021 CCL Round of 16 - Leg 1 Saprissa vs. Philadelphia Union DATE / TIME: Wednesday, April 7, 2021 6:00 PM ET Estadio Ricardo Saprissa San Jose, Costa Rica MLS Match Preview Sorry I don't have the fancy thread template with stadium pics and weather forecasts, but this should at least get us started. Best case scenario is the Union keep a clean sheet and bag an away goal, but this will be tough one with the home crowd, injuries, and the fact that we are just coming out of our pre-season...and then there's those fabulous CONCACAF referees!
MLS clubs historically have struggled mightily when playing in Central America. Overall, MLS may be a superior league to that of the Costa Rican first division, but Saprissa is a big fish and they always have guys with a good level of skill, and they play with great confidence at home. Given that the Union haven’t played a competitive match in many months, will have a tough time filling the hole left by Brenden, the fact that this is this club’s first ever Champions League appearance, and the reality that I’m not too keen on them repeating their achievements from last season, I don’t see how they get a result in this one. My hope is on Blake keeping things just close enough for a chance in the second leg.
Is this at that f'ed up stadium with the asstroturf that plays like they glued some welcome mats directly to concrete?
Anyone know what COVID restriction situation in Costa Rica is for fans going to stadiums? Saprissa will certainly bcome to play either way whether their fans are there or not, but at least they won't have the energy of the crowd behind them.
Hey, thanks for getting this up! In the back of my mind, I thought "it's not until April, I've got plenty of time" but time works funny during the pandemic.
Yeah, I hear you on that! No worries, you've posted more than your fair share of these over the years!
Looks like it will be 68 degrees and raining at 6PM in Costa Rica tonight. Tony Fontana brace incoming.
I'm thinking the lack of strikers will have a bigger impact on this game than Fontana replacing Aaronson. Blake will make some great saves keeping the Union in the game. Fontana scores a cheeky goal to tie things up 1-1, in a game where they should be down by 3. I may just be optimistic because this is their first ever Champions League match and I'm pumped.
Many of our players actually have experience playing in environments like this. Blake and Bedoya have a lot of CONCACAF experience with their NT's, and I imagine Jamiro and Mbaizo's experiences representing their NT's in Africa is similar to CONCACAF. El Brujo, Ilsinho, etc. all have club experience in South America, so at least they'll all have a good idea of what to expect and be a sounding board for the younger guys.
I’m hoping I can watch this. Feeling positive. Draw. Actually I have my doubts about how the Union will do down there.
🗣𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗫𝗜 𝗢𝗙 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭Tap that RT if you're tuning in!📝👉https://t.co/sGEneJ3h15 pic.twitter.com/vmD143KRgg— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) April 7, 2021
I'll tell you what. For some reason I love these kits with Bimbo on them instead of Artisano. I'd wear the Bimbo version. It's like cartoonishness overload and works somehow.
The ending is what I pictured in my head when imagining the Union in a CONCACAF game. That ref walking around in circles trying to card all the players was comical. I assume dual studs up sliding tackle guy will get a red when they review it. On the other hand, it's CONCACAF, so who knows.
Had it DVRd so just finished watching. Real salty. The end was like an old bench clearing in hockey where it would only end up with only one guy in the box for roughing or something.
Big win for you guys on the road! As an official who follows this stuff, I can tell you I have a better chance of refereeing a MLS match this season (I'm mid-40s and work high school, club, and a little small-college soccer) than Blanco has of receiving any type of post-fact suspension for that assault.
For the first competitive game....very promising considering all of the injuries. Helluva result on the road. Flach was solid. Montiero looked like the Jamiro of 2019. Mbaizo looked much improved as well. Kacper looked lively/dangerous. That said...Saprissa didn't look good. Sluggish, methodical. MLS teams won't play like that. Oh, and as the kids like to say: The Union's new change kit is FIRE!
I gladly eat my words! Honestly, I did not know the kind of form Saprissa had been in and also disregarded the factor an empty stadium can play. Even with those acknowledgements, it was still an accomplishment most MLS teams have not historically made in Costa Rica and a fantastic effort from these guys. Looking forward to seeing the kind of mood these teams will be in next week given how it ended—a clear red card challenge. Great way for Curtin to get his 100th win. That away goal is huge. Love these new blue kits. Far better than the sonorous, unremarkable all-white kit.
As Stu Holden alluded in the broadcast last night I think many will continue to view this team as the Union* since the win was against a team in poor form and playing in an empty stadium during the pandemic. They will say the Union* are only winning because of some special circumstances and are really not that good. Hell, took me some time last year not to think like that. The thing is, the Union* are playing in the same circumstances as everyone else and doing it better than most. I'm not thinking they win the thing but man, that was a mighty fine hit last night if you are a Union junkie. Good to see the goal from Kasper and maybe he will be more loose the rest of the year now.
That's the thing for me. So much about a striker's success is confidence, and I have to think an away goal in CCL to open the season is nothing but a good thing for Kasper.