CHESTER, Pa.A wild game against an archrival? A welcome party for one of the best players in the world? An offensive revival? The captain on the trading block? A sensational effort followed by an untimely ejection for an ex-wunderkind?
Yes, it was certainly not a boring week for the Philadelphia Union. Lets waste no time diving right in with our weekly The Inside Doop column.
Three thoughts from Sundays game:
1. Perhaps the most promising thing to come out of Phillys 3-2 loss to the rival New York Red Bulls at PPL Park was the play of Freddy Adu, who was absolutely electric. For most of the first half, Adu seemed to dribble around guys at will and he assisted on Phillys first goal with a terrific cross. Sadly, the offensive display was cut short when Adu picked up two first-half yellow cards (the second one, for diving in the box, was probably a bit harsh) but if he can keep that up, hell be the playmaker the Union desperately need to kickstart a sluggish offense.
2. For just the second time this season, the Union allowed three goals in a game. Much of that can be attributed to the fact that they were playing down a man the entire second half but it also raises some questions about their backline, which again featured a couple of guys out of position with midfielder Michael Farfan at right back, right back Ray Gaddis at left back and right back Sheanon Williams at center back. The shuffling was due to the absence of captain Danny Califfwho the Union admitted is on the trading block (more on that below)and the suspension of left back Gabriel Farfan, who will return next week. But will the Union be able to find an effective foursome that will last all season? The jury is still out.
3. Lionard Pajoy had been getting some serious heat from Union fans for scoring only one goal through the teams first eight games, despite playing almost every minute. That changed in a big way with the striker scoring the first goal in Phillys 2-1 win over German power FC Schalke in an international exhibition Wednesday (in what was the final game at Schalke for world-class forward Ral) and then netting two more against the Red Bulls on Sunday. Pajoy actually could have had even more goals vs. New York but missed a couple of great looks. Still, breaking out of his scoring slump could do wonders for Pajoys confidence, not to mention the Union offense.
Three questions for the upcoming week
1. Will Califf still be here when the Union travel to Dallas on Saturday for their next game? Thats the big question on everyones mind right now. Union officials admitted they were contemplating an offer but stressed that nothing was done as of Sunday. If he does leave, it would appear Williams will take over his spot at center back and promising rookie Gaddis will remain in the starting lineup. Perhaps an even bigger concern is who will fill the leadership void left behind by Califf, who served as the clubs captain in their inaugural season in 2010 and again this year.
2. Against the Red Bulls, much of the Unions offensive pressure stemmed from their formation, which, for the first time since March, included two starting strikersPajoy and Danny Mwanga. That seemed to really help Pajoy find open spots around the net and also allowed Adu to be the second playmaker behind the frontline. Will the Union start two strikers again against FC Dallas on Saturday? If nothing else, it certainly seems to make them a more exciting team.
3. Heading into Saturdays game, the Union have lost three straight games, marking their longest regular-season losing streak in more than two years. Only winless Toronto FC has fewer points than Philly, so naturally there is discontent among fans. And if they do trade Califfone of the clubs must popular playersin the midst of this losing streak, that discontent will almost certainly grow (depending, of course, on who or what they get back in the deal). But while its clichd thing to say, its also important to remember the season is long and the Union, while always looking to the future, are not going to simply wave the white flag on 2012. With the talent they have on their roster, making the playoffs is still a distinct possibility.
Fact of the week: If Califf is traded, only four players will remain from the Unions roster from the beginning of their 2010 expansion seasonDanny Mwanga, Jack McInerney, Amobi Okugo and Roger Torres. All four of those players were rookies in 10.
Quote of the week: Its not Vancouver.Union manager Peter Nowak, when asked which team made the offer on Califf. (The Union previously traded Sebastien Le Toux and Jordan Harvey to Vancouver.)
Player of the week: Pajoy gets the honors after scoring three goals in two games and showing Union fans a glimpse of what this offense can be like when it gets going.
Dave Zeitlin covers the Union for MLSsoccer.com and CSNPhilly.com. Email him at djzeitlin@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @DaveZeitlin.