What's been happening?
The Union are an unpredictable team. That is the best way I can describe them. They can score in bunches, they can be scored on within a matter of seconds, and now they can post shutouts.
Philadelphia is currently riding a three-game unbeaten streak, where they have allowed zero goals. Just a few weeks ago we were scrambling for ideas to fix this defense, and now suddenly we are doing the same for the offense. In Wednesday night's fixture, we all expected a shootout, but got far from it. Toronto left Chester, PA with a 0-0 draw, which leaves Union fans craving for a home win. On the bright side, this defense has found new life with Leon Flach in the midfield, and Jack Elliott looking like his 2022 self.
For International Duty, we know the Union will be missing a handful of players. As Curtin mentioned earlier in the week, Montreal is their current focus, but the squad will go their separate ways after Saturday. We will mention one player in particular, as I know this is near and dear to our own Jose Nunez's heart. Jamir Berdecio earned his first cap for the Bolivian senior team. Very cool moment for one of the Union's most recent additions.
Finally, before we get into the Montreal match, we have one last congrats to send out. Former Union player, Haris Mendunjanin, announced his retirement from soccer. Jose shared Curtin's comments on a Philly favorite!
Match Notes
Julian Carranza was a late scratch on Wednesday evening, and Jim mentioned he was dealing with a foot injury since the Charlotte match. Unfortunately for Carranza, it got worse prior to the Toronto game, and he will be a game-time decision on Saturday night. The Union will also be missing Markus Anderson again in their lineup, as he is now questionable with an anke injury. Anderson showed a lot of promise and a high motor in the early portions of the season, and he just had a good showing for Union II. With international duty here, the Union need all the help they can get in this roster, and Curtin has hinted at formation changes coming as a result.
Similar to the New England match, the Union will again be facing a depleted squad. As our friend Todd Lewis of The Free Kick shares, Montreal will be missing a whopping 7 players, some of whom have been very involved with the club's rotation. If there was ever a home game the Union should win, it's this one.
Betting Notes
Considering the missing players for Montreal, along with it being an away match, the books have the Union as heavy favorites. Caesars currently has the Blue and Gold at -220 on the Moneyline, with Montreal showing +550 on Draftkings. Finally, the draw is +400 on bet365.
Although the Union have scored frequently all season, they have hit a drought over these last two matches. Thankfully for Philly, they will be facing a Montreal squad that is showing a -12 goal differenital. The visitors have allowed 33 goals, while the Union still remain at 21 goals against on the year. To Montreal's credit, they are coming off a 4-2 win against DC United, but they also lost 5-1 to Toronto on the 18th. Needless to say, this team might be as unpredictable as the Union.
Last match, the Across the Pitch team fell flat on their bets for the second straight game. Everyone expected a high-scoring contest vs Toronto, so we will try to get back in the win column again this Saturday.
Considering the shorthanded visitors, the three of us are cautiously optimistic for Philly's chances. Dave believes this will be a 2-1 Union win, with Uhre and Sullivan scoring. For Jose, he thinks Montreal can put up a bit of a fight, and he is looking at a 1-1 draw, with Quinn scoring as well.
For me, I have to hope this is a breakout chance for the Union. Even if Julian is out, there is enough depth on this roster to earn some goals and get this offense back into a rhythm. With that in mind, I am going to throw together another three-leg parlay on Fan Duel. Union Moneyline (-230), total over 1.5 goals (-650), and home total corners over 3.5 (-550) for a +110 payout. In the last 5 home games, the Union have earned 5, 9, 7, 9, and 4 corner kicks, bringing them to an average of 6.8 corners per match over this stretch. Montreal is the perfect team for the Union to face right now, considering their defense and available players, and I expect Curtin to have this team pushing for goals early. Finally, I am looking for Gazdag to get back on the board tonight.
Finally, here's a few of the Anytime Goal Scorers on FanDuel:
Gazdag: -120
Carranza: -115
Uhre: +125
Baribo: +185
Bedoya: +290
McGlynn: +500
Elliott: +1000
The Union have not won at home since Union Yards opened up. Let's see if they can finally break that curse tonight. Doop!
Mike Barrera (Mbarrera1323 on TikTok and Twitter)