The Union have now underperformed expected goals for five straight years to the tune of -37 goals over the term. And the Curtin era is much worse. During his two full seasons in 2015 and 2016 the Union have an expected goal differential compared to actuals of -21. Poor defense is the culprit, responsible for -17 of that score. Why are the Union giving up so many more goals than expected goals suggest they should? It goes beyond bad luck.

The very young Union defense led by Andre Blake, Richie Marquez, and Keegan Rosenberry have been prone to poor marking, as one might expect, but they are also often times the recipients of bad miscues in the midfield leading to fast breaks by the opposition and are forced to play defense in too much space. The reality is the Union give up easier shots than factors might make apparent. Consistently.

Not expecting that Union misfortune to turn around on its own, Earnie Stewart has been the force of change, constantly bringing in new talent to turn the ship. In the middle of last year he brought in Alejandro Bedoya who will replace the beloved Tranquillo Barnetta. This offseason he turned to Leyton Orient striker Jay Simpson to ignite a striker role that CJ Sapong had let die out. He brought in Bosnia-Herzigovina midfielder Haris Medunjanin to replace the sadly departed Vincent Nogueira, and USMNT veteran Oguchi Onyewu to bring depth to a young pool of center backs. Stewart also re-signed veteran forward Charlie Davies as well as a young winger in USMNT capped Fafa Picault. The Union are also hoping to see the return of Designated Player Maurice Edu to the lineup which would be a much needed boost.

Here is what the lineup projects to look like when both Josh Yaro (shoulder) and Maurice Edu are healthy.