What’s been happening?
Although the Union haven’t done themselves any favors, Curtin has highlighted the unfortunate instances that have occurred in recent contests. For example, the perfectly placed free kick from NYCFC that inexplicably snuck over Semmle. Either way, I believe you make your own luck, and the Union’s mistakes have cost them goals, especially to start matches.
Suddenly, things seemed to fall into place against New England. Uhre’s fast break was halted by Ryan Spaulding, and the head official was quick to issue a red. Despite the Union’s less-than-impressive history up a man, Philadelphia left no doubt with the final result. 3 unanswered goals gave the Blue and Gold their first win in weeks and brought some calmness to the fan base. It didn’t matter that the Union were up a man. It didn’t matter that the Revs were missing some players. The Union needed to kick some ass, and that they did. Lastly, what a refreshing sight Leon Flach was for a team that desperately needed some defensive intensity.
Pre-Game Presser
As always, Coach Curtin took to the stand for his weekly press conference. To start, Andre Blake is still on the mend with a lingering knee issue, and considering the turf field down in Charlotte, that’s probably for the better. Semmle has done fine in net, and if his defense can cut back on their mistakes, the fans should have faith in their second keeper. Also, congrats to Andre for his extension this week. The former Goalkeeper of the Year has been extended through 2026, with a 2027 option. Finally, Jose Martinez was removed from the match against New England with a knock, but he looks to be available for selection tonight. Same goes for Damion who is back to full training.
Next, the Charlotte defense may be the stingiest we’ve seen so far this season. Over the last 4 games, they have allowed ZERO goals. A 0-0 draw to LA, a 1-0 win at Chicago, a 1-0 win vs Nashville, and a 2-0 win v Portland. On the year, they have only allowed 13 goals, which is 8 less than the Union. On the flip side, they’re not exactly winning easily. They’ve only netted 14 goals, while Philadelphia has been a scoring machine this year with 25. In regard to the Charlotte defense, our friend Jillian Almoney of The One Team We Agree On asked Curtin about his opponent’s stout presence, and here’s his response below.
Betting Notes
So, what happens when a proficient offense and a stingy defense meet? Well, we will certainly find out today. The Union’s defense has been porous to say the least, but I like how Flach has played and brought a new energy to the formation. I hope to see him featured in today’s match, as Jose Martinez, although a great player, has had some poor moments this year.
As always, our Across the Pitch team has their predictions. Last week, Dave and Jose thought the Union would fall on the road, but thankfully I took the Union Tie No Bet (-128) and Carranza ATG (+135). Speaking of Julian, he has now scored in consecutive matches.
For today, we collectively believe this will end up in a draw. Dave has this as a 1-1 draw with Carranza netting his third consecutive goal. Jose believes Charlotte can expose the Philly backline, and he is looking for a 2-2 result, with Uhre and Glesnes getting on the board. Finally, I agree with Dave. I believe this is going to be a low scoring affair at 1-1, with Mikael Uhre returning to the score sheet.
Next, we look to Action Network to shop the lines. Charlotte is a slim favorite today at +155 on Bet365, while the Union are showing +175 on BetRivers. The draw for this one is +250 on Bet365 as well. Considering how often the Union are scoring and conceding, I have recently been playing the game totals. Tonight, the over 2.5 on FanDuel is -120, while the under is showing +102 on BetRivers. With Charlotte’s recent form in mind, Even Money for under 2.5 may not be a bad idea.
Last year, the Union played Charlotte in September and May. They had a 2-2 result on the road last year, while they squeaked away with a 1-0 win at Subaru Park. (Winning at Subaru Park? I forget what that feels like……).
Charlotte is at home, so I lean more to this being a lower scoring affair. For my pick today, I’m going to get a little creative and do a selection I’ve never done before. To start, this is going to be a 2-leg parlay on Fan Duel. Under 3.5 goals (-270) & Under 11.5 total corners (-400) for -135. Before I continue, if you’ve been following my picks this season, or from my college hoops days, you’ll know I don’t put together high payout and multi-leg parlays. I focus on bankroll builders, so even money (or close to it) is typically where I fall. I go for the likely result, not the lottery ticket.
I looked into the last four games from each squad for the corner kicks pick. For Charlotte, there was a total of 8, 17, 3, and 6 corner kicks, going back to the match against Portland. For Philly, they had a total of 12, 12, 13, and 9 going back to the DC game. This would mean that Charlotte has averaged total 8.5 corner kicks per match during that span. The 17 clearly inflates that number, so in the remaining three matches, there have been an average of 6 corners in their games.
For the Union, their numbers have been fairly consistent, and they are seeing an average of 11.5 total corners in their games. When I look at the 11.5 total on FanDuel, that is right at the Union’s average. Mix that with Charlotte’s stout defense, and I like the under 11.5 a lot here.
Finally, here’s some anytime goal scorers from Fan Duel:
Gazdag: +170
Carranza: +175
Uhre: +230
Sullivan: +420
Glesnes: +2500
The Union are undefeated on the road. We know this team can score and maybe they can ride the momentum from their 3-0 win against New England. Doop!!
Mike Barrera (Mbarrera1323 on TikTok and Twitter)