Section 215
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Philadelphia Union: Taking a look at July’s Gold Cup stretch

By Larry Henry

Apr 22, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Montreal Impact midfielder Patrice Bernier (8) kicks the ball past Philadelphia Union midfielder Alejandro Bedoya (11) during the first half at Talen Energy Stadium. The game ended in a 3-3 draw. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Montreal Impact midfielder Patrice Bernier (8) kicks the ball past Philadelphia Union midfielder Alejandro Bedoya (11) during the first half at Talen Energy Stadium. The game ended in a 3-3 draw. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Philadelphia Union will have a rough stretch in July, playing six matches during the month. The positive is several of the opposition’s players will be gone due to the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Jim Curtin’s Philadelphia Union have six MLS matches approaching in the month of July, with two coming against the New England Revolution and another two coming against the Columbus Crew.

With the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup scheduled to begin on July 6th, plenty of MLS sides will be without key players during this part of the season. The Union will be without midfielder Alejandro Bedoya who was recently chosen as a part of Bruce Arena’s 23-man roster for the tournament. Also, goalkeeper Andre Blake will represent Jamaica, while C.J. Sapong and Chris Pontius can also be called in by the U.S.

We at Section 215 decided to take a closer look at the upcoming six matches.  The Impact, Revolution, and Sporting KC should all see players miss time due to this tournament, but also to friendlies prior to the tournament’s opener.

Sunday, July 2nd – vs. New England Revolution 5:00 p.m.

With only five days until the opening match of the Gold Cup, several participants will be playing friendlies for preparation. For July’s opener vs. New England the Union will be missing Alejandro Bedoya who has a friendly with the United States against Ghana. Goalkeeper Andre Blake should be in goal this weekend, but will be with Jamaica starting on the 6th.

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As for New England, midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson should be available despite being called in by Jamaica. Midfielder Kelyn Rowe and forward Juan Agudelo will join Bedoya in the United States’s friendly on July 1st. Rowe has three assists in 17 league appearances, while Agudelo leads the team with seven goals. Even without Agudelo, the Revolution still have Kei Kamara leading the line with Lee Nguyen running the show in midfield.

Thursday, July 6th – @ Sporting KC 8:30 p.m.

A day before the opener of the tournament, the Union face a winnable match in Kansas City. Peter Vermes’ side will be missing three key players who all are apart of the United States’ roster. Wingback Graham Zusi, defender Matt Besler, and forward Dom Dwyer were all chosen by Bruce Arena for the Gold Cup roster. Besler has three assists in 17 league appearances this season, and is a key part of KC’s back-line. Zusi also has three assists this season, seeing a much-different role for the U.S. than K.C. Dwyer is second on the team with five goals, but is looking to make an impact for his nation after several strong MLS campaigns.

Wednesday, July 19th – @ Montreal Impact 7:30 p.m.

A midweek showdown in Canada could provide a good opportunity for three points. With this match coming 13 days after their last fixture, the Philadelphia Union should be well rested and prepared. The Impact will miss three players who all will represent Canada in the Gold Cup. Back-up keeper Maxime Crepeau has been selected, while midfielder Patrice Bernier and forward Anthony Jackson-Hamel also should be gone for this match. Bernier is a defensive midfielder for the Impact, who also has chipped in three assists in 13 league appearances. Jackson-Hamel is second on the team with five goals, which means either Dominic Oduro or Matteo Mancosu will slide in up top.

Saturday, July 22nd – @ Columbus Crew 7:30 p.m.

The Crew as of now have no players selected for international duty in the Gold Cup. The Union could see both Bedoya and Blake back at this point, if Jamaica or the United States fail to make it out of the group stage. The quarterfinals begin on June 19th with the final coming a week later on the 26th. C.J. Sapong and Chris Pontius can also be called into the U.S. squad, so they could also be gone at this point.

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Wednesday, July 26th – vs. Columbus Crew 7:30 p.m.

As previously stated, the Crew have no players selected for international duty at this point. The Union may have Bedoya and Blake at this point, but there is no guarantee that will happen.

Saturday, July 29th – @ New England Revolution 7:30 p.m.

With the tournament concluding on the 26th, both sides should be back to full strength for this showdown at Gillette Stadium.  Bearing any injuries, Alejandro Bedoya should be back in the midfield while Andre Blake should resume his starting role in between the posts.

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