Union 3-0 NE Revolution

• by Wyatt Eaton
• July 18th, 2011
• MLS
• 3 Comments

Where do I start? Le Toux’s hustle, the composure of the Farfan twins, defenders outscoring forwards, or Mwanga the kangaroo?  Or the simple fact that the Philadelphia Union, collectively, just played the best, most complete game we’ve seen?

For all the criticism Seba’s received for a lone tally in the goal column up to this point, I’m not sure many other players could compete with his hustle numbers. Sure, there is no recordable statistic for hustle, but we all know Seba puts in his all for 90 minutes.  It was his header that kept play alive in the box and lead to Valdes’s 1st MLS goal. Unlike the game in San Jose, this time the U was up to the task of finishing.

From the opening whistle, New England stood no chance.  Philly’s ball movement and player movement were exceptional. One touch passing, triangles, flank play, defenders joining in; it was all there. Everything was working.

You know you’re doing something right when you can hear the players on the field. The crowd at Gillette Stadium, if you can call it that, was silent, completely taken out of the game, and I don’t blame them; New England was awful.  At the start of the second half, New England briefly looked a little bit like a professional soccer team, but that didn’t last long.  After Sheanon Williams provided the exclamation point in stoppage time with his first MLS goal, New England might as well have curled up into the fetal position.

I really like Gabe Farfan out at left back. He’s done a sensational job for not being a natural left back. Both he and his brother are incredibly composed with the ball at their feet, especially in tight spaces. Michael came on as a 2^nd half sub and did some pretty nifty tight-roping of the sideline a few times, weaving in and out of Revolution defenders.

Mwanga, again with a great chance to just strike the ball, pulled it back in favor of his right foot in the box. He also shied away from a header that he may have been able to flick on into the net with Reis out of goal. But hey, for all his talent, he’s still a kid.

Philly is in a great spot after jumping back into first place with a dominating shut-out on the road.  There’s a lot to smile and feel good about heading into the international friendlies.

Oh, and Benny Feilhaber, what a joke.