Philadelphia Union is back in action tomorrow night, resuming their paused contest against the Seattle Sounders that will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV starting at 7:30PM.
Tuesday night's match will be a unique one after the original meeting was stopped in the sixth minute due to heavy rains on the Delaware River water front. More than a month later, the Sounders are back in town and because the match was paused after first kick, both teams are required to send out the same lineup that they did on the original date.
However, there are some exceptions to this league rule, taking roster changes and injuries into account. For example, Julian Carranza and Leon Flach were not on the matchday roster due to injury, but now healthy, Curtin confirmed in his Monday press conference that they will both rejoin the team due to vacant spots opened by both Matt Real, who was loaned to Colorado Switchbacks, and Markus Anderson, who was in the original starting lineup but is now injured.
Centerback Damion Lowe is expected to be in the group as well, but it is unclear whether or not he’ll resume the match due to an ankle injury picked up last week during training. Another game time decision will be goalkeeper Andre Blake, who experienced some swelling after Real Salt Lake’s first goal on Saturday night, though there is an additional set of substitution rules for goalkeepers in a game such as Tuesdays.
As for the Seattle Sounders side, they’re also facing a number of changes to their original matchday roster. Xavier Arreaga was officially traded to the New England Revolution within the past week, and his departure leaves a spot on the lineup. Goalkeeper, Stefan Frei, was shown a red card in the 28th minute for a takedown in the box, so his availability is in question, as backup Andrew Thomas was originally slated to start in net for the Sounders.
Though it’s intended for both team to field the same lineup, that won’t be the case for Tuesday’s showdown at Subaru Park.
“I think both teams will find a balance of getting freshness on the field and getting guys out there that obviously are healthy and physically able to perform. You won't see the exact same two teams, that's for sure,” Curtin said. “There will be a little unique start in the fifth or sixth minute there, when we kick off and where we kick off from. I think it's on the far side of the field where the play was stopped so it's unique for sure and I think both teams are juggling it.”
A great deal has unfolded for both teams since their originally scheduled match on March 9th – the Philadelphia Union have only picked up one loss since the start of their season, while Sounders have not fared nearly as well. Head Coach Brian Schmetzer’s squad, oppositely, have only picked up one win, along with five losses and three draws. They sit at 13th in the Western Conference standings with just six points, hovering above only the San Jose Earthquakes.
While they haven’t been able to secure many positive results, there still are some threats for the Union to contain; Raúl Ruidíaz has scored four of their goals, while the remaining six scores have been split between individuals.
