Match Preview: Philadelphia Union return to TQL Stadium for Leagues Cup clash
Damon Gumbert
FC Cincinnati continue their march towards a Leagues Cup trophy in the Round of 16 when rival Philadelphia Union visits the fortress on Tuesday.
The Orange and Blue narrowly survived their match against Santos Laguna after penalty shootouts on Friday. The club was lucky to make it out of the match after Roman Celentano failed to save a single penalty kick, with the deciding missed shot coming off an Aldo Lopez Vargas shot that sailed into the stands.
Cincinnati will host the Union in a rematch of their wild 4-3 Juneteenth win. That match saw the end of Nick Hagglund’s season, four days after Matt Miazga had his season ended in San Jose. The Knifey Lion defense has recovered though after the signing of Chidozie Awaziem in late July and Miles Robinson returning from national team duties. Awaziem stands as the lone acquisition for FCC during the summer window so far, the end of which is coming as Tuesday’s match kicks off.
The pitch so far…
Cincinnati and Philadelphia have quite the history since the former joined MLS in 2019. The Union was a team that Cincinnati could not defeat early in their MLS run, going 0-2-5 during their first seven match-ups. Since that time the table has shifted slightly, with the Orange and Blue winning four of the following six matches. The all-time head-to-head record stands at 4-3-6 for FCC, but notably, Philadelphia has not won in TQL stadium since October of 2021.
Many things have changed since that fateful night in June. FC Cincinnati lost four of their remaining six matches before the Leagues Cup break, including losing three in a row at the end. Not only that but reigning MVP Lucho Acosta has been nursing double foot injuries that he sustained in a 0-1 loss to Chicago. Luckily the addition of Awaziem and the return of Robinson has helped a floundering defense. The offense has been inconsistent, scoring four against New York City FC in their group-stage match, but only notching one goal apiece against Queretaro and Santos Laguna.
Philadelphia has rebounded slightly, going 3-1-3 in league play and besting Charlotte and Montreal on their way to the round of 16 in Leagues Cup play. Notably, Charlotte and Montreal were two of the three teams that beat Philadelphia after the Juneteenth match at TQL Stadium. A win against Cincinnati would be the next step on a Leagues Cup redemption tour for the Union. 14-year-old phenom Cavan Sullivan has not made an appearance for the Union in the Leagues Cup, despite being available for their matches against Montreal and Cruz Azul.
There never was a time when, in my opinion, some way could not be found to prevent the drawing of the sword - Ulysses S. Grant
Much has been said about the recent deployment of the 3-4-2-1 (or 5-4-1 or whatever number variation you feel like using to describe this) formation recently. Some think it’s a formation that is being used out of desperation, others a planned switch due to a lack of quality in the striker position. Who’s to say who’s right on this topic?
I am. It’s the latter. Corey Baird has been struggling for form in the forward position, where he was signed to play before the season began. Sergio Santos is a wonderful change-of-pace player, but not one you would trust to play 75 minutes due to his constant sloppiness. The only person the two-striker setup helps is Kevin Kelsy, who doesn’t seem capable of dribbling on his own and depends on someone else to bring the ball up the pitch and pass to him in a striking position. For how uncomfortable Yuya Kubo played at times against Santos Laguna, some of that could be placed on the missed PK attempt. For the most part, Kubo has done more at the striker position this season than almost any other player on this team.
DeAndre Yedlin’s return to the lineup after suffering an injury early in training for the Leagues Cup has made it nearly impossible for Luca Orellano to stay on the right side of the pitch, a side that he feels most comfortable on, when not playing in an attacking midfield position. Not only would moving him to the left side make for less offensive production, as seen by Orellano’s goal against Santos Laguna, but it also diminishes the defensive capabilities of the team. Yamil Asad is a better defender than Luca Orellano. That should not be a controversial statement. Asad is also incredibly valuable on Lucho’s left with Orellano on his right. Yedlin has been wonderful at bringing the ball into an attacking position, even if he doesn’t necessarily have the striking ability. He is by far the best defensive wingback on the team and adds a lot to a defensive midfield that already has Pavel Bucha and Obinna Nwobodo.
Keeping an extra striker fresh and on the bench leaves a lot open for substitutes as well. With Kubo being able to play pretty much any position on the pitch, moving him from the striker position for Santos gives you a lot more versatility than if you had Kubo and Kelsy starting side by side. It also keeps one of your most important players on the pitch instead of being forced to take him off.
Noonan has frequently gone back to the two strikers set up late in games, bringing on Kelsy and Santos and relieving Asad and Orellano (usually). The sword formation gives you the ability to have the best 11 on the pitch at the start of the game.
Prediction
3-1 FC Cincinnati. The defense is at full strength. Lucho is back to training and is getting more and more healthy. This could be the FC’s best chance at winning a trophy this season with other clubs adding high-impact players during the summer window. Stakes are high right now and I believe this club is going to go all out for the rest of the tournament in an attempt to win the whole thing.
I would like to remind everyone, that I was one fluke mistake away from completely nailing my prediction of the Santos Laguna game. I also predicted in a group chat that FCC would only win the PKs if one of the Santos Laguna players sent a kick into the stands. Some people have been saying that I’m prophetic. I will neither confirm nor deny these accusations.
FCC takes on the Philadelphia Union at TQL Stadium this Tuesday at 7:30 pm. You can watch on AppleTV+ with MLS Season Pass or at one of the participating Pub Partners.
