Know Thy Enemy: Revolution vs the Weekly Doopy Liberty Rivalry

No this game is not played every week, but the memories and "rivalry" will never die.

Photo courtesy of J. Alexander Dolan

I know that we actively and justifiably joke about the vaunted MLS Liberty Rivalry, but there is always something to enjoy when the New England Revolution and Philadelphia Union play. Today’s match at Subaru Park could rebound both teams from their most recent performance. It could keep the Revs at the top of the East or put the Union back in the race for prime playoff position.

But most importantly that means rekindling one of the weirdest and most honorable rivalries in all of MLS. Oh who are we kidding, this is just another opportunity to bring up the greatest T-shirt ever made.

At this point any hope the Revolution have to build a true rivalry with anyone has probably past. The old playoff feuds with Chicago, Houston, LA Galaxy are in the yesteryear of league history and newer teams like the Union have gravitated towards closer NY/NJ area teams to dislike.

However, this is still an important series and benchmark for both teams over the past few years. The Union’s 2020 Shield campaign was bolstered by pasting a rebuilding Revs team every other week in the shortened COVID season. The Revs Shield win the following year saw New England outpace the Union in the East by over 20 points. In my opinion, beating the Union on the road is a pretty good indicator that you’re probably a good soccer team.

Most importantly however, are the gentlemanly shenanigans we get to achieve with the help of our good friend Joe Lister now of Philly Soccer Now. Our petty emails have hilariously gotten me through 20 hours of overtime in the last three days and there is a good chance I will sleep through this game. But nothing shall deter me from our ongoing mission to provide information on this game which at one point, was played every week.

TBM: How does Philly rate their start to 2023 so far? A slow start in MLS with a CCL semis loss paired with a recent 5-game unbeaten streak currently has the Union in 6th in the East seems like a very emotional roller coaster to be on.

JL: Fans are really negative right now. It's obviously hard not to be, granted the expectations that everyone had for this team at the beginning of the year. Frankly, I think people would have been more comfortable with the state of the team if the CONCACAF Champions League loss hadn't come against LAFC, but that's for another day. A rough start to the MLS season and a very early Open Cup exit aren't helping anything.

However, the past five games have been good for the club, even while the group hasn't looked too strong. Philadelphia hasn't been winning games in the most beautiful fashion (see: that run in 2022 where they beat everyone 6-0), but they are winning nonetheless. Maybe the group is starting to click?

TBM: More frustrating game to watch - the CCL series loss to LAFC or the midweek 0-0 draw with DC United? Also specifically for the DC game what wasn't working compared to how the Union played during the three-game winning streak?

JL: LAFC, for sure. I shut off my computer after the second goal and went to the gym. Unfortunately, I walked into the gym right as the third goal went in on the TV right above my head. 

It's really hard to diagnose anything about the Union right now. Jim Curtin is experimenting with lineups and formations, so everything is a little shaky right now. However, the best answer that I can give for the D.C. performance is that the Union didn't have Jack McGlynn and Quinn Sullivan. Sullivan certainly isn't the most important player on the team, but he would have been a nice attacking option when needed. However, McGlynn's absence showed everyone how few attacking pieces the Union really has. Without him, the midfield was inept at pushing the ball up the field, and the best chance of the night came from this 65-yard prayer by center back Jack Elliott.

TBM: Which side of the ball do the Union need to improve on more to make a run at the top of the East? Who have been the standouts on offense and defense for the squad so far this year?

JL: Offense. For certain. 

Like the rest of the team, Andre Blake is having a rough season, but he's still Andre Blake. The Jamaican superstar held a shutout against 1.53 xG from D.C. on Wednesday. Oh, and he did this. Add Jakob Glesnes and (often) Jack Elliott to the defensive core, and Philadelphia is fine in the East.

However, there is no offense in Philadelphia. As mentioned above, maybe it's just McGlynn's absence that really hurt on Wednesday, but the Union hasn't gotten much production from Daniel Gazdag (who has zero non-PK goals), Mikael Uhre and Julian Carranza. At least not the level that they'd like. I personally think it's just a matter of Gazdag getting a goal in the run of play to get things going, but that remains to be seen.

Lineup/Injuries/Prediction/Etc

Jose Martinez and Mikael Uhre were both left in Philadelphia for the Union's match at Colorado last Saturday, but both came off the bench against D.C. Jesus Bueno will also be returning from suspension, but I don't think he'll see too many minutes.

Here's my lineup, assuming that Curtin returns to the 4-1-2-1-2: Blake; Wagner, Glesnes, Elliott, Harriel; Martinez; Flach, Bedoya; Gazdag; Carranza, Uhre.

Union at home on a Saturday? I'll give them a 1-0 win. Gazdag takes a penalty or Carranza scores a tap-in. Who knows, but I think they pull it off.