Curtin, Union thrilled about chance to break Bulls again
U.S. OPEN CUP GLANCE
CHESTER » Jim Curtin has repeatedly lamented the stagnation of the U.S. Open Cup draw, which seems destined to entwine the Union with — should they keep winning — the redundant pairing of the New York Red Bulls and either New England or D.C. United for the umpteenth consecutive year. That the Union are in the midst of a three-game homestand that brings all three of those clubs to Chester numbs the mind a bit more.
But the bright side of the monotony is that it’s paid off for the Union, and Wednesday presents the chance to eliminate the Red Bulls from the Open Cup for a third straight year.
The trophy-denying hat trick will require a victory in the fifth round at Red Bull Arena Wednesday evening (8, live stream on YouTube), where the Union have traditionally struggled but in which there is precedent for victory.
The Union advanced in penalty kicks, 4-3, after a 1-1 draw after extra time in the quarterfinals at RBA in 2015, John McCarthy playing the shootout hero in an afternoon matinee as the Red Bulls infamously double-booked the team with a friendly against Chelsea. Last year’s affair was more straightforward, a 2-1 victory in the fifth round at Talen Energy Stadium powered by a pair of Chris Pontius goals.
The teams met nine days ago, a 2-0 Red Bulls triumph in Chester thanks in roughly equivalent measure to two Bradley WrightPhillips goals and a Derrick Jones red card.
“I know Jesse (Marsch) well; they want to win this thing,” Curtin said Tuesday. “They’re not happy; we’ve knocked them out of it the past two years. Again, it’s going to be a tough place to go. They’re a team that when you look at their home record over the past several seasons, they’re really tough to beat there. Very few teams have done it, so we have a tough task ahead of us but not an impossible one.”
Each team’s schedule peculiarities introduce some squad-rotating novelty. The Union are in the midst of three games in eight days, rebounding from a 1-0 home win over D.C. Saturday and with an eye toward a visit from the Revolution Sunday in a nationally televised encounter.
The Red Bulls don’t have a game looming this weekend, next in action in the league July 5 (against the Revs; what variety!). They are stinging from a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of archrival New York City FC, avenging the Red Bulls’ ousting of City in the Open Cup fourth round June 14.
That game marked the Red Bulls’ first win over MLS opposition in the Open Cup since 2003, a mind-boggling span of ineptitude. Marsch deployed a firstchoice team that day, and while that was partially influenced by the rival on the opposite bench, the simmering anger from last week and the open schedule of this weekend mean Curtin is ready for the Red Bulls to field their top XI.
“It’s a rivalry game,” Curtin said. “It’s a midweek game. I don’t know how they’re going to treat it, but knowing Jesse well, they take the Open Cup as seriously as we do. They’re going to put a strong team out there. We’ll need to be ready for whatever the game presents. All these Open Cup games have usually wild finishes, and we’ve been part of some, especially in their building, so hopefully we can go there, put in a good team performance similar to how we did against D.C. and get a result.”
The Union could have Andre Blake at their disposal, pending the results of an MRI on a rib injury he picked up against D.C. in a second-half collision with defender Steve Birnbaum. Though the issue didn’t preclude Blake from producing some sensational saves, Curtin said the Jamaican goalie is experiencing pain that required the test after training Tuesday.
Blake won’t leave for the Gold Cup until after Sunday’s game, a significant boost for the Union.
The news isn’t as good for Richie Marquez and Warren Creavalle, both of whom will miss out. Marquez picked up a bout of tendinitis in his knee while playing for Bethlehem Steel and didn’t train Tuesday. Creavalle aggravated a hamstring strain that has now attained nagging status and cost him a spot in the D.C. game. He’ll be out Wednesday and likely Saturday.
Fabian Herbers, however, trained fully for the first time Tuesday with an adductor strain that has cost him five games. Curtin said the midfielder could see time this weekend with Steel.
Curtin confirmed that the Union are moving on from Costa Rican midfielder Elias Aguilar, who trained with the team last week. Aguilar’s trial ended without a deal.
“He came in, had a good four days of training with the group,” Curtin said. “Not a fit for the team. I’ve read reports that there’s all these financial reports going on, and it’s never even gotten to any discussion of financials or loans or buying. We took a look, talented player but at the same time wasn’t a fit for us.”