Curtin charting course to avoid Columbus trap
CHESTER >> Jim Curtin isn’t shy about opining on the pulsing, chaotic mess that is the MLS standings.
The Philadelphia Union manager’s observations usually strike the cautious chord of a coach not wanting his staff or players to underestimate opposition. But in the face of another weekend that defied expectations, with a trip to a Columbus team whose struggles have contributed to overturning the prevailing logic entering the season, Curtin’s caution seems prescient.
Columbus has tried all season to scrape itself off the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. And fresh off its first road win of the season, the Crew will see an opportunity to parlay that momentum against a recently indifferent Union squad Wednesday night (7:30, TCN).
“That’s the thing: Everyone will say they’re struggling because of where they are in the table,” Curtin said Monday at training. “They’re still damn good. They’re a really good team.”
The Union (9-9-7, 34 points) enter their final midweek game of the season fourth in the East. The Crew are mired in ninth, a season-long malaise for Gregg Berhalter’s team after playing for MLS Cup last season.
But after parsing the wreckage of the last weekend — three of the four teams in MLS who hadn’t yet won a road game notched away victories, including Chicago’s first in two years; Eastern teams went 1-3-1 at home in an abysmal showing — any semblance of a script should ring hollow.
“Anybody can beat anybody in this league,” Curtin said, sounding his frequent refrain.
The warning signs on the Crew (4-8-11, 23 points) were first exposed by the Union in a 2-1 win at Mapfre Stadium March 12, which until two weeks ago was the Union’s only road victory. Both teams have enjoyed drubbings of a moribund New England side in consecutive weeks, the Crew notching their first road win last week, 2-0. That victory interrupted a 10-game winless streak (0-4-6).
Cracks are starting to form in the standings. New York City FC and Toronto appear to be pulling away from the pack, and the Union land in a group of three teams separated by four points from third to fifth that maintains distance from a handful of squads still trying to crack the 30-point barrier. The Union squandered a chance to consolidate its position in Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Toronto FC, but a result away from home can get that done.
With a date with Sporting Kansas City looming Saturday in Chester, Curtin will have to weigh some squad rotation. He remains short in central midfield sans Maurice Edu and Brian Carroll, though Warren Creavalle’s shift against Toronto was abbreviated by the Union’s need for attacking reinforcements.
He and Alejandro Bedoya, who logged 90 minutes for the first time, will be leaned upon heavily. Ilsinho was limited in training Monday with a foot issue, though the wing remains an area of depth. Charlie Davies is nearing full fitness, which could make him an option for his first Union start. Substitutions on the backline are likely, though Curtin isn’t concerned with his players’ fitness this deep into the season.
“We’ve said it all year: We do think we have a good, deep squad,” Curtin said. “But at the same time, guys are fit right now. It’s at the point of the year where guys are 90 minutes fit.”