|
|
Philadelphia Union Vs Real Salt Lake: Head To Head Preview
By Keith Hickey and Jeremy Horton
On Form
Philadelphia Union: Thank Zolo for Sebastien Le Toux. Of the 21 league goals Philadelphia has scored this year, only five weren't scored or assisted by the talismanic Frenchman. With his goals, the Union is fighting to move into the lower middle table. Without them, they'd surely be in the cellar below D.C. United. Speaking of goals, Alejandro Moreno will be delighted with his first in blue and gold. It wasn't pretty, but it counted. New signing Justin Mapp has been earning rave reviews for his performances on the flank.
Real Salt Lake: Salt Lake continue to grind out results on the road, this time coming back from an early deficit to draw the red-hot Kansas City Wizards 1-1. After a poor opening 15 minutes, RSL stood toe-to-toe with KC the rest of the way to earn a deserved point. And if it weren't for some great goalkeeping by Jimmy Nielsen, Real could have taken the whole enchilada. Robbie Findley has quietly become one of the hottest strikers in the league at the moment, scoring five goals in his last seven appearances.
Off Target
Philadelphia: The defense, especially in net, is a shambles right now. Philadelphia are the only team in the league who have yet to keep a clean sheet. Under-pressure starter Chris Seitz was on the bench against FC Dallas on Sunday due to an illness, but had to be pressed into service when understudy Brad Knighton was ejected in the 23rd minute. Captain Danny Califf has also been taking heat for his recent performances, receiving the blame for both of Columbus's goals on Thursday. Poor set-piece defense and poor discipline continue to be the Union's twin Achilles heels.
Salt Lake: The defending champs continue to appear a little lost on both sides of the ball. No, it's not a complete meltdown by any means, but the crisp passing and darting runs aren't quite there at the moment, nor is the tight marking in the box. The size of CommunityAmerica Ballpark certainly was a factor, but RSL is a team that usually looks pretty good playing in tight spaces, and Saturday they weren't.
Tactics
Philadelphia: Peter Nowak has been experimenting with his formation somewhat, intent on shoehorning in as many attacking midfielders as possible. Moreno leads the attack up front, while the slightly withdrawn Le Toux and Mapp have been given license to roam behind him. Fred and Eduardo Coudet provide deeper playmaking options.
Salt Lake: The million-dollar question this week will revolve around who's going to play striker. Both usual starters (Alvaro Saborio and Findley) are off with their respective national teams on Tuesday night, leaving them just under 24 hours to make it to Philadelphia. It's safe to assume both will be available but probably not for 90 minutes. RSL may be forced to start one proven striker (Fabian Espindola) and one unproven striker (Pablo Campos). Or Kreis may opt to go to a 4-5-1 to take advantage of a deep midfield pool, but at that point one has to think that they'd be playing for a draw, something head coach Jason Kreis is loathe to do.
Intangibles
Philadelphia: For the Union, it's all about bouncebackability. They've had a rough couple of days against Columbus and Dallas, now they must put those matches behind them and focus on beating The Royals. The experience of new signings like Mapp and Coudet should be an invaluable asset in that department. Philadelphia will also look to its strong home record. Despite being second to last overall in MLS, they're a respectable 3-2-3 in front of the River End this season, compared to a dismal 1-10-0 on the road.
Salt Lake: Not to sound snobbish, but this game probably means more to Philly than it does to RSL, who have bigger worries than getting full points this week. Both teams are playing on three days rest, but give the advantage to the Union who benefit from playing the rubber match at home in front of their fans. These factors, the absences at forward, and the fact that this is RSL's first-ever trip to the hostile environment in Philadelphia might lend credence to the play-it-safe approach Kreis might go with.
Outcome
Philadelphia: The Union have been struggling lately, and a visit from the defending Champions will surely be unwelcome. Even the comfort of PPL has been to naught lately, as the Union have won just 1 of their last four matches in Chester. 3-1 Real Salt Lake.
Salt Lake: The Union are a flat out good team at home, and a win over the champs would certainly be a feather in their cap. Everybody will be tired, so that's all sixes. But the cards certainly line up well for Philadelphia, and they for sure have the quality to beat Real. Philadelphia Union 1-0 Real Salt Lake.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
Philadelphia Union: Thank Zolo for Sebastien Le Toux. Of the 21 league goals Philadelphia has scored this year, only five weren't scored or assisted by the talismanic Frenchman. With his goals, the Union is fighting to move into the lower middle table. Without them, they'd surely be in the cellar below D.C. United. Speaking of goals, Alejandro Moreno will be delighted with his first in blue and gold. It wasn't pretty, but it counted. New signing Justin Mapp has been earning rave reviews for his performances on the flank.
Real Salt Lake: Salt Lake continue to grind out results on the road, this time coming back from an early deficit to draw the red-hot Kansas City Wizards 1-1. After a poor opening 15 minutes, RSL stood toe-to-toe with KC the rest of the way to earn a deserved point. And if it weren't for some great goalkeeping by Jimmy Nielsen, Real could have taken the whole enchilada. Robbie Findley has quietly become one of the hottest strikers in the league at the moment, scoring five goals in his last seven appearances.
Off Target
Philadelphia: The defense, especially in net, is a shambles right now. Philadelphia are the only team in the league who have yet to keep a clean sheet. Under-pressure starter Chris Seitz was on the bench against FC Dallas on Sunday due to an illness, but had to be pressed into service when understudy Brad Knighton was ejected in the 23rd minute. Captain Danny Califf has also been taking heat for his recent performances, receiving the blame for both of Columbus's goals on Thursday. Poor set-piece defense and poor discipline continue to be the Union's twin Achilles heels.
Salt Lake: The defending champs continue to appear a little lost on both sides of the ball. No, it's not a complete meltdown by any means, but the crisp passing and darting runs aren't quite there at the moment, nor is the tight marking in the box. The size of CommunityAmerica Ballpark certainly was a factor, but RSL is a team that usually looks pretty good playing in tight spaces, and Saturday they weren't.
Tactics
Philadelphia: Peter Nowak has been experimenting with his formation somewhat, intent on shoehorning in as many attacking midfielders as possible. Moreno leads the attack up front, while the slightly withdrawn Le Toux and Mapp have been given license to roam behind him. Fred and Eduardo Coudet provide deeper playmaking options.
Salt Lake: The million-dollar question this week will revolve around who's going to play striker. Both usual starters (Alvaro Saborio and Findley) are off with their respective national teams on Tuesday night, leaving them just under 24 hours to make it to Philadelphia. It's safe to assume both will be available but probably not for 90 minutes. RSL may be forced to start one proven striker (Fabian Espindola) and one unproven striker (Pablo Campos). Or Kreis may opt to go to a 4-5-1 to take advantage of a deep midfield pool, but at that point one has to think that they'd be playing for a draw, something head coach Jason Kreis is loathe to do.
Intangibles
Philadelphia: For the Union, it's all about bouncebackability. They've had a rough couple of days against Columbus and Dallas, now they must put those matches behind them and focus on beating The Royals. The experience of new signings like Mapp and Coudet should be an invaluable asset in that department. Philadelphia will also look to its strong home record. Despite being second to last overall in MLS, they're a respectable 3-2-3 in front of the River End this season, compared to a dismal 1-10-0 on the road.
Salt Lake: Not to sound snobbish, but this game probably means more to Philly than it does to RSL, who have bigger worries than getting full points this week. Both teams are playing on three days rest, but give the advantage to the Union who benefit from playing the rubber match at home in front of their fans. These factors, the absences at forward, and the fact that this is RSL's first-ever trip to the hostile environment in Philadelphia might lend credence to the play-it-safe approach Kreis might go with.
Outcome
Philadelphia: The Union have been struggling lately, and a visit from the defending Champions will surely be unwelcome. Even the comfort of PPL has been to naught lately, as the Union have won just 1 of their last four matches in Chester. 3-1 Real Salt Lake.
Salt Lake: The Union are a flat out good team at home, and a win over the champs would certainly be a feather in their cap. Everybody will be tired, so that's all sixes. But the cards certainly line up well for Philadelphia, and they for sure have the quality to beat Real. Philadelphia Union 1-0 Real Salt Lake.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
-
Philadelphia Union 1-2 Real Salt Lake
- 60 %
-
Philadelphia Union 1-0 Real Salt Lake
- 20 %
-
Philadelphia Union 0-0 Real Salt Lake
- 20 %
| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Sep 3, 2011 | Real Salt Lake 2 - Philadelphia Union 1 |
|
| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Jun 11, 2011 | Philadelphia Union 1 - Real Salt Lake 1 |
|
| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Aug 11, 2010 | Philadelphia Union 1 - Real Salt Lake 1 |
|
| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | May 8, 2010 | Real Salt Lake 3 - Philadelphia Union 0 |
|
Philadelphia Union
   |
||
| May 26, 2012 | Toronto FC 1 - Philadelphia Union 0 | MLS |
| May 19, 2012 | FC Dallas 1 - Philadelphia Union 1 | MLS |
| May 13, 2012 | Philadelphia Union 2 - New York Red Bulls 3 | MLS |
| May 5, 2012 | Seattle Sounders FC 1 - Philadelphia Union 0 | MLS |
| Apr 28, 2012 | Philadelphia Union 1 - San Jose 2 | MLS |
Real Salt Lake
   |
||
| May 26, 2012 | Real Salt Lake 3 - FC Dallas 2 | MLS |
| May 12, 2012 | Seattle Sounders FC 0 - Real Salt Lake 1 | MLS |
| May 9, 2012 | Chicago Fire 0 - Real Salt Lake 0 | MLS |
| May 5, 2012 | Real Salt Lake 2 - New England Revolution 1 | MLS |
| Apr 28, 2012 | Real Salt Lake 3 - Toronto FC 2 | MLS |
| 1 | Chris Seitz | Goalkeeper |
| 16 | Michael Orozco | Defender |
| - | Dan Califf | Defender |
| - | Juan Diego González | Defender |
| 26 | Jordan Harvey | Defender |
| 8 | Eduardo Coudet | Midfielder |
| 7 | Sebastien Le Toux | Midfielder |
| 5 | Fred | Midfielder |
| 10 | Danny Mwanga | Striker |
| 21 | Justin Mapp | Midfielder |
| - | Kyle Nakazawa | Midfielder |
| - | Danny Cepero | Goalkeeper |
| - | Christian Arrieta | Defender |
| 22 | Nick Zimmerman | Midfielder |
| 19 | Jack McInerney | Striker |
| 8 | Roger Torres | Midfielder |
| 14 | Amobi Okugo | Midfielder |
| 45 | Andrew Jacobson | Midfielder |
| 24 | Kyle Reynish | Goalkeeper |
| 17 | Chris Wingert | Defender |
| 16 | Fabian Espindola | Striker |
| 22 | Nelson Gonzalez | Midfielder |
| - | Jean Alexandre | Midfielder |
| - | Rauwshan McKenzie | Defender |
| 77 | Andy Williams | Midfielder |
| 19 | Pablo Campos | Striker |
| 6 | Nat Borchers | Defender |
| 2 | Tony Beltran | Defender |
| 11 | Javier Morales | Midfielder |
| 18 | Nick Rimando | Goalkeeper |
| 3 | Robbie Russell | Defender |
| 20 | Ned Grabavoy | Midfielder |
| 18 | Collen Warner | Midfielder |
| 5 | Kyle Beckerman | Midfielder |
| 8 | Will Johnson | Striker |
| 10 | Robbie Findley | Striker |
| Sebastien Le Toux | |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Squad Number: | 7 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Javier Morales | |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Squad Number: | 11 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
1 
16 
0 
0 
26 
8 
7 
5 
10 
21 
0 
24 
17 
16 
22 
0 
0 
77 
19 
6 
2 
11
Results
Times In EST
Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Kenny Cooper
Striker NY Red Bulls |
11 | 2 |
|
Chris Wondolowski
Striker San Jose Earthquakes |
11 | 1 |
|
Thierry Henry
Striker NY Red Bulls |
9 | 0 |
|
Saer Sene
Striker New England |
7 | 1 |
|
Maicon Santos
Striker D.C. United |
7 | 0 |