Following two disappointing matches to begin the 2019 MLS season, Head Coach Jim Curtin understands the importance of earning a result on the road at Atlanta United FC Sunday night.
Rewind back to the beginning of the 2018 season when the Philadelphia Union snagged two clean sheet victories in their first three games followed by a five-match winless streak. It was certainly a roller coaster ride.
Fast forward back to present day, and the Union have dropped
a chance at three points at home only to lose once more on the road to start
the 2019 MLS campaign. And now, fans are contemplating whether or not this team
can provide results on the pitch.
“We’re always upset when we lose a game,” said Curtin during
his weekly press conference Wednesday. “We went back and watched the tape, we
created a lot of chances. Whether you believe in the ‘eyeball test’ or data, we’ve
created chances but again it’s about finishing them.”
Curtin tried his best to reassure media members that the panic button should most definitely not be contemplated this early. It was for sure a heartbreaking home opening debut for his club when they dropped three points to Toronto FC. And their most recent away match at Kansas City left everyone, including players and fans, wanting more.
Now, to make matters more challenging, they travel to one of
the toughest places to play in MLS, Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium.
Ultimately, Curtin and his team understand the reality of
the situation. They simply aren’t expected to win at Atlanta. However, a road
result could potentially be a sparkplug moment for a club eager to get the ball
into the back of the net.
“We can certainly turn things around quickly. Again, we’re
not happy. I don’t want that to get misconstrued – the players are upset,” said
Curtin. “We’re not expected to go to Atlanta and win, we know that. Reality
wise, we’re still chasing those three points that we dropped.”
So far, Curtin’s new group of players and style of play have
landed them in the number one spot league wide in the expected goals category.
However, the game is not played on paper. And that much is clear for this group
so far. Yes, chances have been created, but just one goal in two matches is not
going to cut it.
“I’d be a lot more concerned if we weren’t creating chances.
I think if we continue putting guys in the right spots on the field and run
hard into the box, those plays will start to go our way. A lot of big decisions
and plays went against us in Kansas City,” said Curtin.
Newcomer Marco Fabian leads the group as the lone goal
scorer while compiling 11 total shots so far. But Fabian’s red card last week
leaves him out of the mix Sunday. Another player out of the mix will be Sergio
Santos. Santos is listed as injured – which for him may be a positive as he
welcomed the birth of his new child recently.
New signee Jamiro Monteiro’s visa paperwork was not cleared as
of Wednesday and it would be surprising to see him be available tomorrow night.
Which could leave Philadelphia’s midfield severely depleted.
Atlanta has speed all over the pitch and they play with an
intensity that is rarely matched at home. With a 3-4-3 style featuring dynamic
wingers that tuck in centrally, Philadelphia will need some creativity on the
offensive side of things in order to threaten.
But with Fabian serving his suspension, who will Curtin turn
to at the #10 position? Will it be youngster Brenden Aaronson? Will Anthony
Fontana gain another opportunity to prove his worth? When asked about starting
Aaronson at Atlanta, Curtin mentioned it’s not far-fetched.
“I’m not scared to start. He’s done well. Once
the whistle blows, it’s still soccer. He’s comfortable handling pressure and
tight spaces,” said Curtin.
Regardless of who appears at the attacking midfield position,
the few chances created will need to be finished. In this league, creating
chances is simply not enough. Lobbing a cross into a crowded box without intent
won’t cut it. Philadelphia must sharpen their attack Sunday night or they could
suffer a third straight loss to start the season.
“it’s a difficult task we know, but it’s not impossible,”
said Curtin. “If you drop points at home, you have to pick them up at other
places.”
Mercedes Benz Stadium is perhaps the toughest play to earn a
road win in MLS. We’ll see how Philadelphia responds to a heavy amount of early
adversity Sunday night.
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