Union Set to Resume Rescheduled Match With Seattle Sounders on Tuesday

The Union and Sounders will both make changes to the lineups that were on the field on March 9.

Philadelphia Union manager Jim Curtin got good use out of the word unique during Monday’s press conference ahead of the rescheduled match against the Seattle Sounders.

That’s because Tuesday’s rescheduled match from March 9 has its unique qualities to it.

“There’s no doubt it. I think it’s a unique situation for both teams,” Curtin said. “You have for them, Arreaga has been traded and is on a different team. There’s going to be some adjustments to the groups that were out there. I think both teams will find the balance of getting freshness on the field and getting guys out there who are healthy and able to perform.”

“You won’t see the exact same two teams, that’s for sure. It’ll be unique kicking off in the sixth minute and I think it’s on the far side of the field where the play was stopped. I think both teams are juggling it. You hope all 20 spots can be filled and we have enough guys to go out and execute.”

The Union will make at least one change to their starting XI from the match that was stopped in the sixth minute.

They could make up to three lineup changes at the start depending on the statuses of Andre Blake and Damion Lowe.

“Andre will be a game-time decision,” Curtin said. “He picked up a little swelling his knee on the first (RSL) goal. We’ll see exactly where he’s at. He’s in the process of getting that drained right now, so hopefully he’s ready to go. We have to be smart about things.”

Blake has not looked like himself this season because of the small injuries he’s picked up. It would be wise of the Union to let Oliver Semmle make another start in goal so that Blake can heal up not just for the next few Union games, but for Jamaica’s run at the Copa America.

Lowe picked up an ankle injury last week and the prognosis does not sound great for Tuesday’s match.

“Damion still has his ankle (injury). It’s literally minute-by-minute. He started training, but he didn’t feel perfect, so we’ll talk with him and see exactly where he’s at,” Curtin said.

Markus Anderson, who will be replaced by Julian Carranza in the starting lineup, is dealing with a longer-term injury.

“Markus is injured and out 3-4 weeks, so we’ll have to adjust there. He was going to be a starter, but he is out. We’ll have to pick somebody to replace him,” Curtin said.

“(Julian and Leon) are two guys that’ll be involved. One will likely start. I think you know who that will be and so does Brian Schmetzer.”

Semmle, Carranza and Jakob Glesnes could all come in for Blake, Anderson and Lowe at the start of Tuesday’s resumption of play. That’s if Blake and Lowe are unavailable.

The Union will burn substitutions with those moves, but as we all know, the Union don’t use their full complement of subs anyway so it probably won’t be a detriment to the team on Tuesday.

Below is a look at the lineups that were set for the March 9 matchup.

Seattle has to replace Xavier Arreaga, who was traded to the New England Revolution. The Sounders have had players pick up red cards since March 9, including Stefan Frei on Saturday, but those players are available to play.

Andrew Thomas was Seattle’s starting goalkeeper on March 9, so the Frei discussion is moot unless the Sounders want to make a change because Thomas will play at the weekend.

Curtin brought up a good point about the tough discussions that a manager and player would have if a player who originally started on March 9 was pulled before the restart for non-injury-related reasons.

“There’s discussions you have to have with players. As coaches and leaders we preach to our group that everyone is a part of things and everyone is important. I can speak from my perspective. It’s a hard discussion to go to a guy and say we’re going to let this thing start and sub you in the first minute. That is a tough one,” Curtin said.

“We’re both going through unique scenarios. They have a really unique scenario. That’s why I can’t speak on it where Frei picks up a red card, so he’s suspended for the next game. They are probably weighing if they play Thomas in this game knowing he’ll be sharp for the next game, or do they go the other way and go Frei knowing Thomas is in for the next one.”

Seattle only had 19 players as part of their matchday squad on March 9. It can’t expand the group for Tuesday, so it will have one fewer player on the bench than the Union.

Matt Real’s loan to Colorado Springs opens up the spot for Carranza to take on the roster. Anderson will be removed by injury, so Leon Flach can take a spot on the bench.

All yellow cards picked up in Tuesday’s game count toward the season total, so for example, if Jose Martinez picks up a yellow, he is suspended for Saturday’s road game against D.C. United. The game also counts toward good behavior for disciplinary action.

The game will pick up in the sixth minute and everything else will be the same as a normal match.

Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Union.