By now, most of the Union's starting eleven is spoken for.
C.J. Sapong is your top striker, the backline is holding up well, and Andre Blake is probably starting in the all-star game at this point.
The issue for Philly remains a crowded midfield.
This week, you've got Vincent Nogueira, Brian Carroll, and Warren Creavalle all healthy and available for selection. Carroll hasn't moved from the #6 spot all season, and Creavalle and Nogueira have split time at the #8 spot. Common knowledge tells me that we'll see Carroll and Nogueira on the field together Saturday.
Are there circumstances under which Creavalle could see the field? You could make the case that, playing on the road, his disruptive nature might make him a good selection for a more conservative shape. You would lose Nogueira's ability to distribute, but get more energy and defensive mettle from your #8.
Conversely, you could even try Creavalle at the #6, with Nogueira at the #8. This would theoretically give you more range at defensive mid, while still having Nogueira for possession and ball moving.
This is a road game, in a tough environment, against a struggling team. I don't see the need to change anything right now, so I like a starting combination of Carroll and Nogueira, with Creavalle coming off the bench around the 75th minute.
Is it Tranquillo's time?
Is Tranquillo Barnetta ready to start in the number 10 spot? He played 27 minutes against Orlando and 24 minutes against Chicago. Do you play him 60 minutes, on the road, on a plastic surface?
- MORE UNION COVERAGE
- Game-winning free kick, via Denmark
- Practice notes
- Player grades from win over Orlando City
That's one question for the attacking midfield line.
The next question is whether or not Ilsinho is healthy enough to play this one. He missed the Orlando game with a hamstring injury and was limited in training this week. I can't imagine that he's ready to go. There's no point in risking it.
That leaves Roland Alberg, Chris Pontius, and Sebastien Le Toux as your likely starters for this game. That combo didn't click last Friday, and Alberg looked a bit "off" as he tried to find the match.
Take a look at his passing and shot chart:
Alberg had 28 touches over 63 minutes, which isn't a ton. There were a pair of key passes that entered the final third, and one off-balance shot that was easily taken by the goalkeeper. Otherwise, he went 20 for 25 in passing, with about 15 of those going sideways or backwards.
I think Alberg is still learning a new team and a new league. I don't see any cause for concern. He looks like a talented player who's going to figure it out.
It would be interesting to see him on the left once Barnetta is back in the starting #10 spot, but what does that mean for Chris Pontius? Can Pontius play on the right? Can Alberg play on the right? Which one sits on the bench?
These are all good problems to have.
Sleepless in Seattle
The Sounders started the season on a three-game losing streak and only avoided another loss last week when Chad Marshall scored an unlikely stoppage time goal in Houston.
The biggest problem they're having is a lack of attacking chemistry, which is basically the product of two things:
1. They're playing a new shape (4-3-3) this season.
2. They replaced Obafemi Martins with Jordan Morris.
Morris is off to a difficult start in his rookie season. Here's his statline so far:
5 games, 4 starts, 342 minutes, 0 goals, 0 assists, 3 shots, 1 shot on goal
Those are rough numbers. Maybe the hype from "the mainstream media" put unwarranted pressure on the kid.
Let's take a look at the number from veteran Nelson Valdez:
4 games, 4 starts, 317 minutes, 0 goals, 0 assists, 4 shots, 1 shot on goal
Valdez didn't play last week and appears to be nursing some kind of minor injury. Still, he hasn't contributed much more than Morris.
Now take a look at the efforts of Clint Dempsey and Andreas Ivanschitz:
Dempsey – 5 games, 5 starts, 450 minutes, 1 goal, 0 assists, 21 shots, 5 shots on goal
Ivanschitz – 5 games, 5 starts, 448 minutes, 1 goal, 1 assist, 7 shots, 4 shots on goal
Those lines aren't setting the world on fire, but you see how they compare with Morris and Valdez. Basically, half of Seattle's front four is playing well, and the other half isn't. Maybe this isn't even the best formation to play.
Dempsey and Ivanschitz have started every game this season, but in the past two weeks, Sigi Schmid has rotated Aaron Kovar in for Morris and Valdez in an attempt to spark the attack. They won 1-0 against Montreal at home, but scored off a corner kick and still only managed three shots on goal. Montreal matched Seattle in possession and put more shots on frame.
Against Houston, the Sounders got better as the game progressed. They managed 16 shots and put six of them on target. They won the possession battle and topped 500 total passes on the day. Even then, they needed Marshall to save their bacon in stoppage time.
The chart shows all 16 shot attempts. Dempsey (#2) and Ivanschitz (#23) accounted for half of those.
The best efforts in the first half were a Dempsey free kick and a Kovar 20-yarder that almost snuck inside the far post. Otherwise, they fired four off target from outside the penalty area. Ozzie Alonso had a crack that was blocked at the 18. Late in the game, Oalex Anderson had a sniff from about six yards out but couldn't bundle it home.
The thing with Seattle is that they have veterans at a lot of other spots on the field. They've really played a good defensive game over the past two weeks (aside from Giles Barnes' goal). You still have to play against Alonso, Marshall, Brad Evans, Tyrone Mears, and Stefan Frei. It's the attack that's having trouble, but they'll figure it out eventually.
Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinKCBS3