Fine first half vaporizes into another lost trip in Colorado
Meet the new Union, same as the old Union.
For the 21st time in 22 away matches, the Union returned home without a victory, this time a 3-0 thumping meted out Saturday night by Colorado. Despite all the pronouncements of the 2018 way forward being different, the result looked to be very much of the 2017 vintage, the Union continuing the disastrous 1-10-6 away trend from last season that torpedoed postseason hopes.
The aspiration was that this year’s voyages away from Talen Energy Stadium would be different. In some notable instances, the first one was. The result, however, is eerily redolent.
“Overall a night where we actually probably have our best half of soccer, put together a really good 45 minutes, get in at halftime and talk about the only thing they really created was off of set pieces and the importance of defending set pieces,” Curtin said. “It gets to the 53rd minute and we concede a set piece and from there, we lost a little confidence with the ball, started launching balls forward. Credit to Colorado on the night, it’s clear what they’re going to do, they’re going to play forward and they’re going to fight for second balls. A little unlucky bounce on the second goal, and then from there we are just chasing the game.”
The Union’s process showed early signs of improvement, but it didn’t manifest in shots or goals, which may not be a surprise given the magnitude of ineptitude they have to overturn in a 1-14-7 mark away from home since August 2016.
The Union (1-1-1, 4 points) won the possession battle and outplayed the Rapids in the first half. In doing so, they fulfilled their pre-match talking points, pinning the Rapids back and dampening their direct play.
But none of that translated into shots — just four timid attempts on goal, none before the first installment in Dominique Badji’s hat trick in the 53rd minute. The cause is a misfiring offense that lacks a goal in 11v-11 play this season, its only two markers coming with New England reduced to 10 men in the opener.
Borek Dockal remains in the acclimation phase, not unusual for his second game in the States. But with the Czech midfielder touted as the attacking pivot around which the Union’s attackers orbit, his lack of linkage to teammates fostered the disjointed look. David Accam was again isolated. CJ Sapong was starved of service. And Fabian Herbers continued to state a tepid case for why he should own the right wing job once Fafa Picault returns from suspension this week.
Curtin even pushed the right buttons by going to three at the back and introducing Ilsinho, Corey Burke Anthony Fontana, but to no attacking avail.
Yet in a sport where goals are expected to be scarce, the lens of Saturday’s setback will fall on the other end of the field, on what the Elias Sports Bureau reports is the youngest backline in MLS history. With 18-yearold Matt Real making his debut, the foursome of he and latter day fellow Gen Z players Auston Trusty (18), Jack Elliott (22) and Keegan Rosenberry (24) averaged just 21 years, 115 days old.
Combined, they had logged 82 MLS matches.
Real performed decently in his debut, even if the score line didn’t flatter the Upper Darby native.
“I thought he had a decent performance tonight despite the loss,” Curtin said. “Obviously, everybody wants the three points, but for a young kid to make his debut, I thought there were a lot of positives to take from it.”
“No one wants to come into their first game and have a 3-0 defeat, but I’m really happy to make my first appearance with this team,” Real said. “I feel like the guys really helped me step into the game pretty good and I’m just looking forward to keep fighting and hopefully keep fighting more and more.”
Giving young players a chance wasn’t the culprit Saturday, even if Elliott suffered one of his toughest games and the Union allowed Colorado’s first hat trick in seven years. It’s at the other end of the field that the greatest emphasis for change will be put.
“Overall still some decent performances from some guys, some guys can improve,” Curtin said. We’ll look at the tape. We have things we can still work on, but overall disappointing result in what was kind of a strange game in that, such a bright first half, really controlled things, had a lot of possession, but probably didn’t create enough chances with the possession that we had on the night.”