Philly has a first place team, and it’s not named the Phillies. As they officially hit the midpoint of the MLS season, the Philadelphia Union are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Veteran leadership, a few major off-season signings and continued guidance from coach Piotr Nowak have been key to a big first half.
NBCPhiladelphia.com caught up with Delaware County Times Union beat writer Chris Vito, who wrote his midpoint report card today, to talk about everything Union.
How would you assess the first half of this season compared to their inaugural year?
As opposed to last year, they started off well. They won their opening game in Houston and have been a top three team in the East ever since. Internally, they’ve added a few players up top but the team is not much different, just a little more experienced.
Do you think defense has been the key to the Union’s success? Was Brian Carroll a little bit of a "diamond in the rough”?
Absolutely. The key to the team’s success has been defense. Signing Faryd Mondragon to a two-year deal helped as well. It’s safe to say Brian Carroll is flying under the radar. He is playing great and often doesn’t get much credit for it. He is an unsung hero for this club.
What do you think the key to holding the top spot will be as the season progresses?
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To me, the key to holding onto the top spot is getting points on the road. If they can manage to get at least one point during every road game, they will be in great shape. This is something they struggled with last year. They have a very tough stretch of games to finish the season, and they have to finish strong.
Who has been the leader in the locker room to this point?
One of the leaders in the locker room has been Faryd Mondragon. He played in the top leagues in Europe and had success. At 39 years old he has been around the game for longer than most. The real mouthpiece has been Danny Califf, though. Califf was the captain last year but relinquished his role when Mondragon took over. Califf is like the Brad Lidge of the Union. He can shoulder the blame if things are not going well but can also be reached when the team is winning.
The New York Red Bulls are in second place in the Eastern Conference. They had some considerable hype when they acquired Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez. Have the Union proved that you don’t always need high paid superstars to be successful?
Only time will tell, really. The International Transfer Deadline opens July 15th. The Union will certainly send out scouts to evaluate talent. They’re not going to be complacent at the top.
Use your predictive powers: how does this season play out for the Union?
It’s hard to argue that they won’t be in the playoffs this year. They should certainly end up as a top three team in the conference. If the defense stays healthy, the Union will be a force to be reckoned with, so stay tuned.
