Union contending with ghosts of Yankee Stadium in finale

The only thing the Union can’t control is the schedule. While the club has control of its destiny as Decision Day descends upon MLS, it finds itself needing a result at one of its primary houses of horror.

The Union can finish anywhere from second to fourth in the Eastern Conference based on Sunday’s result at Yankee Stadium against New York City FC (3:30 p.m., PHL17).

The Union (14-8-11, 53 points) enter the weekend in second place. They’ve clinched at least a first-round home game. But finishing second would guarantee that the first two rounds, should they advance, go through Chester. Given the history with the other teams in the top four — a win at home against Nashville and a loss in Tennessee, where Nashville is unbeaten this year; and a home win over NYCFC — it’s a vital privilege.

With a win, the Union can’t be passed for second, holding the tiebreaker over Nashville (12-4-17, 53 points). A loss, though, and New York City FC (14-11-8, 50 points) would jump them. Nashville would finish second with a win and a Union draw, or a draw and a Union loss.

All the Union need to do to avoid all those caveats is to win in a stadium of comically small dimensions where they are 0-4-1 all-time.

“There’s been wild and crazy games,” Union coach Jim Curtin said via Zoom on Friday. “With the way the field dimensions are, New York City has become very comfortable and used to it. We can replicate it in practice and make our dimensions tighter and smaller, but when you’re out on the field, that’s when you have to solve problems on your own. We haven’t done a good job of that, but it’s not just a Union problem. Their record speaks for itself in Yankee Stadium.”

If there’s a consolation in this difficult matchup, it’s that it suits the Union’s current level of health. They will almost certainly trot out the 4-3-2-1 formation for a fifth straight game. Jamiro Monteiro is back after missing the win over a FC Cincinnati with a knee strain. Curtin said the original scan showed a severe, likely season-ending strain, but Monteiro has, “bounced back in a way that doesn’t make a lot of sense.” Sergio Santos remains doubtful, Curtin saying he’s unlikely to stress the oft-injured Santos’ quad, and Cory Burke returned last week as a substitute after an eight-game absence.

Without two healthy forwards, the Union have leaned on in-form No. 10s in Monteiro and Daniel Gazdag (or last week, Paxten Aaronson, with both he and Gazdag scoring). The Christmas tree formation compacts the game. It diminishes some of the Union’s vertical alignment, though without Santos, that’s already absent.

The reason Curtin has been so willing to adopt the formation is it doesn’t appreciably change the responsibilities of the midfielders — from left to right, Leon Flach, Jose Martinez and Alejandro Bedoya. Against New York City FC, which punishes space conceded down the middle with the passing of Maxi Moralez and the scoring of Valentin Castellanos, keeping the game condensed is vital.

NYCFC has won three straight after a six-game winless run. Castellanos enters as the leader in the Golden Boot race with 18 goals. Moralez has 10 assists.

It’s a tough task for the Union, who’ve finished in Yankee Stadium before. That was in 2018, when the Union slid to sixth with a loss, then lost their playoff opener three days later at the same venue.

That can’t happen again this year, and the past doesn’t weigh on Curtin. The difficulty of the task stands for itself.

“Our guys know that it is possible, but we have to execute,” Curtin said. “… They make teams make mistakes. They make teams uncomfortable and they have the players to punish you.”