Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Curtin going all out for three points in Atlanta
CHESTER » Saturday’s trip to Atlanta marks the midway point of five games in 14 days for the Philadelphia Union. And with the way the first portion of that gauntlet has gone, Jim Curtin is in no mood to make many changes.
Getting a result at Mercedes- Benz Stadium will be a daunting task Saturday night ( 7: 30, PHL17). But with the Union riding a four- game unbeaten run, Curtin is hoping to strike while his club is hot, meaning that next Tuesday’s Open Cup tie with Richmond is of secondary importance for now.
“We have to try to get points on the road,” Curtin said Friday at training. “We’re in good form right now, so the league results are incredibly important. … We have a deeper team right now, so we’ll approach Atlanta and go after all three points and then regroup, see where we’re at, howwe get through it physically, how we get through it health- wise, but there will be some opportunities for some young guys to step up against Richmond.”
One of the guys who could keep his place is Mark McKenzie, the rookie center back who left Wednesday’s 3- 1 win over Chicago with a knee injury. The non- contact knock deeply concerned Curtin, but an MRI showed no structural damage and McKenzie trained fully Friday, putting him in themix for Atlanta. He’s officially listed as questionable with a right knee contusion.
“Just landed funny,” McKenzie said. “It’s part of the game. That’s how the game goes sometimes. But I put in a lot of work with the training staff and do a lot of strength training. It was a little scary but I’m good to go.”
“When the play happened in the game, I instantly feared the worst just because there wasn’t a ton of contact,” Curtin said. “Looked like there might have been a serious injury to the knee. But he had an MRI yesterday, showed no structural damage at all, so it was basically what he could tolerate. He got through today, through the warmup first, and step- by- step felt fine, so he’ll be good to go on the weekend, which is very good for us.”
McKenzie has started four straight games for the Union ( 5- 5- 3, 18 points), coinciding with an unbeaten streak ( 30- 1). If he can’t go, Jack Elliott would likely replace him.
Curtin is likely to preserve as much continuity as he can at the back, and he’s spoken of his desire to keep the midfield pyramid of H ar is Me dun jan in, Alejandro Bedoya and Borek Dockal intact. That requires a level of trust with his veterans about how much effort they can give, especially playing on artificial turf for thefirst time this season.
“I think you just have honest conversations with them,” Curtin said. “They’re guys that have been through these stretches, whether it be in big competitions in Europe or in leagues at the highest level, so they know their bodies well. We have the data that comes back physically that gets analyzed by us and we see where they’re at and how they’re responding. It’ll be a situation where Iwant all three of them to be honest with me, letme knowhow they’re feeling but also when they’re in the game.”
Themore likely area for change will come on the wings and up top. Curtin has rotated platoons of front- three attackers each of the last two games with good results, and fresh legs are important to maintain the Union’s high pressure. Swapping in Fafa Picault and Marcus Epps could ensure a consistent level of work at those positions, while Cory Burke’s midweek goal could imperil CJ Sapong’s place.
Which ever way Curtin goes with his selection, it’s going to have to be allin. Venturing to Atlanta with a halfhearted or half- strength side isn’t just a recipe for disaster; it’s a blueprint for embarrassment.
“We can’t go in and pace ourselves,” Curtin said. “We’re not a good enough team— no team’s goodenough in MLS —togo in with the mind set that I’m going to ease my way through the 90 minutes, because the league is too competitive and you get punished. The message is for the 11 that’s on the field that we choose — there will be some rotation on the field this weekend — have to give maximum effort. If it’s for only a half, it’s for only a half and we have to adjust accordingly.”