PHILADELPHIA UNION vs NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
PPL PARK, Chester, Pa.
October 6, 2012 (WEEK 31, MLS Game #297)
7 p.m. ET (CSN-Phi; CSN-NE)
It’s the third meeting of the year for Philadelphia Union and the New England Revolution when the Eastern Conference clubs face off Saturday evening at PPL Park. Union won the earlier encounter this season in Chester; they played to a draw in New England. Union are coming off a midweek 3-1 victory at Chicago that halted that club’s charge toward the playoffs; the Revolution remain on the road after a 2-0 loss at Houston last weekend.
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REFEREE: Jorge Gonzalez. AR1 (bench): Greg Barkey; AR2 (opposite): C.J. Morgante; 4th: Daniel Fitzgerald
MLS Career: 87 games; FC/gm: 25.1; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 26; pens: 23
INJURY REPORT:
- PHILADELPHIA UNION – OUT: DF Bakary Soumare (R knee menisectomy recovery); FW Krystian Witkowski (concussion symptoms); DOUBTFUL: MF Freddy Adu (L quad strain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Gabriel Farfan (R ankle contusion/R hamstring strain); MF Danny Cruz (L big toe sesamoid stress fracture); PROBABLE: MF Keon Daniel (R knee contusion); MF Michael Farfan (R foot contusion) …
- NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION – OUT: DF Flo Lechner (R knee MCL sprain); DF Stephen McCarthy (concussive-like symptoms); MF Lee Nguyen (R shoulder surgery); DF Tyler Polak (R foot sprain); FW Saer Sene (L knee ACL surgery); DF Chris Tierney (L knee sprain / L hamstring strain); DOUBTFUL: MF Clyde Simms (R calf tightness); QUESTIONABLE: MF Sainey Nyassi (concussion)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: PHI: Sheanon Williams (caution accumulation; through Oct. 7)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: PHI: Gabriel Gomez, Michael Lahoud
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: PHI: Gabriel Farfan, Brian Carroll, Jack McInerney, Carlos Valdes, Michael Farfan … NE: Kevin Alston, Darrius Barnes, Benny Feilhaber, Lee Nguyen, Chris Tierney, A.J. Soares
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (6 meetings): Union 3 wins, 12 goals … Revolution 0 wins, 7 goals … Ties 3
- AT PHILADELPHIA (3 meetings): Union 1 win, 7 goals … Revolution 0 wins, 6 goals … Ties 2
- 2012 (MLS): 7/29: PHI 2, NE 1 (Adu 59; McInerney 90 – Sene 12), 9/1: NE 0, PHI 0
- The teams are meeting for a third time this season. Jack McInerney’s 90th-minute goal was the difference in a 2-1 Union victory on July 29 at PPL Park, then they played to a scoreless draw Sept. 1 in Foxborough.
- Union have never lost to the Revolution, with three wins (and three draws) in six meetings all-time.
- Coaches record: Jay Heaps vs. PHI: P2 W0 L1 T1 … John Hackworth vs. NE: P2 W1 L0 T1
LAST MEETING
• The closest either team came to scoring was header off the crossbar by Union's Amobi Okugo a minute before halftime.
• Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis was credited with seven saves on the evening, while Union 'keeper Zac MacMath registered three for the match.
• NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-4-2): Matt Reis - Florian Lechner, Stephen McCarthy, Darrius Barnes, Kevin Alston - Fernando Cardenas (Kelyn Rowe 59), Clyde Simms (Ryan Guy 50), Benny Feilhaber, Lee Nguyen - Jerry Bengtson, Diego Fagundez (Dimitry Imbongo 75).
• PHILADELPHIA UNION (4-2-3-1): Zac MacMath - Sheanon Williams, Carlos Valdes, Amobi Okugo, Gabriel Farfan - Brian Carroll, Michael Lahoud - Danny Cruz (Josue Martinez 83), Michael Farfan, Freddy Adu (Keon Daniel 80) - Antoine Hoppenot (Jack McInerney 67).
PHILADELPHIA UNION
Philadelphia Union put an end to their long road winless run, defeating the Chicago Fire 3-1 on Wednesday evening at Toyota Park. Union are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 33 points from 30 games.
LAST MATCH
• Union took the lead after just seven minutes. Forward Danny Cruz found Jack McInerney with a through pass that split the Fire defense, and McInerney beat goalkeeper Sean Johnson with a low shot inside the post.
• Substitute Gabriel Gómez then doubled the Philadelphia lead in the 67th minute, when he drove a line-drive shot into the upper 90 off a nice headed flick from McInerney.
WATCH: Union pounce in midweek win
• Chicago answered two minutes later, as Dominic Oduro settled a pass from Patrick Nyarko and poked a dribbling shot through defender Sheanon Williams’ legs and past goalkeeper Zac MacMath.
• But the Fire went a man down in the 79th minute when Guillermo Franco received a red card for a high tackle on Brian Carroll. The match was sealed in the 87th minute when a low centering pass from Michael Farfan found Antoine Hoppenot for a nifty back-heel into an open goal.
• Union interim manager John Hackworth made two changes to the team that lost 3-2 to the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium. Keon Daniel and Jack McInerney came into the side in place of Gabriel Farfan and Josue Martinez.
• PHILADELPHIA UNION (4-2-3-1): Zac MacMath - Raymon Gaddis, Carlos Valdes, Amobi Okugo, Sheanon Williams - Brian Carroll, Michael Lahoud - Danny Cruz (Gabriel Gomez 44), Keon Daniel (Chris Albright 78), Michael Farfan - Jack McInerney (Antoine Hoppenot 71).
TEAM NEWS
• Union won for the second time in three games after suffering through an eight-game winless run.
• “It was more about reinforcing the performances that we’ve had in the recent weeks. We feel like we’ve played some really good soccer,” said Union team manager John Hackworth. “ … We had a little something to prove tonight. It was satisfying we put in a good performance and we got the goals we needed. Good enough defending despite them being really dangerous in the attack. Great result for us.”
• After going eight games where they did not score more than a goal in any single one – scoring just four goals in that stretch from Aug. 4 to Sept. 20 – Union have scored eight goals in their last three games with multiple goals in each.
• “I think we did a great job controlling the tempo of the game, getting an early goal. We defended a little too much but then we got the second goal and killed it off with the third goal was really important,” said Hackworth. “We have out-possessed most teams we have played and I’ll take the 3-1 win versus losing the stat on the possession any day.”
• Jack McInerney scored his sixth goal – now tied for the club lead with Gabriel Gómez – and added his third assist of the season. It was the third time where he’s been involved with more than one goal in a game.
• “I thought we played like we’ve played all season. We’ve dominated teams for the most part,” said McInerney. “Today we didn’t end up with more possession than the other team but we came away with a win, whereas it’s been opposite for us the whole season.”
• There was a downside as winger Danny Cruz, making his ninth consecutive start since his arrival in a trade with D.C. United, suffered a suspected broken ankle that forced him from the field before halftime.
• “I keep saying that when a guy gets hurt, it’s an opportunity,” Hackworth said. “For players who have not played a lot but are pushing the guys that are playing in training every day, that’s their chance.”
• Rookie Antoine Hoppenot scored his third goal, having appeared in every match since making his league debut on May 26. All three of Hoppenot’s goals have come after he’s come on as a substitute.
• Union return home for their penultimate match at PPL Park this season, with the season finale vs. New York still to come. Union are one of three teams with a sub-.500 record on their home ground – but at 6-7-2, they are the only of the three (also Toronto FC and Chivas USA) with a chance to rise above the mark.
• “For the rest of the season, our goal is to get better,” said McInerney. “We’ve gone to Los Angeles and beat them; we’ve gone to Kansas City and smashed them at home. We know we can play with the best teams.”
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution lost for a fifth straight match on their travels, falling 2-0 to the Houston Dynamo on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Revolution are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with 29 points from 31 games.
LAST MATCH
• The Dynamo finally broke through in the 77th minute. Brad Davis hit in a short cross and Ricardo Clark kept his footing long enough to just get enough of a touch to send it inside the far post, past New England goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth.
WATCH: Revs fall in Houston
• Houston added a second in the 93rd minute when rookie Warren Creavalle pushed the ball down field and hit a curling cross that found a streaking Boniek García, who drove home a shot from the top of the box.
• Revolution head coach Jay Heaps made four changes to the team that finished in a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls at Gillette Stadium. Stephen McCarthy came into the back for the injured Florian Lechner, Benny Feilhaber and Fernando Cardenas started in midfield for Ryan Guy and Lee Nguyen, and Dimitry Imbongo started up top in place of Diego Fagundez.
• NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-4-2): Bobby Shuttleworth - Darrius Barnes (Diego Fagundez 82), Stephen McCarthy, A.J. Soares, Kevin Alston - Kelyn Rowe, Clyde Simms (Juan Toja 46), Benny Feilhaber, Fernando Cardenas - Jerry Bengtson, Dimitry Imbongo (Blake Brettschneider 76).
TEAM NEWS
• The attacking shutout was the 11th of the season for the Revolution, matching the most in club history (2000).
• “I think we were without our real playmakers on the field tonight,” said Revolution head coach Jay Heaps. “No excuses. We had guys that were given a chance tonight and for some of that they did well, but they needed to a little more at the end.”
• Since the halfway point of the season, the Revolution have won just once, going 1-9-4 since mid-July.
• “We had some chances in the first half. Our forwards did well defending hard, but also getting the ball and creating. As the game went on, we just wore down a little bit. They started sending more numbers and by the end they got their two goals,” said defender A.J. Soares. “Overall, I thought we performed well and put a good effort out. It wasn’t the result we wanted but there were some good things in the game.”
• The Revolution lost by multiple goals for just the second time this season in 16 defeats -- the first coming in just the second game of the season, a 3-0 loss at Sporting KC on March 17.
• Bobby Shuttleworth played a second consecutive game in goal, making his fourth league start of the season.
• “I thought Bobby had a nice game,” Heaps said. “He made some nice saves. I have to go back and look at the tape on the goals, but, from my vantage point, he did everything could.”
• The Revolution did not have midfielder Ryan Guy, as was making his international debut with Guam in the Philippine Peace Cup, where the island nation finished third after losses to the Philippines (1-0) and Chinese Taipei (2-0) before beating Macau 3-0.
• “We were nervous about (him) having three games in a week,” said Heaps. “It was contingent upon the number of minutes (he played). Were we going to let him go? They wanted him so badly that they really adhered to that and he played a total of about 135 minutes, which is good.”
• Heaps gave starts to Benny Feilhaber and Fernando Cardenas for the first time since Sept. 1, with Lee Nguyen also out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery.
• Juan Toja made his third consecutive appearances, his longest shift since his return to MLS, coming on as a halftime substitute.
• “It's a disappointing result,” Heaps said. “I think guys in there should know that it wasn't good enough all the way around. Soccer's 90 minutes. When the referee is against you, the crowd is against you, the team's against you and they're not calling penalties when they should call penalties, you have to rise up. That's a challenge.”
