After a commanding performance on the road at LAFC, Philadelphia Union Head Coach Jim Curtin’s spirits are high as the Boys in Blue.
Here are a few takeaways from Curtin’s weekly press conference.
Confidence grows after result in LA
Taking a single point doesn’t always inspire confidence but Sunday night’s draw was far from the typical match. LAFC is the MLS Cup favorite and only dropped points in four home matches in 2019. Scoring three goals on the road against Bob Bradley’s side was something Curtin believes his team should be proud of.
“We went into probably the most hostile environment in our league against the best team in our league and went toe to toe with them,” he said. It’s the type of result that will instill confidence in our group early in the season.”
After a difficult stretch that saw the team team spend the first two matches of the 2020 season away from Subaru Park, Curtin said his group has been itching to show off their talent and style in front of a home crowd that last saw them in the epic playoff victory over New York Red Bulls.
“You only get one home opener and you have to leave a really good impression with our fans and we know that they are excited,” Curtin said of returning to Philly for the first time in 2020. “The last game here was a very memorable one against New York Red Bulls in the playoffs and that’s the last taste that [the fans] had and they’ve been waiting to cheer us on. We encourage them to come out and support a very good young and exciting team.”
A Philadelphian Performance from the Wizard
Grit and a never-say-die attitude defines Philly, and newcomer El Brujo Martinez embodied that against LAFC Sunday night on national television. Making his team and MLS debut in one of the most difficult atmospheres in the league, El Brujo left more than just sweat on the pitch and forever endeared himself to the fans and his head coach.
"The amount of tackles that he made, the forward passing and he didn’t make many mistakes,” Curtin said. “With [Martinez] we knew he had the athleticism to cover ground -- and he covered 12.5 kilometers. It’s only one game but he showed that against the top team that he can play and now that is going to be the bar and the standard that we hold him to. He put in a performance like a warrior, like a true Philadelphian and it was great for him, but recognize it was one game and San Jose will be a new challenge for him.”
Replacing Olympic talent
During the Union’s clash against LAFC -- around midnight on the east coast -- the roster for the United States U-23 Olympic Qualifying squad was announced. The list included three homegrowns for the Boys in Blue with goalkeeper Matt Freese, defender Mark McKenzie and midfielder Brenden Aaronson all departing the club to aid the U.S.’s efforts to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games this summer.
While the club is honored to have three players playing for the Stars and Stripes, it will require changes to the Union lineup going forward.
“The LAFC performance is the standard for us and how we want to look like each and every time we step on the field,” Curtin emphasized. “We want to play fast, we want to play vertical, we want to win second balls, we want to be aggressive and we want to be fun to watch. We are an exciting, young team and we’ll miss Mark [McKenzie], we’ll miss Brenden because they had great games and really talented players but I see it as an opportunity for another guy to step up.”
In the middle of the park, Curtin hinted that the options for Aaronson’s role could come down to Jamiro Monteiro, Ilsinho or fellow homegrown Anthony Fontana. It will come down to the tactics of San Jose.
“Anthony [Fontana] is certainly the name that pops into mind first. Jamiro can play the No. 10 as well and as a coach you have the choice to decide if you want to keep the choice as simple as possible,” he explained. “With a unique team like San Jose that plays a version of man-to-man once you cross midfield so that could demand Ilsinho. I won’t show my hand but those are both discussions for replacing a player like Brenden. It’ll come down to what formation do we choose and how do we go about preparing for San Jose and seeing what are their strengths and what weaknesses we want to go after and exploit.”
Meanwhile, replacing McKenzie will be Jack Elliott who’ll team up with Jakob Glesnes to protect Andre Blake but also be used to breakdown the Earthquakes’ man-to-man marking.
“It’s a good thing to have two centerbacks that are that comfortable on the ball,” Curtin said. “And it gets magnified even more against a team like San Jose who are so good at pressing man to man. You have to have a player that can advance the ball so that they have to shift their defense and when one moves you have to find the open player.”
