Crew Hold Off 2nd Place Philadelphia at Home 2-1

The Union set up in their accustomed 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield. Miglioranzi played in the holding midfield spot with Carroll out injured. Daniel played wide left and Mapp played wide right. Paunovic played in the center behind the two strikers. Le Toux and Mwanga were the two strikers. Le Toux enjoyed his usual freedom to roam and played a little behind Mwanga in order to do so. Because of this freedom he could be found on either wing, and when he did this Paunovic moved further up the field to partner with Mwanga and the wings would move more into the middle so that they could keep their attacking shape. Williams played at right back and Farfan played left back. Califf and Valdes partnered as the two center backs.

Columbus Setup:

The Crew set up in a different formation as they partnered Mendoza and Renteria up top, which they had stated pre-season that this was their intention but they had been unable to do so as both have battled injuries all season. Mendoza played behind Renteria some and did a pretty good job distributing the ball wide, especially to Rodgers, whose cross to Renteria set up the Crew’s first goal. Rodgers played out wide to the left and the rookie Meram played out wide to he right. Burns and Ekpo partnered in the central midfield in front of the back four, and Ekpo was given more freedom than Burns to push up the field. James and Marshall were solid at center back, and may be the best tandem in the entire league. Miranda played right back and Gardener played left back. Both got up the field frequently to provide service.

Thoughts On The Match:

It was surprising that Adu did not start for the Union, especially after starting last week just days after his transfer was completed. With that being said, Philadelphia should be happy with their performance Saturday night, as they appeared to be the more dangerous team and were unlucky not to win the game. They created many more scoring chances than Columbus, and if not for some excellent saves by Hesmer they may have had a few more goals. They created many dangerous crosses down the wings from Mapp and Daniel, and Daniel is much more effective in his new position than he was at left back, were he played some earlier this season. Paunovic was very involved in the match and played one of his best games of the season, and was the best Union player on the field. He troubled the Crews’ Burns especially all night. He distributed many dangerous passes to his teammates, scored a goal, and had a few more shots, one of which he should’ve scored towards the end of the match that would have given the Union the tie. When Nowak finds a way to get Adu into the side, Philadelphia will be very dangerous come playoff time.

Columbus, even though they were outplayed, showed why they are in first place, Defense. The Columbus back four and goalkeeper are among the best in the league. James and Marshall partner very effectively with one another and continue to pile up good performances game after game. It was obvious that the Crew miss Gaven’s presence in the lineup as they lacked the dangerous passes and runs that he provides. Rodgers continues to impress and was very dangerous for the Crew all evening, creating both of their goals. It was interesting to see Mendoza and Renteria partnered up top, with Mendoza sitting a little deeper. Even though Mendoza made some nice passes, he looked out of position and the Crew would have been better off had they let him play all the way up top with Renteria and moved Ekpo up to play behind the two strikers, forming a diamond midfield. It would have given them a more attacking edge that they lacked Saturday night.

Conclusion:

The Union should feel good about their performance, as they are still in second place and are not at full strength as they are still trying to integrate Adu into their team. It looks as though Nowak will look to play Adu wide, as that is where he finished lat weeks match and that is where he played vs. Columbus on Saturday after being substituted in. I would look for him to replace Daniel and witch sides with Mapp so he can play wide right, in a similar position to the where he played for the USA in the Gold Cup final against Mexico in Bob Bradley’s 4-4-2. Union fans should be feeling good with the team that they have, as they will be the favorite to come out of the East.

The Crew have to feel good to get the three points and increase their lead to 6 points over the Union. They tried a new look up top with Mendoza and Renteria, and they may tinker with it as they get more games together under their belt. As Gaven returns they will be even more dangerous, and with their stalwart back line, they could make a run in the playoffs if they can find goals as they did Saturday.

Thoughts on the match? The Crew in 1st place? Freddy Adu’s best position?

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