Union not waving a white flag just yet

There may come in a time in the not too distant future, Jim Curtin said Wednesday, that the Union officially fall from the playoff race. When that occurs, the Union boss will decide whether to forsake a doomed present for the needs of the future by handing minutes to young players.

But with 30 points on offer in the remaining 10 games of 2017, the Union (8-11-5, 29 points) aren’t flying the white flag yet, no matter how dismal their outlook appears on the heels of last week’s 3-0 demolition by Montreal.

Situated 10th on points-pergame in the Eastern Conference, the Union have six of their final 10 on the road, eight against teams currently in playoff position beginning with a trip to San Jose Saturday (10:30 p.m., TCN) that qualifies in both categories. Six points out of the final playoff spot with a bevy of teams to hop over, the odds are long.

But Curtin isn’t surrendering by stretching the bench just yet.

“We’re not quite there yet,” Curtin said at his weekly press conference. “At this stage, there’s still 30 points out there. Are we realistic and realize that our backs are against the wall and we need three points every time we step out on the field? Yes, that is the urgency with which we will play with. Whether it’s young guys on the field or old guys on the field, the ultimate goal is still to win games.”

One particular target for optimism is Adam Najem, who forced his way into the conversation before the slide from playoff relevance. Others, like Marcus Epps and Jack Elliott, have become regulars. And Curtin isn’t one to bestow games on young players just for the sake of it, requiring some level of merit in practice and a structure to place those young players in.

Najem could well into the side without a finger on the scale thanks to an injury to Ilsinho that Curtin ominously

calls a “tear/sports hernia situation” that prevented him from training Wednesday. Curtin pegged the issue as a matter of pain tolerance for Ilsinho.

This setback comes at a frustrating juncture when Ilsinho has strung together several strong performances, including a goal and two assists against FC Dallas two weeks ago.

“That’s the level we want to try to keep him at,” Curtin said. “I think he tried to push and press a little too much — and he agreed — when we talked about the

Montreal performance. … Consistency is something he works for each and every day. He’s done much better in terms of the defensive effort and work he puts in. But every time it seems we get him going or we get a real positive performance, there’s a setback with an injury or with a tough game or a little knock here or there.”

Also not in the mix for San Jose is Andre Blake, who is scheduled to have stitches removed from his lacerated hand Wednesday. Given the success of

John McCarthy and the deterioration of the playoff chase, the emphasis is on full healing for Blake, who’s been out since the July 26 Gold Cup final and hasn’t yet faced live shots.

Oguchi Onyewu (groin) missed the Montreal affair with a knock sustained against New England three weeks ago, and his limitation last week with Josh Yaro fit was a hedge against a long-term issue. Keegan Rosenberry (hip) is fit, while Fabian Herbers (sports hernia) “will rejoin the group for technical

work soon,” Curtin said. Herbers has been out since late May with what began as an adductor strain.

The loss to Montreal marked the Union’s worst home defeat since 2013, severely denting their playoff hopes. Curtin acknowledges the difficulty of their standing but stresses that the chase isn’t over yet.

“It’s a hard loss to take for the guys because we knew that with a result there, we could put ourselves back in the thick of things,” Curtin said. “Now we have to chase, which is tough.”