The Philadelphia Union vs. the Houston Dynamo

The Philadelphia Union are playing the Houston Dynamo this weekend. And looking at the schedule a month ago, this game scared me.  A match, on the road against an upper level team meant certain defeat for the Union. Cue the music, lets move on and hope we play Toronto F.C. soon so we have a shot at a win. Then John Hackworth took over. And Jack Mac started scoring. And the Union started clicking.

And now the Union are rolling. 9 goals in their last two matches. And the attacking players who couldn't finish to save their lives just weeks ago now can't seem to miss. This was the Union that Nowak promised us, the Union that we knew was somewhere on the roster. And now the team has a coach that is willing to let it run wild.

And that's what we like to see. The Union are clicking and the are scoring. There is no denying that. And the Dynamo haven't exactly covered themselves in glory in their last few matches.(The same could be said about the Union all season, but let's not worry about that right now.) And up until the playoffs last season, the Union had a fairly solid record against the Dynamo.

So what happens when a high flying team with nothing to lose meets a team who needs a win to get themselves out of a slump? For one thing, a good match. For another, a win for the Union. Yes they will be a little tired from the U.S.O.C. match. But with the offense clicking the way it is, Houston is going to have to outscore the Union to win. And if we take the last 2 matches into account, the Dynamo will need 5 goals to come away with the win.

And I don't see that happening. The Union will continue their streak tonight. They'll continue to dominate their competition. The only worry for the Union will the suspension of Ray Gaddis, but as long as Porfirio Lopez doesn't make an appearance, I think the backline and MacMath will be just fine.

 

So what will the final score be you ask? Another drubbing by the Union, but no shutout this time. 4-1 Philadelphia Union will take the full 3 points from Houston. 

Philadelphia Advances to U.S.O.C. Semifinals

The Philadelphia Union blew past the Harrisburg City Islanders last night. I mean just put on a clinic. Especially in the 1st half. The Union were up 3-nil at the break. Adu, Mcirnerney, and Pajoy had scored, and the Union were rolling. Nothing was going to stop them.

Cue the Harrisburg City Islanders, who came back from 3-0 in their last match to win in PK's. But come on, they can't do that again? Can they?

The City Islanders came out of the break ready to play. They wanted to advance, and they wanted to prove last round wasn't a fluke. So what did they do? They scored 2 goals in rapid succession, and they struck fear into the hearts of fans and players alike.

But did the Union give in? No. They brought the game back under control, scored 2 more goals to put the game out of reach, and cruised past the City Islanders with a final score of 5-2. And with their 5 goals, they have now scored more goals than they did in their first 12 league matches. And they advanced to their first U.S.O.C. semifinal in team history. They'll be playing a Sporting K.C. team in PPL Park. A team they handled easily, 4-0, just this past weekend.

So what does this mean for the Union? Well they finally have a shot at some silverware. But more importantly, they seem to be showing life. They are enjoying themselves. And they are letting fans enjoy the game again for the first time all season. Nowak is gone, Hackworth is in, and this team is flying around the field.

Can they win the U.S.O.C.? Who knows. Will they make a run now to try to get back in the playoff hunt? Who cares!! This team is fun to watch again, and I'm just going to enjoy the ride.

I'm Back From Vacation, and a Familiar Face is Gone!!

So I go away for a little while and Peter Nowak is shown the door. Quite frankly, i couldn't be happier. It's about time Nowak left the team. Now I could do a perspective and talk about the Nowak era. Or I could look at John Hackworth and try to guess at how his tenure with the Union will go, and how long he will last as head coach with the Union.

Instead I'll just look at the product we've seen on the field since Nowak departed. And boy do we see a different team. First of all Jack McInerney, where have you been? Now that he is out of Peter Nowak's doghouse, and in John hackworth's good graces, McInerney has exploded in the last two MLS matches. He had numerous chances and did everything but finish against D.C. United. And last weekend against K.C., he finished up the night with a brace.

And we saw Hoppenot contribute in the rout against K.C. as well. And Pajoy netted a P.K. Overall, it was a weekend that let Union fans see that their is still hope for this team. And it also showed that the Union is not the defensive possession team that Nowak wanted them to be. They can be a flashy, offensive club. And they can compete with the best teams in the MLS.

And that's all i really wanted to see. Let the chips fall where they may, but at least compete. And under Nowak, he took away the team's ability to compete. And Hackworth is giving it back. Hackworth is putting his best 11 on the field and letting them do what they do best.

That's all we wanted to see.

A Tale of Two Adus

The past week has shown us the best and worst of Freddy Adu. From the lows of a defeat at the hands of one of the worst clubs in the MLS, to a pair of goals in the USOC match over the Rochester Rhinos. Now the question one has to ask is, why do the Union play so poorly on Saturday, and so well just a few days later?

Lets examine the Toronto FC game first. Did anyone on the Union play well? No, not really. True some people did play better than others. Michael Farfan is one player who come to mind. Chris Konopka is another. But no one played well enough to win, and for Union, a win is the only thing they need right now. And Adu is a player who needs to step up.

Adu has a hefty price tag. And he has a lot of expectations on his shoulders. I'm willing to give him a pass for last season. Coming to a team in the middle of a season, and needing to get into match shape and learn the offense is no easy thing. But he's here now. He's has an off season to learn what he needs to know. He's had a preseason to get into match shape, and has played most of the Union's matches this season, when he isn't on  international duty.

So I have a real problem when the best we get from Adu is a pair of goals in a USOC match, and 1 good half against the New York Red Bulls before he commits two stupid fouls and gets himself a red. How much longer do we have to wait before Adu lives up to the expectations? Will he ever do it?

The problem is, i can't place all the blame on Adu. Nowak constantly plays new formations, new lineups, and ships off his best players. But Adu needs to be the professional and fight through that. And I want to see the brilliant play we saw against Rochester and in the Olympic qualifiers for more than just 40 minutes for the Union.

The question is, will it ever happen?

A Rare Phillies Post

That's right readers, it's a rare Phillies post. I feel a post is in order, since the team is literally falling apart. Not in the way the Union are, from the coach on down. No, this is a much more literal breakdown. The Phillies are falling apart physically. A quick glance at the roster tells the story. Halladay, Worley, Utley, Howard. All big names, and names Phillies fans expected to make a splash this season. What do they have in common? They're all on the DL right now.

By far, the biggest letdown so far is Roy Halladay. Halladay has been a proven commodity for years now, both as a Blue Jay and Phillie. He's pitches deep into games, throws complete game shutouts. And he NEVER. EVER. misses a start. But that will change now with a strain in his shoulder. 6-8 weeks without the Doc, the Phillies ace and leader.

Vance Worley is due to come back to the lineup soon. So the Phillies will put a proven ace on the DL, and depend on Vance Worley to play the way he did in his rookie season. If he can do that, the Phillies will be able to survive in the absence of Halladay. Will they be in first place? No, probably not. But they can stay within striking distance.

And as for the field players? Utley and Howard? Who knows what we'll get? Utley is a Phillies player through and through. He works his butt off, and doesn't complain. But his knees just can't keep up with his spirit anymore. So Utley will be back. That much we know. But how long will we have Utley? no one knows. And how good will his play be? Again, there is no way to know. It's a gamble, but one the Phillies are stuck taking.

And Ryan Howard is much the same way. Yes, a player can come back from an Achilles injury. But as this season has shown, Ryan Howard has been the keystone for the Phillies offense for th past half decade. And the offense is struggling without him. So will he be back this season? Yes. Will he be the player he's been in the past? All Phillies fans can do is hope.

Any sports season can be destroyed by injury. Rarely does a team have to deal with this much. The Phillies have the potential to be a good team, even a team who can make deep playoff run. But Phillies fans need to hope that the team is still in the playoff hunt once everyone gets healthy again. Because this is an aging team, and they are running out of chances.

The Last Straw?

So was this the last straw for Nowak? The Philadelphia Union were beaten by a team that started this season with the worst record in MLS history.  And they are running out of excuses. In fact, they are completely out of excuses. Let's take a look at the timeline from the past year.

Fall 2011
At this point, Union fans were on top of the world. Their team was fighting for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. They were playing well, scoring goals behind the power of their sure footed striker, Sebastian LeToux. And they were the MLS' 2nd stingiest defense, with Faryd Mondragon between the pipes, and Danny Califf leading the back line. Things were looking good for the Union.

Then the team lost in the playoffs. Union fans were disappointed, but happy. A playoff berth and a home game in their sophomore season? Any Union fan would be happy with that. So despite the loss, Union fans looked to the 2012 season with excitement. They were a club on the rise, with a legitimate star in Sebastian LeToux, a potential star in Freddy Adu, and a rising star in Michael Farfan.

Now
So where are we now? Well let's take a look. Are the Union fighting for 1st place like they were last year? Hmmm, quick check, no. They're fighting for their lives to stay out of the basement. Is the problem LeToux and Mondragon and Califf not living up to their potential? Another quick check, and no. Since Nowak shipped them out, they are all playing well for their new clubs.And the players the Union picked up in their absence?

Well let's see. First you have Lionard Pajoy. Now granted, Nowak has played him as a single striker for much of the season, and that isn't Pajoy's game. But this past weekend, against the worst team in the league, Pajoy was invisible even though he had a partner up top. Gabriel Gomez? I have no complaints about Gomez. he's played well so far, the best of the off season pickups. And Pofirio Lopez? His hair his amazing, his play is not. And that't the nicest thing I can say about him.

The Union have picked up other players this season. But with the lack of playing time for Herdling and 1st round draft pick Chandler Hoffman, I can't make an accurate assessment of how well they'll fit in Nowak's "system"

So where does that leave us? A terrible team. And who can we blame? The constant throughout all of this. Peter Nowak. So what can the Union do? They have two options. Fire Nowak. To me this is the best option. Rip off the Band-Aid instead of peeling it off. Besides, if you fire Nowak now, he can't do any more damage to a team that is already reeling.

The other option is to wait until after the season to fire Nowak. This would be a terrible move. The Union fan base is fed up with Nowak, and waiting any longer will drive fans away. Fans are fed up with Nowak and the Union for the same reason they get fed up with the Eagles and Andy Reid. A coach who seems to wield all the power who refuses to tell his fan base anything. The difference between the Eagles and the Union? The Eagles are an established NFL team with a fan base that will complain but not leave. 50 years of rooting is a hard habit to break.

The Union have no such ties with a fan base. 2 full seasons is all the Union have. That's not much time to build up fan dedication. Granted, the Union still have the River End, and they are still selling out the stadium. But if the season continues the way it is now, that stadium wont be full on a hot and humid July night. So when it really boils down to it, fans need to ask themselves one question.

Who are the Union more loyal to? Nowak or the fans?

The Coca Cola 600

It's time to bring a new sport into the game. That sport? Nascar! Now I will say now that I am a Kasey Kahne fan. So of course I think he'll win every race. But on to what's important, the race this weekend. The longest race of the season, the Coca Cola 600.

So what does this race mean? As points go, it's the same as any other. But it's one of the crown jewels of the season. It's a feather in a team's cap to win the longest endurance race of the season. And it comes on one of the biggest day's in motosports. The day of the Indianapolis 500. So who will win the race? A few years ago, that answer was easy. Lowes Motor Speedway was dominated by the man who drove the Lowes Chevrolet.

But that dominance had fallen off in recent years. Until Johnson won the All-Star race this past weekend. So has Jimmie returned to Lowes form? Is he ready to storm the field at a track he used to treat as his own? In short, no. I don't think Jimmie will do it. Winning back to back races at the same track on consecutive weekends is tough. I'll give you 3 drivers who I think stand a better chance of winning this race than Johnson.


1. Kyle Busch
The driver everyone loves to hate. Myself included. But he always seem to storm through the first half of the season, and this year is no exception. He'll fall off as he usually does in August and September, but this is Kyle's part of the season. And as much as I hate to admit, I think he stands a good chance of making a run at this year's 600.

2. Greg Biffle
Biffle has had an up and down season, but he's returning to a type of track that Roush cars usually run well at. Cookie cutter ovals have treated Roush cars well, and look for Biffle to return to early season form with a strong run in this year's 600.

3. Kasey Kahne
. Come on, you knew this was coming. But seriously, look at his trends. he's won here before. He's had only top 10's in the last month. And he ran well last weekend in the All Star race. So all trends are pointing to a strong showing from Kasey. And he needs a win to prove that Hendrick made the right call in picking him up this season to replace Mark Martin in the 5 car. And he also needs a win to solidify his chances at making the Chase.

So there you have. My 3 top picks for this weekend. Who do you think will win? Let me know in the comments.