CHESTER, Pa. -- In the blink of an eye, the Union went from Eastern Conference favorites to a team with questions.
Following their first home loss of the season, a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Colorado Rapids on Friday, coach Peter Nowak made the surprising announcement that leading scorer Carlos Ruiz will be reluctantly transferred to a Mexican club -- ending his roughly five-month tenure with the Union. That, mixed with the red-card suspension to back Sheanon Williams and the Union are hitting the road shorthanded.
Yet, despite being out-manned and standing on unfamiliar ground, the Union will do the only thing they can at this point. They will try to push aside distraction and attempt to rip three points from the hands of the last-place Chicago Fire Wednesday at Toyota Park.
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This game will definitely be a test, said midfielder Gabriel Farfan. Weve been tested before and we came out on top. Losing players is part of the game and losing Sheanon Williams will be a test too. We have guys who can step in and I think well do a great job.
Part of the test will be finding how to finish as a unit. Ruiz led the squad with six goals and was brought in to be the Unions designated finisher. While Danny Mwanga is second on the team with five goals, the second-year standout is still working to add that aspect to his game. Mix that with 2010s leading scorer Sebastien Le Toux being nearly blanked in 2011, possessing just one goal all season, and its fair to say the Union need someone to stand up and lead them offensively.
We have to think more about attacking as a team instead of attacking as individuals, said bench forward Jack McInerney, who could see more playing time up front without Ruiz. We have to work as a team to create chances for ourselves.
For me, I have to view it as a good opportunity.
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Facing the Fire (2-6-12) is a good opportunity, not just for McInerney, but for the Union to regain the points they lost at PPL Park on Friday. Trailing 2-0 in the opening half, Roger Torres scored in extra time to cut the Rapids lead in half and nearly tied the match on a very late Carlos Valdes flurry. While the team lost its first home match of the season, the late charge was the definition of Union soccer in 2011.
We never gave up, said Farfan. We were a man down and kept on fighting and fighting. I think thats one of our stronger attributes -- that we never give up.
McInerney noted that losing at home may have awoken a sleeping giant in the Union.
Some of us think it might have been good that we lost that game, McInerney said. It shows us first hand that first place isnt a lock, we still have to go out and win games and work hard.
To have success against the Fire, who are coming off a pair of loses but have just three total loses in their last 12 games, the Union have to be confident but defensively sound. This is easier said than done with the loss of Williams, who received a red card for dissent in the second half against the Rapids.
Replacing him will likely be Gabriels twin brother Michael Farfan.
The defensive concept is the same as it has been all season, Gabriel said. We have to stay compact in the back and pay attention to the task at hand. The have some speedy guys up top. We need to focus on our own game and take care of business.
Whoever steps in, if Michael steps in, Im sure hell do a great job. We have a couple guys who can man that outside back position. Itll be nice if he gets the call up to play on the same field as him.
We cant be too over confident, every team is going to be struggle and every game is going to be a fight. We have to play 100-percent.
On the other side, the Union will be fighting to regain first place in the East. Now trailing the Columbus Crew, who have played two more games and have three more points (34) than the Union (31), itll be up to the second-year squad to keep pace with their competition.
I think all of us want to be in the first spot, said Farfan. Itll be good to go there and hopefully end up with three points.
E-mail Ryan Bright at ryanbright13@gmail.com