Union seek first winning streak

CHESTER >> For weeks, the Philadelphia Union has tried to banish a fog surrounding them, shrouded by a winless streak that stretched 16 games in all competitions, including the first eight of this season.

In the topsy-turvy world of MLS, the Union remain in last place. But disaster has quickly turned from seemingly interminable winlessness to a three-game unbeaten streak, hardly a championship credential but more promise than they had before. And with a trip to D.C. United Saturday night (7, TCN), the Union have a fresh outlook and face a team grappling with demons that the Union are familiar with.

“You see confidence in training,” manager Jim Curtin said at

at his weekly press conference Wednesday. “Like any profession, any job that you do, confidence is everything. It goes a long way. You see a little extra bounce in their step, a little more smiling in the weight room even doing the hard work that they do. I’d say a victory gives confidence.”

The self-belief had bubbled beneath the surface for the Union (1-4-4, 7 points), though it was increasingly difficult to stoke those fires in the face of such barren results. The catharsis of last Saturday’s 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls didn’t launch the Union from the foot of the table, but it offered external reassurance that they’ve been on the right path all along, needing just a push to break the inertia of a lengthy bad spell.

With that newfound confidence in tow, the Union tangle with D.C. (34-2, 11 points), which isn’t exactly flying high either. Squarely in the thick of the crowded second tier in the East in eighth place, D.C.’s 1-0 home loss to Montreal last week marked its second setback of the season at RFK Stadium. Ben Olsen’s team has just two wins in five home matches in 2017.

That led to some choice words from the combustible coach, whose Philly side showed when he unloaded on his team, calling the performance “brutal” and “posers,” among less printable critiques.

D.C. has incurred injury issues, particularly in midfield, where Rob Vincent, Patrick Nyarko, Nick DeLeon and Julian Buescher leave the squad short on options.

D.C. does have Sebastien Le Toux, the Union’s alltime leading scorer who has provided a welcomed if unexpected boost to the attack with two goals, though that’s become the Frenchman’s specialty through the years.

“He does exactly what Seba always does which is run that line, get in behind defenders,” Curtin said. “He’s very professional, a great pro, and Ben has given him a run of games now and he’s rewarded him with some goals. We know he’ll want to score against us, there’s

no question about that. And we’ll do our best to contain him.”

The Union have a few injury issues to sort out. Roland Alberg (quad), Chris Pontius (foot) and Ray Gaddis (leg) were limited in training Wednesday and will face lastsecond fitness tests. Curtin faces a decision over whether to reintegrate Richie Marquez, who missed last week’s game with an illness, into the starting lineup at the expense of either Jack Elliott or Oguchi Onyewu (the latter more likely).

It’s also the last scheduled trip for the Union to RFK Stadium, barring U.S. Open Cup ties or playoff encounters. The Union lost there April 1, 2-1, and D.C. has broken ground on a new stadium, Audi Field, in the Buzzard Point section of town slated to open next year.

That could mean the last voyage to the deteriorating, formerly grand palace that has hosted numerous MLS Cup finals, international matches and friendlies pitting some of the world’s biggest clubs and countries. The cavernous cookie-cutter field has long been among the preferred venues for highprofile soccer matches, and despite the obvious dilapidation through the decades, the rusting beams and sun-faded seats remain poignant for Curtin and others of his generation.

“There’s a lot of negative comments, especially from the younger players when they walk in, and it hasn’t been taken care of very well, there’s no secret there,” Curtin said. “But talk about a stadium with a ton of history in football and soccer. I can remember anytime you play at RFK, it always felt like and still does to me, it feels like a big game. That was just maybe kind of ingrained in me from some tough D.C. battles.

“There was always the smell of stale beer and urine or whatever it was from a Dave Matthews concert the day before in those hot summer months when it’s 85, 90 degrees and just kind of grimy. The surface was always great. There’s a lot of positive memories from it, a lot of big games that obviously have been played there and can remember and was lucky enough to be a part of.”