After losing 2-1 at home to RSL on Saturday, the Union conceded their second straight home loss on Tuesday night against Seattle. In a continuation of their March 9th rain-out, the Sounders punched a rotated Union squad in the mouth – scoring three first half goals. Being slightly hamstrung in the match by the roster rules pertaining to match resumptions, the Philly club responded, bringing on some key pieces at half to rally a response.
Hamstrung by roster rules
With the game being a resumption of play due to a postponement, each team was limited to using squads that mirrored the previous matchup – barring players injured or transferred. Remember, the week of the previous Seattle game was the weekend prior to the Union traveling to meet Pachuca south of the border the following Tuesday. Therefore, the Union planned to use a rotated squad to rest Mcglynn, Bedoya, Glesnes, and an injured (at-the-time) Carranza.
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Andre Blake, Markus Anderson and Damion Lowe all being injured this time around, afforded the Union three free substitutions to replace them.
Though, it was a technicality with this rule that left Tai Baribo the victim.
Baribo was actually listed in the starting XI in place of Markus Anderson for this match, but he never actually started or saw the field. The catch being that Julian Carranza not being listed in the 20 man squad for the original matchup, made it so getting their best attacker on the field forced Philly to expend one of their five substitutions with 84+ minutes left to play.
Unfortunately for Baribo, he was the odd man out.
Curtin had this to say about it when asked: “Look, again, I want to win, guys, and it’s hard to become a starter for this group. It really is. Tai has been a professional, but we have chosen to go with other guys. We wanted to start Julian for sure, so someone was going out. We wanted to put our best guys against a good Seattle team, and unfortunately the decision goes against [Baribo]… and unfortunately, right now, Chris [Donovan] is ahead of him.”
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Clearly, the challenges brought about by the stringent rules upon match resumption hindered the Union tactically. Still, both teams were operating under these rules, so it is tough to say the rules or circumstance were any causation for the poor result.
Lacking intensity/quality
Seattle were happy to sit deeper in the first half and allow the Union to try to break-through. Once Seattle would win possession, the team would break out with deliberate pace and speed that left Philly in the dust. Seattle simply looked faster, sharper, and ready for the match in the first half.
(The Union were lucky to not give up a goal in the 10th minute, as Seattle break out from a defended corner in a 5 on 1)
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The Union didn’t quite match.
“I can live with mistakes, the mistakes on the first goal, mistake on a PK,” said Jim after the match. “I can live with mistakes, but I can’t live with being out-competed. And that was the case with a Seattle team that was desperate for points, a lot of experience and a lot of great players – we didn’t match their intensity for the first half.”
In the original matchup, Seattle opted for a flat 4-4-2, with their playmaker Christian Roldan playing the right midfielder role. In this resumption, the team played a 4-2-3-1, with Roldan coming in centrally to play the 10 role, and Jordan Morris sliding out to the right from his striker role.
Roldan coming into the middle allowed him to see more of the ball, which afforded Seattle more attacking license. It also allowed Roldan to be in a much closer proximity to Jose Martinez when the Union were in possession, pressing Jose into some errors. Raul Ruidiaz was then able to use his speed and adept decision making to press the CBs based on where Roldan was in the
Without McGlynn on the field, and with Jose being closed down quickly, it became an issue for Martinez and Bueno to try to pick passes to break through the Seattle defense. Bueno struggled to play forward, and Sullivan had trouble finding the space he is accustomed to finding in the half space on the right.
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This was, of course, with a much narrower shape than the Union are accustomed to playing. In the Union’s 4-4-2 diamond, their outside backs are tasked with providing the width that allows the Union to break forward in possession, and switch the point of attack from one side of the field to the other with a diagonal pass to bypass the opposing press.
Both Mbaizo on the right, and Harriel on the left struggled with picking and choosing times to get forward to assist the build up. Seattle’s front four worked well together in the Union half, forcing the outside backs to be mindful of getting forward and abandoning their defensive responsibilities.
This also kept Carranza and Uhre quiet for much of the first half. Without the quality of McGlynn on the field, it was apparent that any sort of progression in build-up from back to front would have to be done by finding Gazdag in tight spaces, or playing low-percentage long-balls to the heads of the forwards.
It took until the Union were down by three goals in the first half for them to muster up any sort of response. Seattle was content to just sit back now that they had the 3 goal advantage, and the Union began to try to claw back a goal before halftime – to no avail.
Substitutes rally the troops
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At halftime, the Union opted to bring on McGlynn, Bedoya, and Wagner for Bueno, Martinez, and Mbaizo respectively. Harriel moved from left back to right back, Bedoya filled in at the 6, and McGlynn slotted in at his normal left shuttler role.
Bedoya was seen visibly rallying the team in the pre-match huddle. This is both exactly the role he should be playing, but also sad that it takes getting the 37-year-old onto the field for the Union to actually match the intensity of the opponent.
Immediately, the Union’s attacking malaise wore off, as the team were able to finally find ways to play forward with the width added by Wagner down the left, and Harriel more comfortable on the right.
Bedoya may have been beaten man-for-man in a couple instances in the middle of the park, but his adept movement and interplay with McGlynn was part and parcel in helping the Union’s improved second half play.
Now, it is easy to wax poetic about what McGlynn provides to this team. I have long been proponent of incorporating his game into the Union’s “defensive-first” system – as when you are in possession, you are not defending. And perhaps the most important trait McGlynn provides is his swagger in possession.
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But what McGlynn provided to the team on Tuesday night was more than his normal ability on the ball.
His movement analogous to Ozil for Arsenal. His ability to play forward comparable to Fabregas for Chelsea. His left-footed shot akin to Lampard’s legendary right.
His laced smash flew true into the right panel of the net – exactly the jolt the team needed to defibrillate the first half stagnation. His six progressive passes in 45 minutes matched Seattle’s best over 90 minutes. His presence in the starting lineup is paramount to this team’s success, in the same vein as those who felt Leon Flach’s presence in the eleven was in years past.
Another thing to note is that this goal comes from a broken set-piece. Whether or not it counts as a set-piece goal, Wagner’s set-pieces seemed to find Union heads in a way that Bueno’s weren’t in the first half.
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It was another McGlynn pass that led to the break out for the Union’s second goal. Two touches and one single pass stretched Seattle enough to force them to retreat docilely, leading to Daniel Gazdag eclipsing Sebastian Letoux as the club’s all-time goal-scoring leader.
Not coincidentally, Wagner and McGlynn’s play down the left allowed Sullivan and Harriel to come into the game on the opposite side. The diagonal passes that were lacking in the first half came in droves from Wagner, Bedoya, and McGlynn – switching play from left to right in a matter of touches.
Gazdag came close to extending his mark in the club record books, but he was called back for offside in a similar build-up pattern to his earlier goal on the evening.
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Truths
The truth is, that in any given instance, the Union can be the superior team.
The team were unfortunate to be the recipient of a bye week at a time that caused the squad to lose momentum. But another truth is that bye week would have given them a much-needed rest had they still been competing for CONCACAF Champions Cup.
After an undefeated start in MLS saw them in a favorable position – second place in the East with a couple games in hand – the team are now left picking up the pieces. A second straight home loss with one less game in hand led Jim Curtin to say, “Everyone’s voice grows when we don’t win. That is reality I have to understand, and I respect it.”
The voices seem to be growing inside the camp as well. Andre Blake and Jose Martinez took to social media with some unpleasantries – both leaving cryptic messages that have since expired or been deleted.
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As the voices from the inside the building exceed the decibels of megaphone-guy in the River End, it will be on Curtin to right the ship and keep it sailing true into the summer time.
The 2024 NHL Draft continued starting with the second round Saturday, and the Seattle Kraken kicked off the day in a similar fashion to Friday’s first round by tapping into an in-state Western Hockey League squad.
Morosi: Why Dan Bylsma is ‘best possible’ coach for Seattle Kraken
Rounds 2 through 7 took place on the draft’s second and final day. Here’s a look at the seven players Seattle picked on Saturday, plus Friday’s first-round pick.
Round 1
Eighth overall: Berkly Catton, C
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The Kraken kicked off their fourth draft as a franchise by taking a talented offensive prospect in Catton from the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. The 18-year-old center racked up 54 goals and 62 assists with the Chiefs last season. Catton, a 5 foot 10, 170-pounder, was the WHL Rookie of the Year in 2022-23 with 23 goals and 22 assists.
The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native is a left-handed shot and the eighth-ranked North American skater in the draft, according to NHL Central Scouting.
Round 2
40th overall: Julius Miettinen, C
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Seattle’s second pick came from one of Spokane’s cross-state division rivals in the WHL. Miettinen, a 6 foot 3, 203-pounder, netted 31 goals and added 36 assists for the Everett Silvertips last season.
The Helsinki, Finland, native is another left-handed-shooting centerman, but much larger in stature than Catton. Miettinen was a late riser on draft boards, moving from 49th to 18th in NHL Central Scouting’s final international skater rankings.
63rd overall: Nathan Villeneuve, C
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The Kraken continued their early run on centers by taking Villeneuve from the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves with their second second-round pick. Villeneuve, an Ottawa, Ontario, native, amassed 23 goals and 27 assists in 56 games with the Wolves last season.
The 5-foot-11, 192-pounder made it three for three in terms of left-handed shooters taken early by Seattle. Villeneuve, 18, is the 60th-ranked North American skater.
Round 3
73rd overall: Alexis Bernier, D
Bernier, 18, had four goals and 27 assists in 67 games for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League last season. Bernier, a 6-foot-1, 189-pound right-handed shot, is the 62nd-ranked North American skater.
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88th overall: Kim Saarinen, G
Saarinen, 17, is a big-bodied goaltender who played across multiple levels in Finland this past season. The 6-foot-4, 176-pounder from Finland is the third-ranked international goalie.
Round 4
105th overall: Oliver Josephson, C
Josephson, 17, was the third left-handed WHL centerman taken by the Kraken. He totaled 12 goals and 35 assists for the Red Deer Rebels last season. Josephson, who measures in at 6-foot, 178 pounds, is the 40th-ranked North American skater.
Caswell, 18, scored 26 goals and dished out 51 assists for the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos last season. The 5 foot 11, 170-pounder is the 77th-ranked North American skater.
Round 7
202nd overall: Jakub Fibigr, D
Fibigr, 17, netted seven goals and had 36 assists in 61 games for the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League last season. The 6-foot, 171-pounder is a left-handed shot and the 67th-ranked North American skater.
Potential Sonics return may have played role in Kraken coach change
The Minnesota Twins (45-37) and Seattle Mariners (47-37) play the middle contest of a 3-game series Saturday. First pitch from T-Mobile Park is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Twins vs. Mariners odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Twins lead 3-2
The Mariners exacted a little revenge for dropping 3 of 4 games in Minnesota May 6-9, opening this series with a 3-2 win as a moderate favorite (-126) Friday night as the Under (7) easily connected.
The Twins offense was cooled off, as Minnesota entered play with 115 runs scored in the previous 17 outings, or 6.8 runs per game. It had scored 3 or more runs in 15 of those 17 games while cashing the Over at an 8-3 clip in the previous 11 contests.
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Minnesota RHP Pablo Lopez took a perfect game into the 6th inning in his last start against the Athletics, twirling 8 scoreless innings while matching a career high with 14 strikeouts.
The Mariners improved to 18-9 in 1-run games with the 3-2 win Friday. That’s the most wins in the majors in games decided by a single run, with the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays next best with 16 one-run wins.
Twins at Mariners projected starters
RHP Pablo Lopez vs. RHP Bryce Miller
Lopez (7-6, 5.11 ERA) makes his 17th start. He has a 1.17 WHIP, 1.9 BB/9 and 10.3 K/9 in 88 innings.
Last start: Win, 8 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 14 K (102 pitches) in 3-0 victory at Oakland A’s Sunday
2024 road splits: 4-3, 5.09 ERA (46 IP, 26 ER), 1.07 WHIP, .209 opponents’ batting average (OBA), 9 HR, 13 BB, 58 K in 8 starts
2024 vs. Mariners: 1-0, 1.42 ERA (6 1/3 IP, 1 ER), 4 H, 0 BB, 10 K in 1 start, an 11-1 home win May 9
Career vs. Mariners: 1-1, 2.45 ERA (18 1/3 IP, 5 ER), 1.04 WHIP, 3 HR, 12.3 K/9 in 3 starts
Miller (6-6, 3.90 ERA) makes his 17th start. He has a 1.04 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9 and 8.3 K/9 in 92 1/3 innings.
Last start: Loss, 4 IP, 6 ER, 6 H (2 HR), 1 BB, 3 K in 6-4 setback at Miami Marlins Sunday
2024 home splits: 4-2, 1.82 ERA (49 1/3 IP, 10 ER), 0.83 WHIP, .159 OBA, 3 HR, 14 BB, 59 K in 8 starts
Career vs. Twins: 1-0, 9.53 ERA (5 2/3 IP, 6 ER), 8 H, 0 BB, 7 K in 1 start, an 8-7 road win July 26, 2023
Who’s going yard? Here’s a breakdown of today’s best home run props with our top picks. Include the BetMGM bonus code SBWIRE to score a $1,500 first-bet offer.
Twins at Mariners odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:12 p.m. ET.
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Moneyline (ML): Twins -120 (bet $120 to win $100) | Mariners +100 (bet $100 to win $100)
Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Twins -1.5 (+140) | Mariners +1.5 (-165)
Over/Under (O/U): 7.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)
Twins at Mariners picks and predictions
Prediction
Mariners 3, Twins 2
Moneyline
The MARINERS (+100) are a good bet to run it back by the same score as Friday’s series opener.
While Lopez is coming off a huge performance last time out, it was also against the Athletics. He is pitching with a lot of confidence, though, and he’ll give the Twins (-120) a chance.
However, Miller has been money at home. He has stark splits on the road and at T-Mobile Park, posting a 6.28 ERA in 43 IP in 8 road starts and a 1.82 ERA in 49 1/3 IP in 8 home outings.
Run line/Against the spread
The Mariners +1.5 (-165) are a little too expensive if you would prefer some insurance and just cannot back Seattle straight up for whatever reason.
AVOID.
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Over/Under
UNDER 7.5 (-120) is the way to go, as Lopez and Miller should produce plenty of donuts.
The Under is now 5-1-1 in the past 7 games at T-Mobile Park for the M’s following Friday’s series opener.
The Over is 6-2 in the past 8 for the Twins, but the Under is 2-1 in the past 3 road starts for Lopez.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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Despite what one might expect, the Seattle Seahawks’ first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history is often viewed as one to forget.
In 2005, the Seahawks earned the top seed in the NFC with a 13-3 record, then powered their way through the playoffs to punch their ticket to Super Bowl XL at Ford Field in Detroit. There, they met the Pittsburgh Steelers, the sixth seed in the AFC, which on paper should have given them an advantage.
However, that was far from the case. The Seahawks fell to Steelers 21-10 in a game where nothing seemed to go their way. Some questionable calls are still talked about today, but Seattle failing to capitalize on its chances arguably did even more damage.
Even almost 20 years later, players from both teams are still talking about this game. In a recent book titled “Facing the Pittsburgh Steelers: Players Recall the Glory Years of the Black and Gold” by Sean Deveny, former Seattle fullback Mack Strong explained the inherent advantage Pittsburgh had in that matchup. Rather than harping on the officials like many before him, though, Strong instead pointed to the overwhelming ratio of Steelers fans in the crowd.
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“Where it was different, though, was on game day. Detroit is like an hour flight from Pittsburgh. There were probably 60,000 Steelers fans there and about 10,000 Seahawks fans. It definitely felt like a home game for them, an away game for us,” Strong said. “That was the only time— I stepped out onto that field and I was like, ‘This is different.’
“It was supposed to be neutral. But we were just building our fan base at the time, and the Steelers, of course, had 30 or 40 years of winning and history behind them. It was weird walking into a neutral stadium and literally trying to figure out, ‘Wait, where are our fans at?’”
It doesn’t take a detective to figure out why the Steelers had such a strong crowd advantage. Like Strong said, a flight from Pittsburgh to Detroit is just over an hour, while a flight from Seattle to Detroit is over four hours. Add in that the Steelers had history on their side and that Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis, a Detroit native, was playing in his final NFL game, and it’s easy to see why black and gold dominated the stands.
Even though this game ended in disappointment, the Seahawks would finally earn their first championship eight years later with a 43-8 dismantling of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
