Photo: Mike Barrera from the May 2019 match between Union and Sounders
I did not go to as many matches until I joined AAT Sports Network, but coincidentally enough, I was at the 2019 game between the Union and the Sounders. It was a scoreless draw that night, but still a fun evening at Subaru Park. Let's take a quick look into today's match!
What's Been Happening?
The Philadelphia Union have been going through a very difficult stretch of games, which included the Tuesday evening match against Pachuca. It was great to see Philly shut someone out for the first time this season, but the outcome may have left several fans disappointed. The Union had chances to secure at least 1 goal in both halves, including a point blank opportunity that Daniel chipped just over the cross bar. Despite the strong scoring output to start the season, the Union have only scored 1 goal in their last two matches. We are hoping that changes today.
Presser and Game Notes
There are a handful of factors to discuss, but let's focus on one of the biggest variables tonight: the weather. The rain will be persistent throughout the afternoon, and at kick off, there's an 80% chance of rain (50 degrees though, if that's any silver lining). Unfortunately, the rain doesn't look to be ending until very early on Sunday morning. There is also a coastal flood warning that we need to keep in mind as well. It's going to be a sloppy one tonight.
On Friday, Jim Curtin spoke with the media. We know that the team will be rotated again with the Union travelling to Mexico on Tuesday. I would expect something similar to what we saw against Sporting Kansas City. Thankfully for Philly, Seattle will be dealing with rotation as well. It looks like Paulo, Frei, Rusnak, and De la Vega will be out of the lineup for the visitors. In terms of our Boys in Blue, Curtin was asked about Julian Carranza. As of now, it looks like it's still a day to day situation, and I would be surprised to see Carranza in poor conditions if he's nursing an injury. I would expect him to sit until Tuesday's match.
In Julian's place, you should expect to see some minutes from one of our newest players: Markus Anderson. Curtin was also asked about the young forward, and Jose Nunez posted a clip from Jim's response.
Betting Lines
If you have been following along to our "Bet the Boys in Blue" picks, Jose Nunez has been off to a good start. He's correctly predicted the score for the Chicago and SKC matches, as well as a Gazdag ATG. Let's see if our luck continues today.
As always, shop around for the best lines. I use Action Network to easily sort through the sportsbooks. On Draft Kings, the Union are favored at +120, while on Fan Duel, the Sounders ML is +240. Bet365 also has a draw at +240.
I prefer FanDuel for my Anytime Goal Scorers, and here are the Across the Pitch Team's predictions for today.
Dave: 1-0 with Anderson scoring. Jose: 2-0 Bueno and Dono finding the net. Mike: 1-1 and I think Anderson scores too. I like an aggressive kid moving out there in the sloppy weather. Maybe he forces a turnover that leads to a goal? We'll see.
Some FanDuel Anytime GoalScorer Lines:
Gazdag: +165
Uhre: +220
Anderson +350
Sullivan: +360
Donovan: +430
Bueno: +700
Harriel: +950
Let's hope the rain isn't awful and the Blue and Gold can earn their first MLS win of the season. If you are betting today's match, I would wait until the lineup is released before making any picks. Also, with the sloppy conditions, I wouldn't be expecting a shootout. Doop!!
Mike Barrera (Mbarrera1323 on TikTok and Twitter)