MLS First Kick 2010 Special: 5 Reasons Philadelphia Union Will Win

(Source: Goal.com)

An expansion team is rarely favored coming out of the gate. Players haven’t played together long, the coaching system may not have been fully implemented, and well, it’s an expansion team – how many of those do well in their first go-around?

For the Philadelphia Union, traveling to Seattle to take on the Sounders is no easy task. One of the most successful expansion teams in recent sports history, Seattle has raised the bar as far as what to expect from a new team in the league. On Thursday night, the Union will try to raise it further by taking the match to the home side and heading back east with a victory.

Here are five reasons why I think this can happen.

The New Team Mystery

Philadelphia come in to the match having played exactly zero league games. Their pre-season hasn’t been televised. Their training has been all over North America. So it goes without saying that the opposingSeattle Sounders brass know very little about the product that the Union will put on the field this Thursday evening. In effect, this gives Peter Nowak and his team the upper hand as they know what they plan on doing and they know generally who/what Seattle will put on the field. To use and amend the old adage, the Union are playing their cards close to their chest, and Seattle has never seen them play before. Should definitely push things in Philly’s favor.

Versatility

The Union’s roster is filled with players that can fill various slots and can be worked around the pitch accordingly. They are shifty and many of the players are happy working in different areas. This will be a big boost for Peter Nowak as he can keep his line-up quiet up until kickoff, which ties into the mystery thing, which will give Seattle coach Sigi Schmid fits. Gameplanning for a player taking up one position and then as the game kicks off he’s in another one will really cause trouble for a Sounders squad that has never seen the Union play before.

The Forwards

Though their dry preseason may suggest otherwise, the Union do boast a talented group of players up top. A mix of veterans and younger guys will be able to pop up at any time during the match and knock in a cheeky winner or the like. Led by former Sounders player Sebastian Le Toux, the group is rounded out by MLS veteran Alejandro Moreno, #1 overall pick in this year’s MLS SuperDraft Danny Mwanga, and fellow rookie Jack McInerney. The chances may not be many but these guys are strong finishers, Mwanga in particular, and should do well to slot in a couple when the favored Sounders don’t expect it.

High Expectations

As previously mentioned, Seattle went through one of the most successful seasons for an expansion sports team in this country’s recent history. Like they were shot out of a canon, the Sounders took last year’s First Kick and had a strong season that saw them make the playoffs (something the league’s earlier expansion club, Toronto FC, hasn’t been able to do) and were even able to snag the U.S. Open Cup by beating D.C. United. Point is, they weren’t expected to do that much in their first season. Now that they have, they have greater expectations for this season, ones that could be too hard to reach. An early crack in the armor could be exposed quite easily by a talented Philadelphia side.

Peter Nowak

The guy is a winner, through and through. He already has two MLS Cups to his name, one as a player and one as a manager, the wily Polish team manager will have his boys prepared for the match in every way possible and may just out-coach Sigi Schmid if it comes to that. Simply put, with Nowak in charge, you always have a chance, even if the odds are against you.

So there it is. The five reasons why I think the Union could take this year’s opening match. It’ll be a difficult season, for sure, but coming into this match, the Union have every reason to believe the three points are theirs for the taking.

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