The Philadelphia Union will try to jumpstart their sputtering attack on Saturday night in Chester, Pa., when they host a San Jose Earthquakes side enjoying life with new star import Timo Werner.
Philadelphia (0-2-0, 0 points) has scored only once in its opening two matches, despite being one of the league’s leading sides in terms of getting the ball into the final third.
“I think we’re getting where we need to be and want to be. We’re just missing a little bit of that final-third creativity, chemistry, alignment,” Union manager Bradley Carnell said on Thursday. “I’d rather be in a good spot and not get that result right now, but knowing that the process is in motion.”
With the offseason departures of Tai Baribo and Mikael Uhre, the retooling Union were always likely to be a work in progress up front early in the season.
Maybe more concerning is the young squad’s occasional loss of composure.
Ezekiel Alladoh, a 20-year-old striker who joined the Union this season, was sent off in a season-opening defeat at D.C. for making an obscene gesture at an opponent. Last weekend, Olwethu Makhanya received his second yellow card in second-half stoppage time, a turn of events that paved the way for New York City FC’s late winner.
Meanwhile, San Jose (2-0-0, 6 points) has begun by outscoring opponents 5-0 in its first two matches, both at home.
In last Saturday’s 2-0 win over Atlanta United, Werner made his MLS debut off the bench and registered an assist on Ousseni Bouda’s late insurance tally.
“Timo coming in definitely brought a lot of experience and knowledge, and with the way he plays, it just pushes everybody to work hard,” Quakes midfielder Jamar Ricketts said of the former RB Leipzig, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur attacker. “He plays at a high level every day and he’s definitely here to help the team, which excites everybody.”
Preston Judd and Daniel Munie have each scored twice for San Jose. If Werner can find the net, it would mark his first goal in a domestic league since he scored as a late sub in Tottenham’s 4-0 win at Aston Villa on March 10, 2024.
–Field Level Media
