Happy Tuesday that feels like a Monday. Congratulations for surviving the worst day of the year on social media yesterday. The US Open Cup is back tonight and while they’re aren’t any local teams there are some local players to watch. And of course rooting for cupsets is always fun.

In the email today:

1. 🟩 Formation Switch Key to Sealing Victory

By Joe Lister

Three games into their MLS season, the Philadelphia Union only had three points to their name.

An embarrassing defeat in Mexico to Pachuca to end the team’s Concacaf Champions League run didn’t help to appease fans. After the Union’s game against Seattle at home was rained out, the team took to Portland to try and weasel one point from the Timbers on the road.

The Union got three points, despite having only three players on the bench. With several starters missing to international duty, Jim Curtin moved his team to a flat 4-4-2 formation, as opposed to the diamond 4-4-2 the Union typically used. The same formation that proved so successful in Portland was the same Curtin and his coaches rolled out against Minnesota United on Saturday afternoon as the Union picked up a 2-0 win.

“I give my staff credit because I didn’t want to do it today,” Curtin said of the formation postgame. “I have to admit, I didn’t want to because at home I always think it’s a little conservative to go a little bit deeper. But it wound up working and it gave us a calmness in the middle part of the field.”

The formation allowed the Union more width, which helped young midfielder Quinn Sullivan dominate the right side of the pitch toward the end of the match. Sullivan didn’t finish with any goals or assists to his name, but he was the flashiest player on the field for all 90 minutes of action.

Even when Curtin began to pull his starters out of the game, the Union began to lean on the formation to keep their game plan consistent and allow Sullivan to tear up and down the right side of the pitch.

“When [Alejandro Bedoya] went into the game and Quinny was doing so well at right, I didn’t want to put Ale on the right and just throw Quinn up top at this moment. I just thought it was going well,” Curtin said.

Instead, Curtin told midfielder Daniel Gazdag to play as a second striker when the Union was on the attack and play as a No. 10 when the Union were defending. Bedoya played centrally while Sullivan continued to provide assistance from the right. After Bedoya went into the match, he notched an assist for Julian Carranza’s game-sealing goal.

2. 🏆 US Open Cup Is Back Tonight

The Philadelphia Union should be watching tonight to see who they might face in the third round of the Open Cup but since they aren’t in it at all they’ll have to settle for rooting for former teammate Anton Sorenson and the Charlotte Independence instead.

A full slate of second round games are on tonight and tomorrow with six tonight and 10 tomorrow night. At least one MLS Next Pro side will fall with NYCFC II and NYRB II facing off.

Sadly neither West Chester United or VE could pull the cupset in Round One so there is no local representation but there are a number of players with local ties to watch, including complete blast from the past in former Philadelphia Union reserve keeper Brian Rowe.

Maryland Bobcats
Travis Ward, Rowan University
Trevor Jackson, Saint Joseph’s

Charlotte Independence
Anton Sorenson, Philadelphia Union
Hugh Roberts, Bethlehem Steel

One Knoxville
Sean O’Hearn, PA Classics
Sean Lewis, Harrisburg City Islanders

Greenville Triumph
Lyam MacKinnon, Villanova University, West Chester United
Zion Scarlett, Lower Merion SC, FC Delco, Philadelphia Union Academy

Vermont Green
Zach Barrett, Lehigh Valley United, Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals
Jacob Labovitz, Ocean City Nor’easters

Carolina Core
Jeremiah White IV, Philadelphia Union Academy

Chattanooga Red Wolves
Ropapa Mensah, Harrisburg City Islanders

Des Moines Menace
Brian Rowe, Philadelphia Union

Union Omaha
Marco Milanese, Ocean City Nor’easters

Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC
Johnny Fenwick, Atlantic City FC

Rapids 2
Josh Belluz, Villanova, West Chester United

Spokane Velocity
Morgan Hackworth, Philadelphia Union Academy
Pierre Reedy, Lehigh Valley United, Reading United

Ventura County FC
Diego Lopez, Philadelphia Union Academy
Sean Karani, Temple University

3. 🐣 Tweet of the Day: Minnesota

4. 💧 Water Cooler: CB Pairing Results

5. 🔗 Link Roundup

• Relive Saturday’s thrilling Kids Day win with a photo gallery from photographer Mikey DeAngelis.

• The Union U17s bounced back from a loss to FC Cincinnati with a convincing win over Vancouver and advanced to the Championship Bracket in the GA Cup where they will face Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on Wednesday. The U15s move to the Premier Bracket where they will face Chicago Fire on Wednesday.

• Recap of Saturday’s 2-0 Union win over Minnesota United

• If you didn’t get one of the US Open Cup posters we gave out last week (or if you want a higher quality larger version) you can order them in the Printify shop.

April Member Giveaway! Toy Brick Chester Stadium. All monthly and annual Philadelphia Soccer Now members and annual subscribers to The River End will be entered into the drawing.

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