Improbable doesn’t even begin to describe this turnaround for the Philadelphia Union (4-4-4).
What the Union are currently doing on the soccer field is inching closer to miracle status and there are no signs pointing to them slowing down.
After an eight-match winless streak to start the season, the Union have rattled off four-straight wins, including a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids (2-8-1) on Saturday.
They’ve picked up 12 points in just three weeks, propelling them into a tie for seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 16 points. They’re just one point away from a playoff spot in the East.
“Confidence is a heck of a thing,” Union manager Jim Curtin said. “If you could bottle it up and sell it you’d make a heck of a lot of money. … We learned a lot in the hardest of times and when people talk about culture I would point to the fact that Earnie [Stewart] kept us together, the players stayed together and that’s really what culture is about.”
The Union have outscored their opponents an astounding 11-1 during their win streak. They’re excelling on both sides of the ball which is truly astonishing, considering how dead in the water they looked just a month ago.
“We don’t have any star players,” Union midfielder Haris Medunjanin said. “We have to fight with each other and take the three points with each other. We have a good team. Everybody can replace everybody. We need to stay 100 percent focused for every point.”
The four-straight wins is a franchise record. They’ll look to extend it on Saturday night against Real Salt Lake (3-8-2).
Like last season’s eight match unbeaten streak early in the season, fans still question whether or not they can keep this success alive. But for a fan base that suffered through 15 matches without a win, this is certainly something to celebrate.
Saturday night’s game will air at 8 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet.
