Burke may be answer for struggling offense
CHESTER » Cory Burke heard the ovation from the Talen Energy Stadium crowd Saturday. He heard it when he took off his pinnie to check into the game, then again when his number was put on the board to replace CJ Sapong.
It’s an odd consequence of the Union’s offensive disabilities that Burke has become a figure of profound hope, the desired remedy for the club’s lack of goals.
“I started two games and I did well,” Burke said Tuesday after training. “Even before that, I was coming in as a sub, I was bringing energy to the game. I know the fans love the energy I bring to the game. So whenever I get a chance to play, I always want to make the fans proud, not just to show them my name but to go out and do well.”
Like anything with the Union, Burke’s is a good news/bad news situation. Burke has scored in both of his starts. He’s also started just twice, out of 15 appearances. That’s better than Sapong, who has two goals in 16 starts.
But as Burke looks likely to get the nod in Wednesday night’s trip to Chicago (8:30, PHL17), he hopes to translate his impact off the bench to influence from the start for a Union side next-to-last in MLS at 21 goals scored.
“You get more time to jell in the game and find the pace of the game,” Burke said of starting. “It’s difficult sometimes if you come off the bench and the game is being played so fast and it’s hard to adjust to the speed of the game. So whenever you start, you’re into the game right away.”
“Cory’s going to get opportunities in the coming weeks for sure,” manager Jim Curtin said. “No question about that. He’s a guy who brings a tireless work rate. He’ll run into the channels. He holds the ball up well. He does well in getting on the end of things in the box and I think he’s maximized his minutes. And he’ll be rewarded for that.
“Cory’s done a good job for us. He can be a little unpredictable at times, but sometimes that good and maybe can give us a different look and give us a spark that we need.”
The Union (6-9-3, 21 points) are stuck in a purgatory where they need an attacking break but don’t possess many cards to play to actively change luck instead of passively sitting by. Burke replacing Sapong is one. Curtin understands that a lot of blame is lumped on Sapong, who scored a franchise-record 16 goals last year, but that it’s not entirely or even primarily his fault. To wit, though Sapong had one shot off target in an ineffectual outing in the Union’s 2-0 loss to Atlanta United FC Saturday last week, the team found the net with just three of its 18 shots. That leaves 15 off-target efforts from other culprits.
“I still think we go out and try to play soccer the right way,” Curtin said. “I still think that we have improved significantly in our ability to possess the ball and our ability to move our opponent around the field with the ball to create chances. But we have come up short in scoring goals. I still think there’s little things that we can do better, but it’s not drastic changes that need to take place for us to get on a roll and score goals.”
Another catalyst candidate is David Accam, who is still looking for his first MLS goal or assist with the Union. He’s likely to get the nod against his former team.
The Union need something to break their downward inertia. They’ve lost four of five games and face four of the next five away from home, where they’ve won only twice in the last year and a half. A meeting with seventh-place Chicago (6-8-5, 23 points) presents a chance to help their playoff case by taking points off a direct competitor.
Burke sees the offensive struggles as a chance to put his stamp on things. If nothing else, it’s a mentality that seems a valuable addition.
“I wouldn’t say pressure, but it’s opportunity for me to go out there and get the goals and try to help CJ,” he said. “Even when he plays, I always try to motivate him to get goals because the important thing is to win, and that’s why we have a team, and there’s no I in team. I always push him to score, and I always want him to do well.”