Adineran finds footing as Union defeat Charlotte

Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith called Saturday’s match against the Philadelphia Union “possibly the worst game I’ve played since I’ve come over to the U.S.A.”

Union head coach Jim Curtin, who, unlike Smith, didn’t lose on Saturday, had a different perspective.

“I think that it wasn’t a perfect game; I don’t think by any stretch, by either team,” Curtin said. “But I enjoy 1-0 professional, grind it out type wins, and I think that the group is confident.”

The Union’s 1-0 win was predictable. Philadelphia and Charlotte have played three times this season, counting Saturday’s affair. The two teams have combined for three goals in that span — two for Charlotte in late June in Philadelphia, one for the Union on Saturday evening.

Still, the low scoring didn’t mean the Union lacked offense. In the first start for new signing Sam Adineran, Philadelphia displayed its first glimpse of a full attack after the departure of Julian Carranza.

As with most teams who play Charlotte, the Union didn’t create much on the attack. Tai Baribo’s goal in the 33rd minute was the game’s lone shot on goal. Still, Philadelphia’s front three of Baribo, Adineran, and Daniel Gazdag created a free-flowing attack that gave the Union plenty of opportunities, a few of which would’ve meant a bit more if it weren’t for a pesky offside flag.

There will still be some growing pains with Adineran. He seemed to understand his teammates more as the match went on, but he’s still new to the squad. Developing the on-field chemistry between Adineran and the rest of the attack will be the next goal for Curtin and his coaching staff.

“Overall, I thought Sam did some good things. You can still see he’s not totally perfect with his teammates and his teammates also have to get on the same page with them,” Curtin said.

“I think as you start to grow and learn each other you’ll see sometimes, you’d be running in deep and a pass would be played short and vice versa. That happened a couple of times but overall, I think you saw him work really hard.”

Adineran did have a goal contribution, even if the statistics don’t show it. He dished off a pass to Gazdag before Gazdag moved that same pass in front of Baribo for the goal. Statistic keepers didn’t credit Adineran with an assist on the play, but the same happened to Gazdag, so take Adineran’s recognition with a grain of salt.

Perhaps the most interesting part of Adineran’s first start was just that: he started. Despite the Union having a full week of rest on either side of the Charlotte match, Mikael Uhre sat on the bench for the opening 66 minutes.

Starting Adineran gave Curtin and Co. a chance to see what their new signing looks like with the Union’s best players while they’re still fresh. In nothing else, starting Adineran “was an opportunity to take a look at him,” Curtin said.

Keeping Uhre on the bench, Curtin said, is something the Union can use for a late-game boost. Uhre hasn’t been a terribly consistent goal scorer, but he is consistently one of the fastest players on the pitch. Bringing the Danish forward in late against tired legs could prove to be a challenge for the Union’s opponents.

Curtin added that while the Union are always looking to improve and add players, he’s happy with the attack the Union have now. After the departure of Carranza, who Curtin called the best forward in club history, Adineran won’t be a like-for-like swap. However, with the emergence of Baribo and the new addition of Adineran, the Union may have something brewing in the attack.