Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Eleven players on COVID list on eve of conference final
The Union’s COVID-19 crisis forced Jim Curtin on Friday to speak about changes happening in “real time.”
Saturday, a day before the biggest game in franchise history, the full extent came to light.
Eleven Union players, including five starters from the conference semifinal win over Nashville, are listed as out due to COVID-19 protocols, according to the club’s injury report. Just 17 players trained Saturday, a day before the Union take on New York City FC (3 p.m., 6ABC) in the Eastern Conference final.
Listed as out are goalies Andre Blake and Joe Bendik; defender Jakob Glesnes, Jack Elliott, Kai Wagner and Alvas Powell; forwards Cory Burke and Sergio Santos; and midfielders Alejandro Bedoya, Ilsinho and Quinn Sullivan.
Players could exit protocols before kickoff if previous tests are determined false positives. The club canceled practice Thursday and held scaleddown sessions Friday and Saturday. Players in the protocol have not necessarily tested positive; reasons include being a high-risk close contact, a pending or inconclusive test or having a non-COVID-19 related illness. Citing privacy, the Union have not identified anyone who may have tested positive.
The Union’s training group Saturday still includes at least one player at every position, though they are direly thin in defense. Their only two available center backs are Stuart Findlay, who has started four games, and Aurelien Collin, a 34-year-old who was an MLS Best XI in 2012 but who has played just one minute this season. Outside back is also an issue: Both healthy ones, Olivier Mbaizo (who just exited protocols after two weeks out) and Nathan Harriel are right backs.
Matt Freese can step in as the goalie, as he did late this season and last. Behind him is pool goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh, who the Union had signed in preseason and who has trained with the team while MLS pays his salary. The Union announced that Ranjitsingh, Homegrown Brandan Craig and pre-contract signee Anton Sorensen
were signed as emergency hardship cases.
There are copious midfield options in Jesus Bueno, Leon Flach and Jose Martinez. Up top, the Union retain a starting triumvirate of Jamiro Monteiro, Daniel Gazdag and Kacper Przybylko. Paxten Aaronson, who started the first round of the playoffs when Monteiro was in COVID protocols, and PK-taker Jack McGlynn are options with Anthony Fontana. Cole Turner, Craig, Sorensen and Matheus Davo should flesh out the squad well below the maximum of 20.
Fourth-seeded NYCFC has been without outside back Anton Tinnerholm (achilles) and midfielder Keaton Parks (blood clots). Taty Castellanos is suspended for a red card in extra time of a 2-2 AET (6-5 penalty kicks) progression
over top-seeded New England Tuesday. Castellanos led MLS with 19 goals and scored against New England.
“Castellanos for me is the Golden Boot winner, an incredible scorer in our league, an incredible talent,” Curtin said. “I’ll just say, a forward that you’d love to have on your team and you hate to play against. He’s a tireless worker. He’s a big part of his success this year. It’s unfortunate that he gets the red card at the end as they’re going on to their victory. It makes them a little bit weaker, but they have a lot of good options on their bench.”
Two of three meetings have been marred by early red cards. Martinez was sent off May 1 at Subaru Park after 15 minutes, leading to a 2-0 NYC win. Gedion Zelalem saw red in Yankee Stadium on Decision Day in a 1-1 result to clinch second for the Union. The Union beat the Cityzens in Chester, 1-0, on Aug. 18.
If there’s any silver lining, it’s that the Union enter as the more seasoned team in knockout soccer. Curtin has repeatedly cited the experience of a semifinal run in Champions League for informing their toughness in advancing, first through extra time, then penalties.
“If you already have a good relationship like we have, it shows that you have a great team and that you can trust the guy next to you,” Flach said Friday. “The Club America game was one of the ones I mention because how we pressed and how we acted in the midfield, I think we beat them in almost part of the midfield. And to know that and to prove that in those games, I think that speaks for us and I’m happy and always proud to play with those guys.”
“If history has shown us anything,” Curtin said, “a group of men, a group of women with almost nothing to lose can be the most dangerous.”