Philadelphia Union Head Coach Jim Curtin
Opening Statement...
An important three points for the group. I think the team has worked and the staff have all worked very hard to get ourselves to this point where we now have five of six at home. I think they earned the right to play in a game like tonight. Had a slow start to the game, I thought, the first fifteen minutes. Have to give credit to [FC] Cincinnati for their ability to come out and press us and really pick us up a lot higher than we anticipated and made us uncomfortable. It was not our best. They made us turn the ball over in bad spots and fortunately, Matt [Freese] made a few saves. Carlos [Miguel Coronel] came in and made a few saves for us. Again we raised our level, I thought, a great deal in the second half and looked more like us. Really proud of the group. Again, it’s a group that stuck together through injuries, through a lot of difficult times and now sits at a good spot in the table. It’s very early in the season, but we’re happy with where we are. We still have a lot we can work on and improve, but overall the group is one that has really come together and one that I really love working with.
On Matt Freese’s injury...
He got taken to the hospital now for some scans. That's usually never a good sign. I don't want to speculate, but he landed wrong on the hip pretty early in the game. To his credit he toughed it out as long as he could. It's just something wasn't feeling quite right in there. I hope everything is okay for Matthew [Freese], but obviously Carlos [Miguel Coronel] stepped in and did a great job, made some big saves all the way down to the 90th minute to keep us in the game. That’s been kind of the story of our season. I think we have used now 25, 26 players at least in the squad and we haven't just used them, they've contributed big minutes for us. Really happy with them, proud of them, proud of the staff and all the work they have done, but we also still recognize there is a lot of work to still be done.
On being in first place in the Eastern Conference...
First place at this point of the season, no one really remembers who’s in first place in May. So it's nice to be at a good spot in the table. I’m most focused on, and our team is most focused on taking care of all the games that we have at home. Tonight was a big first step in that, but you certainly don’t celebrate being at the top of the table in May. What's most important is that we position ourselves now, you guys have heard me talk to host our first playoff game and to win our first playoff game. We have to work hard to achieve that and again I think we have the squad and the talent in this group and the ability to do so. Obviously were injured a little bit right now and we're picking up some crazy and unique situations we will call them, but every guy to a man has stepped in a big way. So credit to the team and the depth of the squad that Ernst [Tanner] and Chris [Albright] have put together for us. We’re getting better each week. I’ve said that since the Toronto [FC] game in week one where we had a bad taste in our mouth. We have improved every week we’ve played and that's a good thing. We have to try and maintain that and avoid the dips that often come in the MLS seasons. You really want to avoid not losing multiple games and so far we have been able to piece together some good results.
On Kacper Przybylko’s performance the past couple games...
He's been excellent. You could argue who was the man of the match for us, is it Jamiro [Monteiro], is it Kacper, 1A or 1B, take your pick. I thought both of them were exceptional for us tonight. I thought Kacper’s movement in the box, his ability to hold up the ball, you have [Kendall] Waston hanging on you the entire night, a really great center back in our league. Not an easy task to put 90 minutes back to back together again because we had to burn subs in a unique way. Not the way we want to do it, but had to push him 90 minutes again and he really held up. You can see his quality, how clean his layoffs are and his contact with balls in the box. We talked earlier in the week about it, he's not a guy who needs a ton of chances to score a goal. He buries the looks that he gets. Happy for Kacper, I think it's been a long road back to full fitness for him. You can see his work rate and his ability to still press in the 90th minutes. Then doing what strikers need to do, score goals, and he's done a really good job of that for us too.
On the ability to spread around goals in his team...
We’re sharing the load right now for sure, I think that's what we're going to be this year to be honest. We're going to need every guy to contribute five or six here or there, maybe some of the midfielders chipping in with some goals. You talk about a group now that has a lot of talent and has a lot of different goals coming from a lot of different spots. To be honest, still haven't got Marco Fabian going yet. Still haven't got Sergio Santos going yet. These are almost acquisitions in May that we are making, so these guys are coming back to full fitness, they’re itching to go and contribute, but it almost feels like two new signings coming into the group after the injuries and suspensions and different things that have gone on. A good problem to have, but I think it's clear that this group is going to share the load and hopefully someone runs away and scores twenty goals. That would be nice too, but it seems like it's going to be a by committee thing this year which is fine if were getting that balance and playing good soccer which we are right now.
On the possible squad rotation for the upcoming match against New England Revolution...
You'll see us use our depth again for sure. We need fresh legs. I always say the hardest part about these Wednesday wins is the turn around to do it again on Saturday. The thirds game of them is the most difficult, these guys can handle fitness wise with the recovery that we do. Our sports performance staff does a great job. Massages, float tanks, whatever they need they get. Now the hard one is to turn around at high intensity against an Eastern Conference team who unfortunately is resting this week. They do play again on Wednesday, but this is the way the schedule breaks out. Couldn't get the game moved to Sunday, we tried earlier in the year, but obviously for competitive reasons we wouldn't want to do that with them play on Wednesday also. We have a tough task; you’ll see some new faces out there I would imagine. We have a wellness survey that the guys complete every morning, they have testing every morning. So we’ll see where guys are, we’ll have a true understanding of how much guys ran tonight, how much ground they covered, where their legs are at. We’ll assess it and make the best decisions to play New England [Revolution] who is another Eastern Conference team that is dangerous, so we have to be on top of our game and take three points at home.
On using Ilsinho as a substitution...
At that point of the game, I think we had a lot of the momentum. We were debating, to be honest, and it was back and forth, do we just let it go because we're kind of cruising right now. Brenden [Aaronson] is starting to get more of the ball. There were a couple instances; I thought, in the first half, a few in the beginning of the second half where he was getting kind of muscled off the ball. Credit to [FC} Cincinnati they put five to six guys centrally and didn’t let him turn and find spaces. He got out of a few and started to get out of a few, but we decided that that was the time to make the change. We got our goal, as Ilsinho was about to come in, so we sent him back. We readjusted and said let's still go after this and be aggressive. Again, it's no disrespect to the outside backs in the league, but the last guys they want to see in that moment coming into a game fresh is Ilsinho. So we made the change, it paid off this time and it was a great through ball by Ilsinho, he makes the defense back up and he plays a great little through ball and Fafa [Picault] still has a lot do on the finish and handles it pretty nicely. It's good to get Fafa off the mark, but yeah good impact from Ilsinho and that's what we need. We need our subs to come into the game and make a big impact and we have special one in Ilsinho that’s for sure.
On the midfield setup...
Jamiro naturally, his tendency is to come central with the ball or without the ball. He just likes being in the middle of the field. You won't see him on the sprint out to the sidelines like you’ll see Alejandro [Bedoya] do a lot of times. If Jamiro has to do it, he does it for sure, but he is comfortable right off of Haris [Medunjanin’s] shoulder and it leads him to, because he is so quick. The second a guy puts his head down he can close five, six yards to eat up ground. He just gets a little toe on it and pokes it away and he's tiny, so he kind of catches guys off guard and sneaks up on them. They have their arms up he is sometimes underneath their arms and he's sliding around stealing balls and starting our transition. So they setup, you can call it three central midfielders with Brenden in front. His tendencies are certainly to stay a little bit narrower, even close with Haris. He did a good job tonight, I thought, of disrupting Cincinnati's rhythm. Never really let their center part of the midfield get going. I think that is where the game is won. We’ll talk about Kacper good goal, but at the same time, I think our midfield, that diamond, when they’re all clicking is as good as anybody and I like watching them play together offensively and defensively. Jamiro’s natural tendency is to stay central for sure.
On Kai Wagner’s suspension...
It's tough. It's a tough thing but it’s a credit to the players again because they've made it easier just by other guys stepping up playing out of position. [Olivier] Mbaizo gave a great performance tonight as well. I don’t want to get in trouble, so the easiest way I can put it thought is with these decisions, I know their tough decisions, but in the game that Kai had which was 10 days ago now, it was a red card. I agree with the call, I agree with the VAR decision and I agree with the referees and it took them, I believe twenty eight seconds, we timed it. Twenty eight seconds to determine that that tackle was not a yellow card, it was a red card, and I agree completely with the decisions. It shouldn’t now take twelve days to decide whether he is suspended longer. I think that is as fair and as nice as I can say it. I'm not arguing with anybody but if we can look at something and in twenty eight second say it is indeed a red card. I think we can do it quicker than ten to twelve days and let us know before the news dump at 6:30 the night before the game. I know it's a hard job that they have, but the quicker the decisions I think would help us in preparation. I couldn't answer your guys’ questions yesterday about Kai and then we found out a little later, the bad news. I'm not trying to get fined but I also think there could be a quicker and cleaner process.
On how good this team is...
I’d say that’s to be determined still, I really would. I love this group, I think they have shown their potential, I think they can play with any team, I think I have said that already. I still think it's to be determined, there is still too much of the season left to make predictions and tell you exactly what I think of the group. Usually after ten games, you have a pretty good feel of what you got, and we certainly have team that's going to be in it the rest of the way. Where that puts you, with the margins being so small in this league, even in the Eastern Conference, you can see how tight it is. Were one of the good ones, I can tell you that with confidence. With ten games in, we are solid. We are a good team for sure and one of the good teams in this league. How far we go is still a work in progress for sure.
Forward Fafa Picault
On his goal tonight...
It’s a run I like to make and I know Ilsinho’s style of play. He looks for that cross-body ball to play through, so I was kind of anticipating it. I was off-sides a few times and tried to stay on-sides as long as I could and he made a very good pass and I was able to chip the goalie.
On how he and Kacper Przybylko work together as strikers...
He’s a big target so it’s easy for me to run off him. He likes to hold the ball and he likes to get in the box, so I think it’s pretty easy for us to work together. I’m usually lurking, which allows me to move freely as he is usually more central. The fact that he is such a big target, it makes it easy for me to use my pacing and get to see the ball more which makes me more comfortable.
On changes to his style of play in the offensive system...
I mean it’s tough, it does take time. Especially since I played the left wing for the last two years and now I get thrown up front, which I’m more than comfortable playing, but you’re playing up front with no wingers. It’s a whole different style of soccer, it’s a whole thing I’ve never done before and I’m trying to find how to be up top and also create what’s good for the team where I can get isolated on the wings and go one on one with defenders so I can put the ball in the box. Mostly knowing there’s maybe going to be one striker in the box. You have to find that balance and with the games coming along here, getting closer and closer, tonight it came together.
Forward Kacper Przybylko
On scoring the first goal of the game...
Just a great ball from [Olivier] Mbaizo and just an easy header. I want to just thank you for this great ball. This ball, I wish every strike was this easy.
On the importance of getting regular playing time...
I can just say it again; I’m so grateful and happy that I get this chance to help the team. It was a long injury, I’m fit. Everyone is still asking me how I feel, if I’m fit. Everything’s fine for a long time right now. It was just great teamwork today, I’m so happy for the team. It was great teamwork.
On the importance of picking up three points in tonight’s mid-week match...
We have an English week, that’s what I call it an English week. We have three games in one week it’s important to collect, all the time, points. It doesn’t matter which game, so we deserved it also and the three points it was very nice today.
On his first goal in front of Union fans...
Such a goal, especially in front of all these supporters we have, our fans. It was a nice feeling. I’m just happy today. I want to applaud the team because they have done such great pressing also. We have great teamwork and we deserved these three points today.
On the winning culture in his team’s locker room...
It’s always different. I mean we have a lot of different players, a lot of players from another country. I guess it’s just important that we work as a team and we feel like a family on the field. Beside the field, we don’t have to be like big friends or something like that, but on the field we have to work like a family. It’s also good that we have a great team spirit beside the field and that’s why it works so well.
On carrying momentum into his team’s next match against New England Revolution...
Right now, yeah. It’s a good feeling we have to take all the time and we have to take this feeling that we have today and also against Vancouver from Saturday. I hope the guys will also be fit and ready for Saturday because it’s a tough week.
