(Photo by Double G Media)

It looks like the Union are following the Philadelphia sports trend of being below average to sucky. In their first four games of the season, the Union haven’t been able to put up more goals than their opponents. After all, that’s usually how a team wins a game – scores more goals than the other team.

Jim Curtin has placed his players into opportunities to succeed but so far nothing has come of the effort.  

The games have been close so it’s not quite time to panic. The league is notoriously easy on slow starters as you should look no further than rival Red Bulls start to the 2016 season. That team had their worst start in team history and was still able to somehow win the East. The Union has the players and the experience to be able to recover, it will just take a few good bounces to get back to winning ways.

The Union will have a tough time getting to winning ways this weekend as they take on arguably the hottest team in the league the Portland Timbers. They are top of the league with 10 points in five games. Another quiet point is the brutal schedule for the Union so far. Opening the season away from home on the geographically longest trip in Vancouver, returning home in six days to play Giovinco and Toronto FC, going to Orlando who just opened a raucous stadium, and then catching DC United at a bad time. This fact isn’t helped at all trying to get their first win this weekend against the first place team.

So what needs to change?

My opinion is switching Jay Simpson out for CJ Sapong. I wrote an article earlier this year talking about Sapong’s maturity and growth as a leader. Simpson may be the better player, but at this point he does not have the chemistry with the team to put himself into the best positions.

Jim Curtin doesn’t need to change much. A call here and a bounce there will be enough to secure that sweet first victory. We’ll see what happens this Saturday night in Chester.