The Nate Harriel and José Martínez Show
Union draw 0-0 with Pachuca and now prepare for Seattle.
The Union hosted Pachuca in an early Tuesday evening kickoff. There weren't as many surprises this time around in terms of the starting lineup for the Union. Here is how the Union and Pachuca lined up:
The match had PLENTY of chances for Pachuca, but only one or two clear opportunities for the Union, including two shots by Uhre at the keeper and a missed chip by Daniel Gazdag. Many may see this scoreless draw at home as a bit of a disappointment. However, this Pachuca side has a prolific front line that is currently leading Liga MX in terms of goals, ahead of even a strong Monterrey side.
After the match, I had the opportunity to ask Uruguayan manager Guillermo Almada about the result and if it felt like a victory considering that the Union are extremely strong at Subaru Park. He shared the following:
"No, a victory is only when we win. This was not a victory; this was a draw. The result of tonight leaves everything to be decided for both teams. Yes, we controlled the majority of the game and we had the better opportunities, but without a doubt, Philadelphia is a great team and they had their chances... But, we leave with some comfort with the way that we played, but I must insist, the result leaves everything to be played for, and the next match in this battle will be as hard, if not harder, in Pachuca."
The game had an interesting call to end the half, with a handball against Nate Harriel being originally called, but taken back by VAR.
Almada shared the following on the call and the officials on the night:
"It seems like VAR indicated something. I haven't seen it, and it had to do with something that happened before the handball infraction. Generally, this was a well-officiated game, beyond the typical tight margin stuff. But I reiterate, we want to win our way and we try to do it independently of where we play. That is what I tell the players, and that is what we try to do."
On the other hand, Jim Curtin had plenty to be happy about, though he would tell you otherwise: that he is not there to celebrate draws at home.
However, to contain Pachuca to a scoreless draw is a huge achievement. The biggest takeaway from Jim’s time at the podium had to be this: his take on the value of having his players play in these continental matches, against opponents like Pachuca.
Curtin shared:
"For them to play in this game, it is incredibly valuable. I cannot replicate that in training. There is no way to do it, the intensity. We have great players on our own team, but when it is a real game of consequence and they are playing against top players, and you don't have breaks like when the ball goes out of bounds, you cannot switch off for a second because the intensity is such that you get punished because there are so many good players on the field."
Speaking of which, WHAT A MATCH by Nate Harriel. Despite playing out of his preferred position, he played an incredible game against an experienced striker in Salomón Rondón, frustrating the Venezuelan to become the player with the most duels lost on the night (13 total). During the match, Harriel completed 80 percent of his passes, won 75 percent of his duels, and committed a single foul in 90 minutes of work. Certainly making a case to be involved in Marko Mitrović's Paris Olympic squad this Summer.
However, José Martínez earned the Man of the Match award for his 92 percent passing accuracy, 18 duels won, and 8 recoveries.
Most importantly, he was at the heart of the plan to frustrate Salomón Rondón, a fellow Venezuelan striker with a Premier League résumé. After the match, he shared the following about the result of the day and the challenge ahead:
"This was an intense match. The important part is that we were able to keep the clean sheet at home. Now we go as visitors to try and earn a good result. This is not over yet; we have to continue to work. We had a few chances; we have to finish those. But, we have to lift our heads and move forward and look towards the next game on Tuesday."
Seattle stands between the Union and the away leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Sounders will be visiting Subaru Park at 7:30 P.M. on Saturday.
One man who will not be available for the match will be Pedro "Pepo" de la Vega. The Argentine joined Seattle over the offseason from Lanús for $6.9 million but will be on the shelf for 6-8 weeks after aggravating a hamstring injury that he suffered while on international duty with Argentina's U-23.
Brian Schmetzer, Seattle’s Head Coach, provided an update on Pepo:
"As far as de la Vega is concerned, it is six to eight weeks... he feels pretty confident about it, but we are going to take it easy to make sure that he is completely fit to make sure this doesn't happen again. It is on both sides, so there are some issues there that the trainers want to get right before we proceed. That certainly is a blow because of how good and influential he is."
I am really interested to see how the Union approach this match. Don’t be surprised if the Union approach this match the same way that they did against Sporting Kansas City; rotation, subs, and hoping for some luck.
Bonus:
Anton Sorenson joins Charlotte Independence
Former Union Academy member, Union 2 player, and senior team homegrown, Anton Sorenson, has joined the Charlotte Independence of the USL. Anton joined the academy in 2019 and was part of the U-17 squad. In 2020, he played with Union 2. Finally, in 2022, he signed a homegrown deal with the senior team.
Ahead of the 2024 season, the senior team declined his contract option.
Subaru Park Expansion being considered
Per John George of the Philadelphia Business Journal, the Philadelphia Union are exploring the idea of expanding Subaru Park to have more premium areas and general seating to increase the overall seating beyond the current capacity of 18,500. The club has sought out the help of the Gensler design firm to help identify opportunities to expand the seating.
As of now, there are nine different plans that the Union are evaluating, and none will be implemented before 2025.
Hartford Athletic - Even more Union connections
Aaron Wheeler, former Philadelphia Union player from 2013-2014, is part of Brendan Burke's coaching staff at Hartford Athletic.
Wheeler made a total of 26 appearances for the Union and scored and assisted one goal.
He joins a long line of Union connections at the USL side including:
- Brendan Burke: Former assistant head coach of Bethlehem Steel, now General Manager and Head Coach at Hartford
- Nick Sakiewicz: Former CEO and Operating Partner of the Union
- Marcus Epps: Former winger and first-team player
- Michele Ngalina: Former Union striker and first-team player
- Brooks Thompson: Former Philadelphia Union 2 keeper
Video Courtesy: CONCACAF, Philadelphia Union, TUDN, FOX SPORTS
I enjoyed seeing Rondón again. After his stints with three teams in the EPL, I lost track of him after he left Everton. On to Pachuca--via Seattle...