Union's new keeper comes out of the pool

With their hands tied in the goalkeeping department, the Union has been forced to bring in a ringer.

Former New York Red Bulls keeper and Penn alumnus Danny Cepero will join the team as a pool player for tonight's game against Real Salt Lake, (7:30, 6.2ABC) the defending MLS champion. With Brad Knighton serving a one-game suspension for his tackle of FC Dallas forward Brek Shea and third-string rookie keeper Brian Perk sent packing following the July 21 Manchester United match, Cepero was added by the Union's technical staff via the league's extreme hardship call-up policy. These are only allowed if a team has less than 15 available players or in situations such as the Union is in. The call-ups work on a game-by-game basis.

Still, No. 1 goalkeeper Chris Seitz is the projected starter. Statistically, Seitz ranks last in MLS with a 1.98 goals-against-average and is the only starting keeper in the league not to boast a shutout.

Cepero, 25, holds the all-time career shutout record at Penn, and is the only goalkeeper in MLS history to score a goal in open play, scoring a free kick against Columbus on Oct. 10, 2008.

"To be honest, I hope we don't have to use him," Union captain Danny Califf said. "I am confident in Chris and with all the things that have been said I still believe 100 percent that Chris is a quality goalkeeper and will continue to be one in this league."

Seitz will have his hands full with Real Salt Lake, a team that will be without leading goalscorer Alvaro Saborio (eight goals, 36 points), who is on national team duty with Costa Rica.

Real has the league's best scoring average. In a game where talk of consistency has been replayed more times than one can count, the Union will need to make a statement at home against one of the league's best if it realistically plans to find itself in the MLS playoff picture.

"We've reached a tipping point where this is starting to really get to us," said Califf. "Because we are the same team that beat Celtic and played Manchester United, one of the best teams in the world, with confidence. This game is less about [Real] and more about us, keeping 11 men on the field, knowing that if you do make a mistake someone is there to get you back, all the things you do when you play with confidence."

The Union is still waiting on rookie forward Danny Mwanga to return to full strength. Mwanga, listed as questionable for tonight, is still plagued by an ankle injury suffered in the 1-1 tie against New England on July 31. Mwanga - besides goal machine Sebastien Le Toux - may be one of the few Union players who consistently plays with confidence.

"It's nice to score goals, but I'd like for them to have a positive result for my team," said Le Toux. "We have to find a way to make sure that we finish these games we are supposed to win."