Philadelphia Union Head Coach Jim Curtin
Opening statement
"First off, a thank you to the crowd for tonight. The Sons of Ben I thought were loud and really the atmosphere here tonight pushed the guys a ton. Packed house and our players gave them something to cheer about, certainly in the first 45 minutes. I thought it was some of our best soccer, I thought our ability to press, to run and fight, win second balls, then also to combine in the attacking third of the field. We made it very hard day on D.C. [United]. Really proud of the group, a huge three points and obviously sets up a very big match against Atlanta [United FC] in our home stadium.
On the changes made in tonight’s starting lineup...
We just needed an injection of life. We have a deep roster and we used it. I thought that guys had been training really well and we rewarded those guys. They stepped on the field, and I thought for the most part, changed the game and played a really good intensity. Doesn't mean we won't make changes going back into Atlanta as well. We have a good roster from spot one through 28 and we will use all of our players. Just thought we needed an injection of life at home. We were a little flat in Chicago. It was a difficult week. Like I always talk to you guys, some of the noise starts from the outside; “Are they going to fall apart,” but this group after every bit of adversity have stepped up in a big way. [Mark] McKenzie was huge, [Brenden] Aaronson a good performance and Ilsinho gives us a real lift, the three changes that we made. We have a deep roster. Everybody competes every week to be in the eighteen, to be in the 11. That will continue the rest of the way through. Overall, a big three points and really proud of the players.
On the choice of formation...
We played a 4-4-2 diamond against them in their building and it matched up well for us. We obviously created some chances, there was a red card in that game also that changed the game as well. Different little tactics go into things. We knew with them on short rest having played at Vancouver [Whitecaps FC], flown across the country to play a really highly competitive game against [New York] Red Bulls where both teams have 10 men, you have to put a ton of energy into it. We thought that it was best to be a little proactive and put three up high. Regardless of position, Brenden [Aaronson] can play seven different spots on the field; he's just a soccer player. Again, I think sometimes we get caught up in the semantics of formations and can really mean the difference of a guy being four or five yards in a different spot. We have a good group of guys, they responded well to it. Most of it was just trying to be proactive on a team in D.C. United that was going to be a little fatigued coming in. We had some fresh legs out there and I think all the players really stepped up. Great first 45, we can work a lot though still on the second 45 cause that wasn't us.
On Brenden Aaronson’s performance tonight...
He still probably could have scored two or three goals if he arranges his feet a little quicker. He's so shifty and his hips move so quickly, sometimes it takes him a little time to set his feet and get a shot off. Really good spot though that he found between the center backs there and gets on the end of one for a goal. Great for his confidence. You guys see his quality on the ball; he rarely loses the ball in possession. The next element to add to his game if he wants to become a top player and a player that plays in Europe, it will be how he does 30 yards and in. We all see the talent he has, but getting a shot off quick when you know center backs are coming to close you down is a whole other level in the MLS compared to where an 18 year old is coming from in our academy. It’s a level up for him, but a great performance from him. The thing that goes unknown about him is how much he runs defensively for us. His ability to get pressure to outside backs to get them to backwards, to help Kai [Wagner] not have two things to deal with often because his work rate is incredible. He runs and shuts teams down with his defensive work which people don't realize because he weighs probably 120 pounds. So he did a great job tonight.
On Alejandro Bedoya getting a yellow card and missing next week’s match against Atlanta United FC...
Ale [Bedoya] made five or six plays in the second half there though to keep us in the game to be honest, because if they get a second goal the place goes quiet and it gets a little bit nervy, but Ale tracking back made five or six plays. He is gutted that he is going to miss the game, this is the reality of our league, but again we have a deep roster. I know whoever we decide will step up and give a great performance against Atlanta, a team that is playing frankly as good as anyone other than LAFC. I don’t even count them as in our league anymore because they are just a different level. No, but Atlanta is playing excellent, we know that they have a big [Lamar Hunt U.S.] Open Cup Final on Tuesday and they’re coming to our building. So we need to be confident with that. We will miss Ale, he is our captain, he's our leader, he's one of our best players, but this is what happens at this stage of the season. In the last ten games, everybody is running right up against the caution points so hopefully, actually not hopefully, I know somebody will step up and do a great job for him.
On possibly subbing Haris Medunjanin off instead of Jamiro Monteiro...
We talked about it, but Haris [Medunjanin] does so many little things that keep us stable in there. He adjusted his game in a way that now he wins as many balls as any midfielder in our league. The Opta data shows you that. Even at 30 plus years old, he's added new pieces and new dimensions to his game. I thought if you watched the passes he played in the first half in the first 45 minutes it was world class. Literally world class. The balls that he played to start off our attacks, I can't take any credit for that, he just has a God-given gift and an incredible left foot. It comes up because he is so important to us, to maybe make a change there. He can get a little emotional at times, but I trusted him, he's experienced and he did a great job not picking up that second yellow, cause if you lose both of them, then you’re in real trouble. He will be out there versus Atlanta.
On Kacper Przybylko’s performance...
When he is determined and brings it like he brought it tonight he is one of the best forwards in our league, I believe that. He's not as sexy a name as [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic or whoever else you want to insert in there. He, in terms of work rate, holding the ball up, drawing fouls for us, scoring goals, running hard at the near post. Really soft feet for a guy who is six foot five; he can turn and get out of tight spots. Then, maybe most important thing for me, is the heart that he has. The determination when he is half falling down, he’s tired, he pushed through it and I can’t say enough about the season that he has had for us. He has stepped up in a major way, getting up in the double digit goal area, I think he has a ton to give, and again, he is a key guy for us. We need him on the field and we need him to continue this great form that he is in.
Defender Mark McKenzie
On the dynamic of his team...
It’s about next man up; these guys embodied that. Whenever your name is called be ready for that. This team is about pushing each other when the opportunity calls.
On when he found out he was going to start...
In training everybody gets a couple of shifts in different spots, we rotate each other, so by the end of the week you kind of get an idea what the lineup is going to look like. When I got the notification I was starting I was like just getting ready for the opportunity.
Midfielder Brenden Aaronson
On his goal...
Yeah, I mean it’s a special moment for me because I sat out a few games and I think I deserved to sit a few games, I had a poor couple games and I think it was awesome for me to come back in with a good mindset with staying positive and score that goal, so I’m proud of myself.
On being more comfortable in matches...
I don’t know if you guys see it a lot, but I’ve been after practice doing a lot of finishing and just working on what I can do to get better in that final third and I knew that was something that I had to work on. So, I’ve been working extremely hard on that and I think it’s starting to pay off.
On his mentality...
I’ve been focusing on getting it and just driving with it, taking people on, playing simple at the same time, trying to take people on, draw people on, and score. I found a really good spot, Kacper played me a really good ball and I turned and I just drove with it and it was open, so I just tucked it in.
On playing off of Kacper Przybylko’s shoulder...
Kacper [Przybylko] is a special player for us, I think he’s had a fantastic year, and he draws a lot of attention to himself, two center backs can’t even stop him. He draws a lot of attention for us to get in behind them and the way he plays one touch is a special striker to play with.
On being in the starting lineup with Mark McKenzie...
I think Mark [McKenzie] you have to give a lot of credit to him because Mark hasn’t played all year and coming in like this and playing the way that he did is truly unbelievable. I give him a lot of credit for that because I thought he was the best player on the field today. He didn’t let anyone get passed him, he was unbelievable. For myself, I’m so proud of myself too because there was a couple games where I didn’t think I played that well and I accept that and I came back and did really well so I’m proud of myself.
On his first goal at Talen Energy Stadium...
It’s a super special moment for me. I’ve been coming to these games since I was 10 years old, 11 years old, so it’s just a super special moment for me and I hope to score a lot more.
On his first goal against Atlanta United FC...
It’s just a game against a really good team, and I’ll work my butt off to get back in the lineup again, so we’ll see how this training week goes. On Alejandro Bedoya missing the next match...
Ale [Bedoya] is also another special player for us who works extremely hard and keeps the ball. So, we’re going to miss him but we have depth and we know that so we’re going to fill him up and we’ll be totally fine. On his team’s momentum going into next week...
I think that it was super good energy, I think our energy we’ve been lacking our past couple games and I think our energy was really good. I think that for next week if we just keep the energy, we don’t get too ahead of ourselves, then we’ll be totally fine. On his team’s place in the standings...
Atlanta [United FC] has always going to be a team that’s right on you with the players that they have so, we try not to worry about it and just play our game.
