With the Philadelphia Union’s 2020 campaign in the books the club has turned its attention towards next season, beginning with their first ever Concacaf Champions League berth. Competing in the Champions League provides a new hurdle for the club, one which they take great pride in being a part of, and that they do not intend take lightly. Sporting Director Ernst Tanner’s mentality since day one with the Union has been “We go to win,” a mentality that echoes throughout the team.
Soccer is such a unique sport in that there is no one title that makes a team the best the way the Super Bowl does for the NFL or the World Series for MLB. As Head Coach Jim Curtin puts it, “In Soccer you can win MLS Cup, but you could have done better, and you could have won the Open Cup, or you could have won the Supporter’s Shield. If you win all three, if some team does it in the U.S., they’ll still say ‘but how did they do in Champions League.’ So, there’s always a next hurdle and a next challenge in soccer and I think that’s what makes it unique.” This idea that there is always a next goal or obstacle is what is driving the Union in their latest pursuit to bring a trophy to the club.
With the club never having been to the Concacaf Champions League before they will look to their stalwart leader Curtin who has experienced the competition firsthand during his playing days.
“It’s a whole new ball game. I’ve experienced it. To go play in Guatemala, or Honduras, or Mexico, or Panama, where it can be very hostile. There’s great players, there’s great competition and you want to play against the best.” This would be the case under normal circumstances, but the team is prepared for this year to be an even more difficult challenge. A challenge they are up to the task for. Curtin added “We go to win. We don’t go to experience or for fun. The roster that we have has the right balance of veteran leadership. It’s a diverse roster, we represent 16 different countries. And we have young guys, that for this experience in your development is going to be critical.”
With Wednesday's roster announcement, the Union believe they already have a team that will be able to compete with the best teams in the tournament. With a core group returning that is already very comfortable playing alongside each other, the 25 returning players were responsible for 40 goals and 32 assists across MLS regular season games this past season. The Union also welcomed a bevy of new talent to the roster with five homegrown players set to join the first team on January 1st. This blend of new talent paired with the core group from this past season is sure to make some noise, while also gaining some valuable experience heading into the 2021 MLS season.
“We’re going to go there with our best,” Curtin said. “It’s a chance for our young players to grow. It’s a chance for our experienced players to take on a new challenge. Also, for our coaches, because Concacaf can be a wild, wild experience in more ways than one.”
The start date for the 2021 Concacaf Champions League has still yet to be set with the 2020 campaign wrapping up on December 22nd. One thing is for sure, when the schedule is announced, and the Union take the field they will wear the Union badge proudly showing off their talent on the international stage.
