Inside the Union: Union showed character in winning snow-delayed game

As Major League Soccer extends its season, teams must prepare more for the elements than ever before.

It tends to snow during early March in Colorado, which the Union discovered firsthand.

Having Saturday's game against the Colorado Rapids postponed to Sunday because of the snow would have thrown more than a few teams off their game. Traveling is already no fun when there is inclement weather, and dealing with a day's delay didn't make the situation any better for the Union.

They had every excuse imaginable to come out with a flat performance. Instead, the Union exited Colorado on Sunday with a 2-1 win, as Jack McInerney scored the game-winner in the 79th minute.

Was this a win that can turn a season around? Probably no more so than the 3-1 opening loss at PPL Park to Sporting Kansas City ruined the season. The season consists of 34 games, and these early ones accumulate points in the standings the same as the later games.

But what Sunday's victory showed was a character that manager John Hackworth probably felt was inside his team.

"A game like this, we would not have been successful in the past," Hackworth said.

The past means last year, when the Union went 10-18-6 after making the playoffs the previous year.

"A win like this is really good for us, and not to play the best in the attacking side and still make plays is gratifying," Hackworth said.

How about that. The Union scored twice, and Hackworth wasn't happy with the attack. Plenty of times last year they would have taken two goals and asked no questions.

But that was last year.

"I can't tell you what a win like that does for guys in the locker room. [It] builds a lot of confidence, all the hard work they put in," Hackworth said. "It was a good character win."

And, of course, the only way we will know if some extra momentum traveled from Colorado with the Union is how they fare at 5 p.m. Saturday at PPL against the revived New England Revolution.

The Revs opened their season Saturday with a 1-0 win in Chicago, so they have already proven they can win on the road.

Now the Union would like to show they can win at PPL Park.

"We want to establish a certain dominance at home," Hackworth said.

The Union will get the chance to see if the momentum can carry over this week. And they will have one less thing to worry about: There is no snow in the forecast.

Notes: Olympic gold medalist Heather Mitts has joined the Union as a pregame and sideline reporter for locally produced telecasts as well as an ambassador for the club.