Philadelphia Union II resumes its 2020 USL Championship season on Saturday night with a KeyStone State clash against the rival Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Kick off from Subaru Park is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Ahead of the contest, Union II Head Coach Sven Gartung talked about the preparations for the Riverhounds who are coming off a 3-1 victory over Louisville City FC. When the team gathered for Monday morning’s training session Gartung asked his young group if they had watched the match on their own time and was proud to see that everyone had done so during the weekend.
“Everyone raise their hands so they all watched it,” Gartung told reporters Wednesday afternoon. “We’ve been doing some video and what they do is similar to what Red Bulls does so if we lose the ball close to goal then we have a problem. If we lose the ball in the build up and aren’t in the correct positions then we have a problem so we’re aware of where we face some threats from Pittsburgh but are preparing for that.”
Gartung said that it was clear that the Riverhounds side embodies the style of Head Coach Bob Lilley. One of the most successful coaches in the league’s history, Lilley has always been one of the top defensive minds but recently has loaded up with strong playmakers and scoring threats with the likes of Steevan Dos Santos, Kenardo Forbes and Ropapa Mensah.
“They have experienced and physical players and its going to be a tough challenge but a good one,” Gartung said of Saturday night’s contest. [Coach Lilley] knows what he is going to do and he’s able to adjust and play different systems and styles of play but he had a solid foundation when it starts on the field. I’m sure he wants to dictate the game and not much trying to guess who will be in our starting XI. There are too many uncertainties when you prepare for us so I think he will stick to whatever gameplan he’s created for Saturday.”
Ahead of the Union II’s return to play Gartung provided an injury update that will once again force changes to the team’s lineup with the announcement that Issa Rayyan will miss the match with a broken nose. Rayyan was seen as the starting left back for this weekend’s matchup with the college departure of Tyger Evans but now Gartung said he’ll have to find another solution.
Gartung did say that the team did get some positive news on veteran midfielder Zach Zandi Wednesday, with a MRI coming back negative on his ankle. The Union Academy graduate is slated to be available for selection against the Riverhounds.
