It was a little more than a year ago when Jim Curtin walked into Red Bull Arena for the first time as a head coach. At the time, the Union were still winless in six career meetings against their archrivals up I-95 and in the midst of a difficult start to the 2015 season.
But on that day, the Union finally exorcised whatever demons they may have had in Harrison, N.J., taking a 2-0 victory on what perhaps may be nothing more than a footnote in history.
Or perhaps it gave the Union some confidence they could go into their rival’s building and get a win. After all, it was just two months later when the Union went back to Red Bull Arena for a quarterfinal date in the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. There, down a man and in the sweltering summer heat, the Union relentlessly held off Red Bulls, forcing penalties where John McCarthy ultimately stole the show and Fernando Aristeguieta booked a winner that Union fans won’t soon forget.
That sets up an ideal rematch Wednesday night, with Red Bulls coming into Talen Energy Stadium where they haven’t actually lost in almost two years. After a bitter defeat in last year’s quarterfinal, which launched the Union all the way to the Open Cup Final, one might suspect revenge on their minds. And, with Curtin’s former teammate and good friend Jesse Marsch just a few feet down the sideline, fans can probably expect a fiercely tight battle.
“I think the one thing that can be said, when we played under Bob Bradley, he instilled in us that the Open Cup is a serious competition – it’s one of the two trophies that there are in this country,” Curtin said after training on Monday. “I know for a fact they’re playing their guys because that’s how Jesse is with it. That’s the same way I treat the Open Cup and we’ll both put our best lineups out there.”
Where Curtin goes is up for debate. While the Union lead MLS in goals and are currently riding the blistering-hot Roland Alberg, the team has been leaking goals – much to the chagrin of the Union’s defensive-first coach.
The reason may not be so easily definable. Curtin and his players have been adamant about simple breakdowns on re-starts, 1v1 defending, or just flat-out errors. Certainly combinations of those three, along with some missing parts such as C.J. Sapong, and the result hasn’t been ideal.
“Over the last three games, nine goals – a lot of them are individual mistakes,” Curtin said. “And I would say they are fixable. I think we can get it fixed, but the proof will be against Red Bull.”
With Sapong possibly still out with an ankle injury, expect more time from rookie Fabian Herbers. The 22-year-old is in picture-perfect shape, but could be starting his fifth game in 15 days. Elsewhere, Curtin has rotated his wide players and it could make sense for Chris Pontius to be back in the lineup. In the midfield, it’s hard to expect much change with Alberg, Tranquillo Barnetta and Brian Carroll playing at high levels. But Curtin has been known to utilize Warren Creavalle in an effort to keep fresh legs.
And that might be the difference on Wednesday. With tensions expected to be running high, a fast-pace game could be on from the opening whistle. As for some early fireworks, time will tell.
“There’s no denying the fact we don’t like each other,” Curtin said. “They’re competitive. We’re competitive. They have a very good group. They are in very good form, playing some of the best soccer in the league right now. Jesse’s a great coach. We’ll have to be ready and up for the fight.”
What do you think is the key to success vs. New York Red Bulls on Wednesday. Leave your comment below.
