Philadelphia Union: CJ Sapong is Close to Returning

Lost amid all the turmoil around the Philadelphia Union is that CJ Sapong has been out with an injury since the Copa America break.

The Philadelphia Union’s target forward has been missing for three games and while they have scored goals it doesn’t mean that they haven’t missed his impact on games. CJ Sapong is a stereotypical target forward, he’s big, strong, and good in the air but the thing that sets him apart from the average forward is his defensive work rate.

That unique combination helps wear down the opposition by the end of the game to secure wins for the Philadelphia Union. After Sapong went down in the first half of the Columbus game with an ankle injury rookie Fabian Herbers has gotten all of the starts at striker. While he’s been serviceable in Sapong’s stead it’s clear that he’s not cut out to be a starter yet and he may not even truly have the skill set of a standard target forward.

Herbers is a guy that has great technique and is good with the ball at his feet but he can also get squeezed while in the middle of back lines that focus on him. It looks like he’s more suited to either a winger or center forward role where he has more space to roam and uncork his wicked bender of a shot.

But have no fear because according to Kevin Kinkead of Philly Voice, CJ Sapong is nearing his return to the team. Just imagine how many goals that this lineup can score once Sapong returns. Who needs defense then? (Just kidding we really need defense but goals are good too)

in an interview after Monday’s training session, Sapong said,

"“I can do everything half to 75 percent. Just the way I play, I do everything a hundred percent, so maybe it’s those cuts (that are noticeable), and sometimes I land awkwardly. It’s those little things that don’t seem like they matter when you’re okay.”“But when you get a little tweak or an injury they matter a little bit more. I’m just trying to make sure that I cover all of my bases and when I come back, that I’m back for good. I don’t want to come back, tweak it again, and be out for more time.”"

Sapong is taking his return slowly and rightfully so, while the Philadelphia Union have struggled with him out losing Sapong for the season could derail the team’s shot at the playoffs. For a striker that puts in as much effort as Sapong, he needs to be fully healthy before he steps on the pitch but he’s progressing well.

More from Philadelphia Union

With Sapong back Herbers will be able to slot back into a role that he’s more comfortable in, using his speed to exploit tired back lines. It’s a very dangerous skill that helps the Philadelphia Union close out games and it’s something that they’ve missed while Sebastian Le Toux and Chris Pontius have been the backup strikers for the squad. Teams have to respect Herbers as a scoring threat and they can’t throw everything forward because there’s always a chance that he’ll get loose.

While the Philadelphia Union have clearly missed Vincent Nogueira, it’s also pretty clear that they’re missing Sapong too. His skill set is harder to replace than Nogueira’s especially when it comes to playing team defense. Sapong didn’t give a timetable for his return but doing the math if it took him 26 days to get to 75 percent it would probably take him around 13 to get to 100 percent putting him about two weeks or so out from returning.

Next: Tranquillo Barnetta is not the answer at the #8

Hopefully, CJ Sapong returns soon to give the Union a consistent presence up top. In their current lineup, he could easily add to their tally of five goals. Sapong’s return would also restore a vital weapon to the team as they look to extend their grip on top of the Eastern Conference.

Home/Philadelphia Union