The Philadelphia Union are 0-3 after a 1-0 loss to San Jose Earthquakes Saturday night at Subaru Park, marking their worst start since 2012 and the worst start to the season for a reigning Supporters’ Shield winner since 2008. Three games in, the Union haven’t scored a goal from open play and while things may be fine in the long run once the left back comes and the squad gets better acquainted future promise is doing little to convince the Union fanbase that all is well, no matter the “excellent job” spin the head coach puts on it.

In the email today:

1. 🐍 Union Lose Again at Home

The Philadelphia Union's woes to start the season continued on Saturday night with a 1-0 loss to San Jose Earthquakes that stretched their winless streak to three to open their Supporters' Shield defense.

Though too early to call any game a must-win, the Union's inability to find the back of the net with an attack they spent $7 million in the offseason to reinforce was again a running theme with the team now 270 minutes into the season without a goal from the run of play.

The Union did win the xG battle 1.4 to 0.8 and outshot the Earthquakes 13-7 but the visitors won where it matters most to make it three wins out of three to start their season for the first time in club history. Veteran coach Bruce Arena dusted off some painful memories of the 2020 playoffs in handing the Union something they managed to avoid all of the regular season last year - a second loss at Subaru Park.

A moment of diagonal brilliance from German international Timo Werner set up Ousseni Bouda in the box for a first time finish just before the hour mark and the Union weren't able to muster enough of a response with the introduction of Ezekiel Alladoh and Stas Korzienowski to the attack across the remaining half hour.

Indiana Vassilev, who had the best chance in the first half to open the scoring, forced Earthquakes keeper Daniel into a save and Alejandro Bedoya and Korzienowski each had headers toward goal but not the breakthrough desperately needed and called for by the increasingly frustrated crowd.

Cavan Sullivan, who is tied with Korzienowski with a team-leading 2 goals this season (all against Defence Force in the Concacaf play), didn't even make a cameo for the Union in the match. The game, however, did mark the MLS debut of 20-year-old Gio Sequera, who started at left back on short-term loan from Philadelphia Union II.

Sequera's deployment on the left side gave Frankie Westfield the start in his natural right back position and produced a couple of promising moments in the first half where Westfield whipped in a pair of dangerous crosses into the box. Sequera also had a go at goal from a tight angle in the second half that Daniel tipped but wasn't credited with saving because of a call for a goal kick instead of a corner.

Milan Iloski had a couple of key passes in the match as the team's playmaker, including one just after halftime that found the head of a diving Nathan Harriel. Daniel denied Harriel on the play with one of his three credited saves on the night.

Though three games definitely don't make or break a season, the Union do have fellow 0-3 team Atlanta United on their league schedule in a week after they host Club America in the Champions Cup Round of 16 on Tuesday night in Chester. America hasn't been the dominant team they've been in the past but did snap a two-match losing streak in Liga MX play with a 2-1 win over Querétaro on Saturday night.

2.💧Water Cooler: Player Ratings

Weigh in on the individual performances in Saturday’s loss with our Reader Player Ratings poll.

3. 🥤 Social Post of the Day: Energy Drink Soccer

4. 🔗 Link Roundup

• Delco Times: Less than ‘excellent’ blanked again in third straight loss

• The Free Kick: Union Stumble to 0-3 Start

• Wrexham is returning to Subaru Park this summer to take on another UK team with a popular soccer documentary.

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