Medunjanin looks like leader in desperate times

chaos in attacking situations. Hampering that pursuit is the lack of confidence the team has shown in recent weeks and the dearth of aggressiveness, particularly against New York City when the Union generated turnovers but didn’t cash them in.

“We’ve talked a lot this week again about, obviously your first look should always be forward; that’s something we preach,” Curtin said. “But guys, because of maybe confidence, aren’t trusting that first instinct to play that forward pass. The only way you get to the goal in this league is when you turn teams over, having that first ball be one that connects and have it be one that connects forward. We’ve worked on that a great deal. We haven’t gotten a ton of times where we’ve gotten our wingers in behind. A lot of it is teams are keeping us in front of them right now.”

With the Union (0-4-2, 2 points) in last place in the Eastern Conference and the last remaining Eastern Conference team still in search of its first win, Saturday’s meeting with Montreal takes on an air of desperation. Medunjanin, though new to the squad, is among the more experienced players in the locker room, and Curtin has leaned heavily upon those veterans to keep the team together in difficult times.

“We need to stick with each other in these kinds of moments, especially when you are in a difficult time right now,” Medunjanin said. “We need everybody. We are not only 11 guys who step on the field; we are 18 guys and even 24, 25 guys who can turn this around. We have a good potential group, and we need to live now game-by-game.”

MIKE REEVES — FOR DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Union midfielder Haris Medunjanin delivers a corner kick in the first half of the Union’s 2-1 loss to D.C. United at RFK Stadium Saturday night.