Photo: Kyle Grantham
Who: Philadelphia Union vs Seattle Sounders
what: MLS Regular Season, Matchday 4 (Actually Matchday 3, but the Miami/RSL opener was clearly a match worthy of a matchday number)
where: Subaru Park, Chester, Pennsylvania
when: Saturday, March 9th, 7:30pm ET
clock: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass
whistle: Not available at time of publication
The Philadelphia Union will take on the Seattle Sounders this Saturday night, with both teams looking for their first win of the regular season.
The last time these teams met on the field was almost five years ago on May 18, 2019. The match at Talon Energy Stadium at the time ended in a 0-0 draw.
The Union has the edge so far with five wins against Seattle and four for Seattle. They tied four times.
Scouting Report: Seattle Sounders
After losing 2-1 in the season opener against LAFC, Seattle played to a scoreless draw with Austin at home last weekend.
Despite having 23 shots (4 on target), they couldn't find the back of the net against Austin, who looked like he was going to get a road point (Austin only had 2 shots total) So, I finished the match with 0.1×G).
Despite failing to finish offensively, coach Brian Schmetzer will take consolation from the clean sheet victory. The hope is that this is a positive early sign that the team can achieve the same defensive dominance it had in 2023, when it conceded just 32 goals in the regular season. , which tied for the fewest in MLS.
The lack of goals in the first two games was definitely a sign of injuries to key players.
Midfielders Alberto Rusnak and Joao Paulo have been left out of the lineup so far. Rusnak injured his ankle during the team's final preseason training session, and Paulo is suffering from a hip injury sustained during the offseason. When speaking to reporters on Thursday, Schmetzer indicated that neither player would be going to Philadelphia.
Schmetzer also confirmed that goalkeeper Stefan Frei will not be selected again. The team had been eyeing tomorrow's game as a possible return for the injured veteran goalkeeper, but Schmetzer confirmed he will be off this weekend and will reevaluate next week.
All of these injuries are in addition to last weekend's disappointing news that star DP winger Pedro de la Vega will be out for six to eight weeks with a right hamstring injury sustained during last week's game against Austin. It is something.
Either way, Seattle still has plenty of weapons they can rely on to find the net against Chester on Saturday.
USMNT forward Jordan Morris was the team's leading scorer with 11 goals last year and is a constant scoring threat on the field.
Peruvian forward Raul Ruidiaz returns for his eighth season with the club. Although he hasn't shown the same sparkle as his goal-scoring glory from 2018 to 2021 (partly due to intermittent injuries), the 33-year-old still has the talent to find the back of the net at any time during a game. . lineup.
Reporting an injury: Dela Vega (OUT) Rusnak (OUT) Paulo (OUT) Frye (OUT) Baker-Whiting (OUT) Rodriguez (OUT) Nathan (OUT – uninjured)
Scouting Report: Philadelphia Union
Philadelphia was held to a 0-0 draw with Liga MX's Pachuca in midweek in the first leg of a two-game series in the Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup. That game took place just three days after the teams ended in a 1-1 draw. On Saturday against Kansas City, veteran Alejandra Bedoya scored the tying goal in stoppage time.
Saturday's game against Seattle will be the club's sixth game in the past 19 days. This will be Seattle's third game in the same time frame.
The schedule will not get any less congested as the Union will play the second leg of the Champions Cup series in Pachuca this Tuesday.
Head coach Jim Curtin will once again face the challenge of rotating his squad against the Sounders to ensure key players conserve energy for Tuesday's crucial Champions Cup match.
His lineup solution could be similar to the one utilized last week against Kansas City, where Curtin faced the same rotation challenges.
Center backs Jack Elliott and Damion Rowe were absent from Tuesday's game against Pachuca due to red and yellow card suspensions, so Union fans will be hoping one, if not both, will start on Saturday. should be expected.
Midfielder Jesus Bueno was not called up until the 74th minute against Pachuca, so it is certain that he will start Saturday's game.
Homegrown players Quinn Sullivan and Jack McGlynn are the only two Union players to start all five games this season. Both players have performed well so far this season and Curtin will be hoping both players are as fresh as possible heading into Tuesday's second leg against Pachuca. I expect both players to be able to play off the bench.
On Friday afternoon, Curtin told reporters he hoped forward Julian Carranza would be available tomorrow, but “we'll see.”
Forwards Chris Donovan, Marcus Anderson and Ty Balibo – who Union fans would love to see on the field – are backup options in the event Carranza is unavailable.
Reporting an injury: Carranza (problematic), Flach (out), LeFlore (out)
Main matchups: Players with a lot of rotation vs. players with a lot of injuries
The Union is dealing with a congested schedule and has been forced to rotate from its preferred starting lineup, while Seattle is unable to field its top members due to a rash of injuries. This game will be a depth test for both sides.
Players to watch: Josh Atencio
The 22-year-old is developing into an excellent midfielder for Brian Shemzer's team. The homegrown signing was signed to a four-year deal this offseason and performed well in Seattle's first two games, hitting six shots against Austin last week.
prediction: Philadelphia 1 – 1 Seattle
Union fans are hungry for a home win. But another draw against a talented Seattle team on a packed schedule would be a natural and almost positive result for a rainy Saturday.