Jim Curtin watched his team put four past Orlando City SC in a preseason scrimmage, and then he met with the press and said he just wanted to see more from his team."Overall, good to score four goals," Curtin admitted. "But still a lot to work on in terms of our defensive pressure and cohesion as a group.
"I think it’s a real positive that after the match the entire technical staff and players were frustrated with the way we played because we are holding ourselves accountable and demanding more. That’s a sign of a good team, we weren’t satisfied as a team with a 4-1 win."
The Union head coach argued that while his focus was less on the scoreline and more on the team's ability to execute their adjusted style of play, everybody in the organization had a single overarching goal every time they stepped between the white lines of a soccer pitch. "It goes back to when you are implementing a new style and system, to have success with it and at the end of the day we want to win everything that we do, whether it’s against a college team or against New York Red Bulls or Orlando, we want to win every time we step on the field."
Curtin then discussed a few hot topics surrounding his team's preseason work: The competition between strikers, the development of the homegrown midfielders, the team's new tactics, and the highly anticipated first Union minutes for Marco Fabian. "It’s no coincidence that we have given each guy close to equal minutes as possible and paired them with different guys," Curtin explained. "Different strikers bring different skill sets. For example some hold the ball up better than others, some run off of flicks better than others. Finding that balance is going to be our job as a staff over the next couple games here. We have a pretty good idea and it has started to take shape. But as I’ve been stressing to them, it’s a clean slate for everyone and it’s an open competition at that forward spot."
Competition for places, player performances
Following the Orlando City scrimmage, every striker on the first team roster has scored - and Bethlehem Steel FC's Michee Ngalina has also tallied - and that gives Curtin confidence that no matter who he settles on for the first match there will be a lot of competition up front throughout the season.
On Jones, the Union head man said he continues to ask for more from a player he believes can make big strides in 2019. "We are going to keep continuing to push and challenge him to get on the ball more, play forward faster, find balls in between the lines," Curtin said."We know that we have a really good player in Derrick and he’s doing a good job for us.
"I’d also say that Brenden Aaronson is doing well," the coach continued, noting that his entire corps of homegrown midfielders have been in good form. "Whether he has been asked to play the 10 or the eight position. I’m happy with his growth so another good, young midfielder. And Anthony Fontana has played four or five final through balls that have led to really good chances and a couple of goals. All those young guys in that eight, six position have shown well.”
Creating width
With the Union sticking to a narrow midfield shape, the big tactical question of the day was how the club will create width."That will come from what we demand from our outside backs," Curtin explained. "Which is a lot to be honest.
"They have to get almost box to box and give us that coverage out wide, it’s no secret that we have guys that can pop up in different parts of the field. Bedoya is comfortable from going to an eight to popping outside."
The message, then, was that the Union will attack wide spaces with their defenders but will look to take advantage of open areas going forward with a mobile midfield.
Marco is close
And one of those mobile midfielders? It will be new signing Marco Fabian, though he wasn't quite ready for Tuesday's match."I think he could have played yesterday against Orlando," Curtin began. "Probably a little too quick after us coming off the plane from Philly, one training session in the evening and to throw him into a match with high intensity was probably not the smartest thing after the two-hour bus ride we had to the game as well.
"Managed that, overall I think it was the right decision. Get him more used to his teammates, have him watch more film with the group, see us play live and now we will integrate him most likely in the Montreal game.”
So there it is: Marco Fabian is a 'probable' for this Saturday's match. Be sure to follow Philadelphia Union's social handles and check PhiladelphiaUnion.com's live blog on Saturday afternoon to find out how he does in his debut for the blue and gold.
