When it comes to their inability to close out games, the Union have yet to pay in full. Wasting a late lead in three of its last five games, John Hackworth’s club has maintained some composure by managing a draw in each collapse.
But that could change on Saturday at PPL Park, as the Union will either learn quickly from their late-game habit or risk getting pummeled by one of the league’s best in Real Salt Lake.
“We have to lock it down and close it out,” said Hackworth, whose team barely survived a 2-2 tie against the Chicago Fire last Saturday. “Our players have to learn from those experiences. I’d rather have that happen now earlier in the year because we are confident those guys can learn.”
Because of their late-game struggles, the Union, 1-1-3, have gone three matches without a win.
“We’ve got to get back on the right foot and start getting these wins,” Union defender Amobi Okugo said. “And I feel like since we’re at home, we can get back to what we’ve been doing well and hopefully get a win.”
Blocking the Union’s road back to the win column is impressive Salt Lake, one of two undefeated teams in MLS with a 2-0-3 record. Salt Lake has earned wins over the LA Galaxy, Toronto FC, along with grabbing a tie against Sporting Kansas City.
“I think they’re very good,” Hackworth said. “They return almost everybody from their team last year, so they’re an experienced team with a lot of quality. They know how to manage games. They know how to go on the road and get results. I think they’re going to be a team that over the long haul will be one of the best teams in our league. They’re possession-oriented, they’re composed when you put it in their end, they don’t seem to get flustered very easily. That’s a sign of their experience and maturity. So it’s going to be a tough game for us.”
According to Hackworth, what makes Salt Lake so dangerous is its year-to-year consistency. And with high-caliber talent like Kyle Beckerman and Alvaro Saborio returning from last year’s 16-10-8 club, the Union will be facing a well-oiled team. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando is expected to miss his second straight match with a knee injury.
“Once you establish a culture, the way you play as a group and you have the kind of players that they have, they have national team players like [Nick] Rimando, [Kyle] Beckerman, those are two of the guys that make them work," Hackworth said. "They’ve been doing that with Salt Lake a long time. Then you have [Jeff Cassar], it’s his first time as a head coach but he was an assistant there for a long time. They have a lot of continuity and they have built it up over many years. And you’re seeing that with this team.”
Saturday could be the Union debut of new striker Andrew Wenger, acquired from the Montreal Impact for Jack McInerney. The move came just prior to the Union’s trip to Chicago last week. Though veteran Conor Casey is expected to make the start, Hackworth noted that Wenger is likely to see some time.
“For him, he’s got to take these opportunities he gets to be on the field and make the most of them,” Hackworth said of Wenger. “And we have to do a good job with getting him service and the play that will make him successful.”
Regardless of who the Union tap to start at striker, all eyes will be on red-hot midfielder Leo Fernandes. Entering the lineup for injured Cristian Maidana last Saturday, Fernandes scored his team-leading second goal of the season. He’s been the most potent player on a team desperate for scoring.
“He absolutely worked and did a tremendous amount on both sides of the ball,” Hackworth said. “I feel like Leo contributed to that result and did a good job. He has better games ahead of him but games like Saturday will really help Leo become the player he wants to be.”