Blake is out 'for the next couple weeks' with a hamstring injury, manager Bradley Carnell said. That adds another challenge to the Union's push to regain first place in the standings.

It might feel excessive to worry about a Union team that enters Saturday's home game against Chicago (7:30 p.m., Apple TV) one point out of first place in all of Major League Soccer.

But the worries are legitimate, even for a team that has spent 14 of this season's 27 matchday rounds atop the standings, and has climbed back there twice during the summer.

Supporters' Shield-leading San Diego has won nine of its 13 away games. East-leading Cincinnati just brought back former prolific striker Brenner to join an attack loaded with MVP candidate Evander -- 18 goals and 10 assists this year -- and Kévin Denkey, who has 13 goals this season. They should all be ready to fire when the Union visit next weekend.

Orlando is on a hot streak. Nashville has its own double-digit scoring duo in Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar, and they'll host the Union in the Open Cup semifinals on Sept. 17. And always-dangerous Columbus just added Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali as a Designated Player after he lit up the Club World Cup with Egypt's Al-Ahly.

Out west, second-place Minnesota closed the transfer window on Thursday by signing a winger and a defender. Vancouver, a point behind the Loons, made one of the year's biggest splashes by signing German legend Thomas Müller, and he'll host the Union on Sept. 13.

And lurking behind all of them, Inter Miami still has three games on the field even though Lionel Messi isn't fully healthy.

" READ MORE: Union defender Ian Glavinovich ruled out for season with torn meniscus

One has to ask what the Union's plan to contend with all this, given the misfires from Bruno Damiani and Mikael Uhre up top and just two starting-caliber centerbacks at the other end?

Now, add the fact that Andre Blake will be sidelined "for the next couple weeks," manager Bradley Carnell said this week, by the hamstring injury the goalkeeper suffered last in Saturday's first loss to the New York Red Bulls in six years.

"I don't want to give it an exact timeline, but these types of things take two, three, four, whatever weeks it might be," Carnell said. Andrew Rick will start, with reserve team goalkeepers Mike Sheridan and Pierce Holbrook as his backups.

At least Rick is a player whom fans don't need to worry about. He isn't as good as Blake -- no one is, as has long since been shown -- but the 19-year-old has long since proven himself to be at the MLS level.

" READ MORE: Jakob Glesnes' remarkable turnaround this year earned him a new contract from the Union

"This is not a long-term situation, but we've been in a good space," Carnell said. "Rick has four clean sheets, and there's no reason why we shouldn't add a couple more."

Back to the bigger question, then: how do the Union climb back up, even if that climb is just one step?

"I've felt our guys are being comfortable being the hunted, but our messaging internally has always been stay the hunters," Carnell said.

He cited an adage that he attributed to legendary former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, though it started with sprinter Maurice Greene, and other people have no doubt thought of it: "In order to achieve and be number one, you have to train like number two."

" READ MORE: Medford's Paxten Aaronson returns to MLS, joining the Colorado Rapids

No matter who came up with the idea, Carnell said his team is ready to meet this moment.

"We had our biggest [practice] loads of the year these last two days," Carnell said after Thursday's practice. "Credit to the boys for one, showing a response from the loss, and two, just getting down to the grinding again, just getting on to the work. ... By no means [do] we have to shy away from responsibility or even excitement about what's to come, because the boys have done great things."

Here's a look at the top of the leaguewide standings heading into this weekend.

San Diego FC leads the Western Conference and FC Cincinnati leads the Eastern Conference. The first tiebreaker in all scenarios is total wins, and the second is goal difference.