Despite Saturday’s 4-0 thrashing at the feet of Charlotte FC and new star Daniel Rios, who improved his goals per game ratio from .06 to .19 in a single swoop, the Union still sit in the same position as before the international break when they were the hottest team in the league.
Yes, they lost the opportunity to capture their second Supporters’ Shield in three seasons and host throughout the playoffs, but Charlotte may have done the Union a favor by knocking them off that pedestal. Only one team (Toronto 2017) has won the Shield and the Cup in the same season in the last ten years and only four teams have accomplished the double in the last twenty years.