Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Union seek to stay away from injury bug
CHESTER >> The clock is ticking on the Philadelphia Union.
No not that clock, the one that says they haven’t won in 250-some-odd days or the one inching closer to the day which they’re mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
For all the laments emanating from Jim Curtin about bad breaks and lack of bounces, the Union’s hard-luck start to the season conceals the fact that they’ve stumbled to their league-worst start with relative health. Save for season-long absences of Josh Yaro and Maurice Edu, the later of whom shouldn’t have been in anyone’s realistic plans this early in the season, the Union have been relatively healthy.
The only regulars to miss time
have been Ilsinho, who wasn’t cleared to return from illness as of Wednesday and is doubtful for this weekend, and Jay Simpson’s bruised lung, which only paved the way for CJ Sapong to be the Union’s best player this season. They’ve also stumbled without the added stress of midweek games and an equitable split of four home and four away games.
Eventually, history would indicate, the injury bug will bite and the road will get objectively more challenging. And to think that a full-strength Union side is incapable of winning in its last 16 matches in all competitions, the prospect of a makeshift, injury-depleted squad seems unappetizing if not horrifying.
That’s brought into sharper focus this week when the New York Red Bulls come to call upon Talen Energy Stadium, a
chance for the Union to get off the schneid in game nine of the fruitless 2017 season.
The Red Bulls (5-4-1, 16 points) showed a little respect for the Union Wednesday by fielding a largely reserve side in Kansas City, a 2-0 loss. (Lest the Union take it too personally, it’s merely the strategic imperative to load up for a game within the league rather than a cross-conference matchup.)
Jesse Marsch’s decision leaves the likes of Kemar Lawrence, Damien Perrinelle and Tyler Adams completely fresh, while Bradley Wright-Phillips and Sacha Kljestan expended just a half-hour of effort off the bench.
“They have a deep team,” Curtin said Wednesday, ahead of that Sporting KC match. “They have young guys that they really believe in. … We’ll have to prepare for a strong team that’s going to come in here on Saturday. They’re going to high press (Wednesday) and I’m sure against us. We’re preparing that way. That’s
their style, that’s their system and they believe in it.”
Curtin’s search for a first win brings him into contact with “a very good friend” and mentor in Red Bulls coach Marsch, a former teammate at Chicago and Chivas USA. The more recent parallel is Marsch’s embattled start to last season — the Red Bulls lost six of their first seven in 2016, triggering calls for his job. Marsch persevered and ended the season on a 16game unbeaten streak in the league, sitting atop the Eastern standings.
“He has been though tough moments as well,” Curtin said. “Last year at this time, they had gone through a tough stretch as well. So there’s similarities there, and now we’re trying to fight through and get that first win of the year.”
That streak ended in ugly fashion — a 3-2 home win over Orlando that featured a third-minute concession to go behind, then three goals in 10 second-half minutes to quell the rising discontent in Red Bull Arena.
That’s what the Union (04-4, 4 points) have to summon in their own way. For the first time since arguably the season-opener, the Union have an objectively positive result to build on, last week’s 0-0 draw in Los Angeles. They’ve generally fared well against the Red Bulls, with a 4-4-2 record all-time against them at Talen.
But as it has so often already this young season, the imperative boils down to one nugget of truth: The Union, some way, any way,