MX23RW : Thursday, May 9 09:25:19| >> :120:5810:5810:
[monks data]
Philadelphia Union
Major League Soccer | Gameweek 1
Feb 26, 2022 at 6pm UK
PPL Park
Minnesota United

Philadelphia
1 - 1
Minnesota Utd

Burke (35')
Glesnes (41'), Andres Martinez (51')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Lod (23')
Boxall (74'), Lod (79'), Reynoso (85')

Preview: Philadelphia Union vs. Minnesota United - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Major League Soccer clash between Philadelphia Union and Minnesota United, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

After being minutes away from a potential MLS Cup Final a year ago, the Philadelphia Union begin the 2022 regular season by hosting Minnesota United on Saturday at Subaru Park.

Philly have finished in a top-three position over their previous three Eastern Conference campaigns, while The Loons ended 2021 in fifth out west but were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs, 3-1, by the Portland Timbers.


Match preview

Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin looks at the play during the first half at Stade Saputo on October 16, 2021© Reuters

When it looked like Jim Curtin and his side were finally going to break through, some unforeseen circumstances ended their hope of capturing that elusive first MLS Cup.

Missing nine regulars due to COVID is not something that they could have planned for on the eve of their Eastern Conference Final defeat to New York City FC (2-1), but months later, we will see what kind of mettle this group will show this year.

It is fair to say that because of the way 2021 ended, we would be inclined to give this team an incomplete grade, which might be the motivation that they need heading into this season, to prove to the critics that they are ready to reach the pinnacle of MLS soccer.

Philadelphia were expected to take a step back last season, and at times it looked as though they would, but they ended up surprising many people down the stretch.

Their academy products have shown plenty of promise and are likely to get lots of minutes throughout the regular season, a credit to this entire franchise and how they have been able to build a solid foundation of talent and winning.

There are several pundits out there who believe that a prolific striker may be all that they need to reach the top at long last, but with the departure of their leading goalscorer from a year ago, Kacper Przybylko, plenty of questions will be asked of their attack heading into the season opener.

Minnesota United midfielder Will Trapp (20) is congratulated by defender Brent Kallman (14) and defender D.J. Taylor (26) for scoring a goal against the San Jose Earthquakes during the first half at PayPal Park on August 17, 2021© Reuters

The opening four games of 2021 could not have gone much worse for Adrian Heath and Minnesota, who lost each of those encounters and looked ordinary at best.

Bringing in Tyler Miller dramatically changed their fortunes, as the American keeper quickly became one of last season's big stories, helping his team make the postseason.

For a side with many players who have been together for a long time, there is an unusual amount of unpredictability surrounding The Loons heading into 2022.

Despite possessing what appears to be on paper a solid attacking presence, they were rarely potent in the final third, and that lack of quality came back to bite them in the playoffs.

They had their share of opportunities last year, though they rarely looked dangerous or capable of breaking a game open, which may need to improve if they are to return to the postseason.

Depth in attacking midfield and up front could determine how well they fare, as they were heavily dependent on a couple of players to carry them through quite often last year.

Philadelphia Union Major League Soccer Preseason form:
  • D

Minnesota United Major League Soccer Preseason form:
  • D
  • W
  • L
  • D
  • D



Team News

Kai Wagner in action for Philadelphia Union in October 2019© Reuters

Jamiro Monteiro joined the San Jose Earthquakes over the offseason, while Danish striker Mikael Uhre will be counted on to score a lot in Philly this year, having signed for a record deal from Brondby, where he won the Golden Boot in the Danish top flight last season.

Julian Carranza is the other new addition to this team, moving on loan from Inter Miami to the City of Brotherly Love, while Paxten Aaronson will be one player to watch in midfield.

Cory Burke was among the top keepers in the league last season and kept them in many games, while Kai Wagner chipped in with four assists and Daniel Gazdag scored five goals.

With Jan Gregus off to San Jose, that will put a lot of pressure on Minnesota midfielders Wil Trapp, newcomer Kervin Arriaga and Hassani Dotson to pick up the slack.

Veteran midfielder Osvaldo Alonso, an inspirational figure, left after three seasons in town, while Thomas Chacon is also out, signing a loan deal with Liverpool in the Uruguayan Primera Division.

Luis Amarilla will hope to make a triumphant return to Minnesota, a place where he featured on loan in 2020, while the club will be counting on Bongokuhle Hlongwane to bring another dimension to the frontline and take some pressure off Robin Lod.

Philadelphia Union possible starting lineup:
Blake; Wagner, Glesnes, Elliott, Mbaizo; Flach, Martinez, Bedoya; Uhre, Gazdag, Carranza

Minnesota United possible starting lineup:
Miller; Gasper, Dibassy, Boxall, Metanire; Dotson, Trapp; Fragapane, Reynoso, Lod; Hunou


SM words green background

We say: Philadelphia Union 2-0 Minnesota United

The Union may not be that much better on paper, but they have enough experience and always seem to find ways to win, and we expect that they will do that on Saturday.

Minnesota do not appear to have improved from 2021, and their lack of depth up high could allow the Union to key on Lod, while the rest of the team do not possess the same kind of quality as the Finnish attacking midfielder.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a home win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Home Win:data



ID:478923:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect10495:

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Philadelphia Union win with a probability of 47.71%. A draw had a probability of 26.2% and a win for Minnesota United had a probability of 26.13%.

The most likely scoreline for a Philadelphia Union win was 1-0 with a probability of 12.13%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.16%) and 2-0 (8.97%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (12.39%), while for a Minnesota United win it was 0-1 (8.39%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with a 12.4% likelihood.


Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!



Game History

How you voted: Philadelphia vs Minnesota Utd

Philadelphia Union
57.1%
Draw
14.3%
Minnesota United
28.6%
7
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Portland Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese directs his team against Real Salt Lake during the first half at Providence Park on August 7, 2021
Read Next:
Sunday's MLS playoff predictions including Portland Timbers vs. Minnesota United
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

Eastern Conference

TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Inter MiamiInter Miami1273232181424
2FC CincinnatiCincinnati11632139421
3Toronto116141414019
4New York Red BullsNY Red Bulls114521616017
5Columbus Crew10361129315
6Philadelphia UnionPhiladelphia103521916314
7DC United113531617-114
8Charlotte FCCharlotte FC114251213-114
9New York City FCNY City114251112-114
10Atlanta UnitedAtlanta103341411312
11CF MontrealMontreal103341320-712
12Nashville SCNashville102531418-411
13Chicago Fire112451119-810
14Orlando City102351118-79
15New England RevolutionNew England10217718-117

Western Conference

TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Real Salt LakeSalt Lake11632189921
2Minnesota UnitedMinnesota Utd106221711620
3Los Angeles GalaxyLA Galaxy115422117419
4Vancouver WhitecapsVancouver105321810818
5Colorado RapidsColorado115331815318
6Austin FCAustin114431413116
7Los Angeles FCLos Angeles114341919015
8Houston DynamoHouston10424910-114
9St Louis City102711514113
10Sporting Kansas CityKansas112541819-111
11Seattle SoundersSeattle112451313010
12Portland TimbersPortland112452023-310
13Dallas102261015-58
14San Jose EarthquakesEarthquakes112181726-97


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!