⚽️ Gazdag and Bueno in Training

_{LAST MATCH: Union 4 - New York Red Bulls 1}

_{NEXT MATCH: vs. FC Cincinnati}

_{Saturday, Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m. | Apple TV - MLS Season Pass}

Good morning. Jesus Bueno and Daniel Gazdag appear to be good to go for Saturday, the USMNT won convincingly and the Union players away on international duty all played before returning to the squad for Saturday’s match against FC Cincinnati.

In the email today:

Daniel Gazdag and Jesus Bueno were both training fully in Chester on Tuesday, allaying any fears that the two midfielders might not be available for Saturday's game against FC Cincinnati.

Gazdag didn't join the Hungary national team as a precaution and Bueno left camp with Venezuela early after reportedly picking up a knock in training.

• Six other Union players have been away with their national teams and are expected to return after Tuesday's fixtures.

• Andre Blake and Damion Lowe started Tuesday with Jamaica, Olivier Mbaizo started for Cameroon, Jose Martinez started for Venezuela Tai Baribo came off the bench for Israel.

• Leon Flach, who may miss the rest of the season because of a sports hernia, may be the lone player unavailable for Saturday as things stand.

2) ⭐️ Do the Union Stars Cancel Each Other Out?

It’s become cliche at this point to talk about the Philadelphia Union as a collective more than a star-driven super team, but it’s starts to get a little out of hand when Daniel Gazdag (double digit goals and assists) and Julian Carranza (12 goals, 4 assists) can’t even get a mention in a MVP Power Rankings piece.

To say nothing about Messi and the 13 other players that do get a mention, there really should be a Union representative on a list like this.

Unlike a lot of other team,s though, it can be hard to pick just one player as a short-hand for why they’re an MLS Cup contender. The collective includes a lot of players who tend to cancel each other out.

• The cancel-out theory has been discussed a lot with center backs Jakob Glesnes and Jack Elliott. You can only choose one and not both so someone gets snubbed.

• Gazdag and Carranza have the numbers but it’s rare that a game goes by that we aren’t talking about a jaw-dropping save Andre Blake made, a recovery run by El Brujo or the ever so dangerous playmaking of Kai Wagner.

• With the Union it isn’t that there isn’t a solid MVP candidate so much as it’s not a consensus who that should even be.

Our take: Gazdag’s reputation as a PK merchant probably is partially to blame for his snub, but whether you highlight Gazdag as the offensive leader, pick a defender, or push Blake as more than Goalkeeper of the Year, it’s going to be a tough sell up against bigger name and more beloved stars.

3) 🚲 Tweet of the Day: The El Brujo Bike Clearance

4) 💧 Water Cooler: Top Union MVP Candidate

Have additional thoughts? Reply directly to this email to comment, and see if we include your response tomorrow.

…

Results from our last poll: Union NFL Kicker: Jakob Glesnes won the poll for the second day in a row, this time getting 100 percent of the vote as the current Union player who could kick in the NFL.

5) 🔗 Link Roundup:

• 🇺🇸 Brenden Aaronson scored off a free kick and Falarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi each added goals for the US in a 4-0 win over Oman in the first meeting between the two countries.

• 🎙️ Renee Washington debuted a new Philadelphia Union podcast she is hosting with special guest El Parcero Philly. A former La Salle star on the soccer pitch, Washington was previously on the PHL17 Union halftime show.

• 🐍 The Union Way Episode 4: A Win Streak Begins is out.

The newsletter today was written by: Matt Ralph @MattRalph_

Thanks for reading!