Section 215
Fansided

Philadelphia Union vs Vancouver Whitecaps match preview

By Chuck Booth

Jun 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Union defender Keegan Rosenberry (12) kicks the ball past Vancouver Whitecaps forward Erik Hurtado (19) during the second half at Talen Energy Stadium. The Vancouver Whitecaps won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Union defender Keegan Rosenberry (12) kicks the ball past Vancouver Whitecaps forward Erik Hurtado (19) during the second half at Talen Energy Stadium. The Vancouver Whitecaps won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Wake up! The offseason is over and Philadelphia Union soccer is back again! Rejoice and be glad!

The Ins and Outs:

Philadelphia Union (0-0-0) vs Vancouver Whitecaps (0-0-0

When: Sunday at 9:30 pm Eastern Time – BC Place (Vancouver, CA)

Where to watch: TCN, MLS Live, TSN (Canada)

PRO Referees:  Alan Kelly, Adam Wienckowski (AR1), Jason White (AR2), Dave Gantar(4th)

Coaches: Jim Curtin (Philadelphia) – Carl Robinson (Vancouver)

It’s a new season:

Time to put last season behind us as the Philadelphia Union are poised to kick off against the Whitecaps. Gone is the crutch of using Vincent Nogueira as an excuse for why the team can’t defend. They will have to cope with a significant injury to Joshua Yaro but hopefully, Ken Tribbett can step in (if we see extended minutes from Gooch, lord help us) and fill the void. It’s time to see what we have in the new additions and time to see if the homegrowns (Auston Trusty and Derrick Jones) will play a bigger role this season. These questions as well as a few others, will begin to be answered on Sunday as we get the first look at the team in a competitive match. Early season MLS is always a crapshoot but weeks are better with soccer than they are without it.

Sapong vs Simpson

More from Philadelphia Union

One of the more intriguing signings for the Philadelphia Union is that of Jay Simpson from Leyton Orient. Simpson asked for a transfer from the club as they are experiencing internal turmoil. Simpson has landed in Philadelphia with a lot to prove and with a man to beat out for a starting job in CJ Sapong. Sapong also has a lot to prove after struggling to close the year.

Hopefully, Simpson’s presence will light a fire under Sapong but at this point in his career Sapong is what he is and I don’t expect much change out of him. Simpson is a journey into the great unknown but given the Philadelphia Union’s current options at striker, it’s one worth taking. Only time will tell if it was worth it but who knows, we could have the next BWP on our hands.

Possible lineups:

Joshua Yaro and Maurice Edu will be the only guys slated to miss this match due to injury but otherwise, Jim Curtin will have a full roster to choose from. A probable lineup based on how they’ve lined up this preseason could be like the one below:

Keys to victory:

  • Sit Back and Counter – With attacking threats like Alphonso Davies and Kekuta Manneh (yes Davies’ two CCL goals have upgraded him to attacking threat status) so going at Vancouver’s throats at BC Place wouldn’t be the best decision for the Philadelphia Union. Instead, they’ll have to sit back, absorb pressure and strike when the opportunity is right. The other option is to bring on Alberg in the 75th minute if it is a 0-0 game and go for the win.
  • #SavesByDre – This could quickly become an evergreen statement for the Philadelphia Union as their goalkeeper will be heavily relied on once more. With the strength of the back line in question, Blake will need to be at his best again to help the Union pull out wins that they don’t deserve. At least once or twice blake will likely find himself in one v one situations and winning those will be paramount to the Union’s success.

    • Shut Down the Wings

    – While the Whitecaps made a key addition to their attack in Fredy Montero their real danger men sit on the wings. Davies and Manneh will give plenty of teams trouble this season but the Philadelphia Union luckily have a pretty solid duo in their outside back positions. Fabinho and Keegan Rosenberry will likely need help from Pontius and Illson Jr. on the defensive end but if they can hold the wings and make the game be played in the midfield, the Union have a good chance to escape with a win.

    Next: Section 215 Season Preview

    This won’t be an easy game but the Philadelphia Union can get a result here. Vancouver are coming off of a disappointing season and have a lot to prove. All the pressure is on them to open the season on a high note after last year’s failures so an early goal for the Union can derail things quickly. The Union will look to start the season off on the right foot to come home with three points to face Toronto.

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