CHESTER, Pa. – Late in the first half of the first game of the Philadelphia Union’s 2015 season, Sebastien Le Toux had the ball at his feet, only the goalkeeper in front of him, and a six-year streak of scoring a goal or getting an assist in his team’s home opener.
It was, it seemed, the perfect situation for Le Toux and the more than 18,000 fans that packed PPL Park on a cold Saturday afternoon to get up and cheer a successful start to the season.
But Le Toux was denied by Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Clint Irwin on the play, Philly teammates Conor Casey and Andrew Wenger missed big chances themselves, and the Union were left to rue what could have been in a scoreless draw with the Colorado Rapids.
“I should have done a better job,” Le Toux said. “But my shot was too weak and too easy for the goalkeeper. I blame myself for that one. It wasn’t a big save for the goalkeeper.”
A quick look at the stat sheet shows just how unfortunate it was that the Union didn’t get the full three points. Philly finished with 16 total attempts, four of which ended up on frame. Colorado, which played down a man for the final 22 minutes and stoppage time, didn’t finish with a single shot on goal.
“We created enough chances to get three points today,” Union head coach Jim Curtin said. “I look at it as two points dropped."
Curtin decided to start the game with a 4-4-2 instead of the 4-3-3 the Union played for most of the 2014 season, going with new strikers C.J. Sapong and Fernando Aristeguieta up top, flanked by Le Toux and Wenger on the wings.
Aristeguieta finished with five shots in his MLS debut and Wenger struck one off the crossbar in the 22nd minute.
The Union kept the pressure on in the second half, even after Sapong suffered what the team called a “mild concussion” and attacking midfielder Cristian Maidana replaced him as the team reverted back to a 4-3-3. While up a man, veteran striker Casey had a couple of headers that barely missed shortly after coming into the contest.
“If we were a little sharper on the ball and moved it a little quicker, it may have helped things,” Wenger said. “But we also just needed a bounce of luck here or there. They put a lot of guys behind the ball. It’s early in the year but none of that is an excuse. We should’ve found a way to make a breakthrough.”
Curtin admitted the “guys are disappointed” in the result, but many of the players seemed confident that the goals will start flowing once Sapong, Aristeguieta and the rest of the newcomers have more time to gel with their offensive teammates.
“At the end of the day, we want to score,” Le Toux said. “We had a few chances and we didn’t score. It’s a bit frustrating but it makes us want to improve more and go back the next game and find the back of the net.”
Dave Zeitlin covers the Union for MLSsoccer.com. Email him at djzeitlin@gmail.com.
