> Is there a way to recreate "date created" sort order in TP9?
No, 'date created' is not supported by all file systems. ThumbsPlus uses the Date Modified field.
The easiest workaround is probably to turn the automatic creation of thumbnails off (options | Preferences | Thumbnails). That way, your newly unzipped files will appear as big red crosses at the top or bottom of your thumbnail listing (depending on your sort settings) and you can tag them, add them to a gallery, give them a unique keyword or do whatever else that would separate them from the rest, before you make thumbnails of them. You could even use Image | Quick Process | Modify File Info (Ctrl-Shft-Q) to set their file stamps to 'today' and then sort them by date as usual.