The Philadelphia Union, the Supporters’ Shield champions, will enter the playoffs hoping to extend their regular-season triumph to a championship run in Major League Soccer.
Ahead of their first playoff game against the Chicago Fire on Sunday, head coach Bradley Carnell sat with the press to discuss the team's mental state, injury reports, and approach to the playoff games.
To clear any doubts that the team was having a hangover from the Supporters’ Shield victory, Carnell emphasized the team's mood in training and how the level of competitiveness has remained the same as during the regular season.
“We train like the two seed, we train like we wanna still be something, achieve something. It’s my job in training to change the narrative a little bit, to change complacency. We’ve kept it competitive. It’s just who we are and what we do. We do it to each other Monday to Friday. And we’ve shown we can do it to the opponent as well, on Saturday or on Sunday. For us, it’s been business as usual, and that’s what makes this team special, because there’s no days where we felt we’ve taken our foot off the gas.”
- Union head coach, Bradley Carnell
Despite ending the regular season with a loss, he drew some positives from the game against Charlotte and the Union’s season as a whole, with so much assuredness that the end of the season would not affect their performance in the playoffs.
“I even think 2-0 last weekend in Charlotte, the second half was some of our best soccer we’ve played all season… and all the data points were in top three. We’ve been playing good soccer throughout the whole year, and we just have to relay that into our playoff game.”
- Union head coach, Bradley Carnell
“We want to make sure that we get off on the right foot at home and set the tone very early on, and take it from there. We don’t wanna go back in the history books, so whatever it is, it’s a clean slate now. It’s three games, and it starts with one.”
- Union head coach, Bradley Carnell
On the team’s injury reports, he explained the fitness demands of the playoffs on every MLS team and how the Union, like all other playoff teams, must manage the little scares they have to ensure players are fit enough to play.
“It’s the end of the season, right, so that’s the test of every team right now. It’s how deep can they go and how much can they push. Everybody is feeling a bit of something. And I’m sure if you ask across the board now of these playoff teams, have they got a clean bill of health, everyone will say no, like you just have to maintain it in the best way possible. And that’s what makes it special, because you push so long, so many months. You’re at the business end of the year now.”
- Union head coach, Bradley Carnell
Above all, Carnell emphasized the team’s resilient mentality in the face of whatever health challenge they may be facing at the moment.
“Now it’s about mentality, now it’s about desire. And that’s what I’ve seen from my group right now. It’s a lot of mentality to do it at all costs.”
- Union head coach, Bradley Carnell
The Union head coach also summarized his tenure at the Union since the beginning of the year and how their season has been a story of inspiring conquests over “adversity.”
“For sure, everyone has grown. You have to face a bit of adversity to see what you can battle through, and fight the demons and come out on the other side. And I think as a staff, as players, we’ve both been through this adversity from January. To find ourselves now to fight for something that’s greater than each and every individual one of us.”
- Union head coach, Bradley Carnell
“I think we all love to do what we do. I think we all enjoy the process right now. …we’ve gone to great lengths to get where we are and to hold ourselves in the position where we are, credits to everyone. It’s been a good journey, it’s been a long journey. How I feel this week has gone, the guys are very hungry for more.”
- Union head coach, Bradley Carnell
The Union hosts the Chicago Fire in game one of the first round of the playoffs on Sunday, as they prepare for the next two rounds in the coming weeks.
