Thursday, April 7, 2011
Posted: 12 p.m.
By Dave Zeitlin
CSNPhilly.com Contributor
CHESTER, Pa.A few days ago, the Philadelphia Union played a Los Angeles Galaxy team that featured the biggest soccer star in this countryLandon Donovanand perhaps the biggest soccer star in the worldDavid Beckham.
A few days from now, they will welcome two of the most revered international players of the past decadeThierry Henry and Rafa Marquez of the New York Red Bulls.
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The Union dont have nearly the same kind of star power, glamour or international appeal of New York or Los Angeles.
And thats the way they like it.
On paper, we might not have the names that those guys have, Union defender Danny Califf said. But I think were as good a team. We have as good a group of guys as far as what defines a teambeing well-rounded and having a lot of heart. And we also have good soccer players. I think we match up with just about anyone in the league, regardless of what names are on their roster.
The Union lost to the star-studded Galaxy last weekendtheir first loss of the seasonbut can still take some positives from the 1-0 setback. The biggest one is that they werent intimidated by Donovan, Beckham, Juan Pablo Angel or any of Los Angeles other marquee players, faring far better than they did in last years trip to southern California when they were routed, 3-1.
After the first 15-20 minutes, you kind of settle in and you realize that theyre just players like anybody else, albeit very good players, Califf said. Theyre human and they make mistakes. It only takes a little bit to realize that.
We believe our 11 is as good as any 11 in the league, Union assistant coach John Hackworth added. When you play a game like the one on Saturday night, you walk away and realize it could have gone either way.
The Union will look to reverse the result Saturday against a Red Bulls team that is loaded with talent. Recently, two-time MLS MVP Dwayne De Rosario joined international superstars Henry and Marquez in New York as the Red Bulls added what they hoped to be the final piece of their championship puzzle.
The Union have a few well-known players of their ownCaliff, Faryd Mondragon and Carlos Ruiz are at the top of the listbut nothing that comes close to New York. So even though the aging Henry in particular has struggled since coming over to MLS last year, the Union will still go into Saturdays game feeling like the underdog.
I think in general when teams face any team in the world with names on the roster that are bigger than what you have on their roster, you always take a bit of an underdog mentality, Califf said. I think thats natural and I think thats a good thing.
Its definitely a good thing here. In the shadow of the New York skyscrapers, Philadelphia has always felt like an underdog city. They like to root for the overachieving, hard-worker types, and build statues for fictional characters that embody those qualities.
Phillys a very blue-collar city and I think they like the hard work and appreciate guys and teams that maybe arent the most flashy or dont have the biggest names, but put the work in and are not afraid to make a tackle and not afraid to be physical, Califf said. All of those things we are. We play well to the values that Philly fans like in their teams.
So New York and Los Angeles can keep their celebrities and the entourages that follow them. The cameras can click and the video can roll wherever Beckham or Henry kick a soccer ball or go out to the movies or a restaurant.
Here in Philly, quietly, unassumingly, the Union are trying to build a championship contender, sans the biggest names in the sport. Chemistry, they believe, is more important than fame.
I think its better to have a group of guys that maybe on paper isnt as talented but you know what youre going to get and you know theyre going to put their heart and soul into everything, Califf said. When you line up for a fight, you want a group of guys you can count on to have your back.
So Ill take my group any day of the week.
Union fans would, too. Its the Philly way.
Dave Zeitlin covers the Union for MLSsoccer.com and writes a weekly Union column for CSNPhilly.com. You can e-mail him at djzeitlin@gmail.com.