Philadelphia Union
Philippe Ndinga impresses in debut against Club America
Philippe Ndinga made his debut with the Philadelphia Union against Club América in their 1-0 home loss in the Concacaf Champions Cup. While the result wasn’t what fans would’ve hoped for, Ndinga provided a much-needed spark in the midst of an early-season slump. Signed from Degerfors in Sweden for around $1 million plus incentives, Ndinga reinforces a much-needed weak left fullback spot for Philadelphia. The departure of Kai Wagner has already proved to be critical, and Ndinga will look to patch that hole up, even if it’s not a like-for-like profile swap.
Stand Out Performance
Ndinga stuck to his defensive duties with the look of a veteran defender against Club América. Coming up against Álex Zendejas is a challenge in itself, but having to do it in a team unfamiliar to you is even more challenging. Zendejas has contributed over 15 G+A to Club América for the past four seasons running, proving he’s a tough one to handle.
Ndinga only recently arrived in Philadelphia and was given the start straight away. It’s no surprise Philadelphia gave it to him, considering their desperation in the left back department since the start of the season. Despite the circumstances, there were a few key things that stood out in his play:
- Quick first step
- Recovery pace
- Defensive positioning
- Role understanding
In the match, Ndinga won 7 ground duels, while also contributing to 3 interceptions, recoveries, and clearances. In possession, he had 55 touches and went 3/3 in long balls. While the stats aren’t the most flashy, they show a genuine contribution to the backline and also how he performs in possession of the ball. This follows suit with his short time in Sweden, where he quickly became a standout defender.
For Degerfors, Ndinga sat in the 93rd percentile for duels won amongst others in his position. At the same time, his per-90 stats also stood out as some of the highest for a left back in Sweden. In almost every defensive stat besides clearances and blocks, Ndinga was in the top 71%. Philadelphia most likely fell in love with his physicality, which will translate to the league seamlessly. It will take an absurd amount of pace to outrun Ndinga, and if you manage to get near him, his shoulder-to-shoulder contact will prove to be too much to handle. Pairing his physical skillset with the tactical awareness to understand his role, Ndinga may turn out to be a gem unearthed for Philadelphia.
Cause for Concern
While Philippe is a fantastic acquisition for the Union, there may be a limitation that holds the entire squad back. He is a natural right-footer, which is extremely odd considering the Union has been lacking a left-footer on the left side. The limitation of Ndinga being right-footed isn’t actually so important in build-out because, quite frankly, the Union tends to skip that phase, opting for direct balls to forwards. Where it does become a problem, however, is that Bradley Carnell has been opting to sub on Ben Bender as a left back, immediately highlighting the need for a natural left-footer in advanced areas. While it is extremely early in the season, there could be a big problem here. The Union has no natural experienced playmaker, so if Ndinga isn’t crossing on his left, then where is he going with his right? This has already been a huge issue in the first few games of the season, and I think Ndinga only complicates things offensively. Carnell has rotated the forward 4 with just about every combination he could try, and still nothing has been able to stick. 0 goals from open play in four out of six is definitely an issue. Philadelphia now has an identity crisis on the wing. Do they utilize crossing or combination play as an outlet for scoring?
While it is too early to tell, the roster-building aspect for Philadelphia hasn’t been as plug-and-play as everyone would’ve hoped for. Carnell has rotated, but still has no goals or clean sheets to show for. The Union could really do with a stretch of games against weaker opposition to build chemistry and confidence. With matches coming up against Club América, Chicago, and Charlotte, there doesn’t seem to be a stretch of games for confidence to be regained. Will Philadelphia magically find its form once again?
