Old friend Medunjanin awaits Union in Cincinnati »
The decision at the end of
2019 wasn’t easy. Haris Medunjanin believed he had more left in his playing career. The Union believed the best thing for their high-pressing system was to not have a
35-year-old non-ball-winning midfielder occupying an ostensibly defensive position.
So the Union left Medunjanin, a former World Cup participant with Bosnia & Herzegovina who is second in franchise history with 29 assists, unprotected for Cincinnati to select him in one of the smorgasbord of offseason drafts. Wednesday marks the reunion his former coach, who calls him, “maybe the best passer in MLS.”
“There’s only a level that’s so high to be as good with the ball as Haris is,” Jim Curtin said Tuesday. “I’ve spoken about what I feel about Haris the player and just how important he was to our success here, how professional he was, how great he was with Brenden Aaronson and his growth and development. He’s a professional that I was honored and lucky to work with.”
Medunjanin showed that ability again Saturday, his late goal earning Cincinnati a 1-0 win at Red Bull Arena. The goal came off a corner kick, his sublime left-footed take carrying over the players in the box, off the far post and in past a dumbstruck defense.
It’s the kind of moment Curtin saw so many times in Philadelphia, the “I can’t teach that” moment that showed Medunjanin’s nextlevel skill. For FC Cincinnati
(3-6-3, 12 points), in its second season and seeking stability, it’s a perfect marriage.
For the Union (7-2-3, 24 points), it was the right move, too. Without Medunjanin, they’re not better or worse, but different. Two straight seasons, with Medunjanin providing a total of three goals and
17 assists, the Union ran up against a hard postseason ceiling, with only so much money to spend on talent for their possession-based system. So in came Ernst Tanner with a vision of counter-attacking soccer that could surmount the talent gap.
This season, with Warren Creavalle and Jose Martinez manning Medunjanin’s old position with a strict adherence to breaking up plays, the results have been positive. It allows Curtin to approach the first meeting with Medunjanin feeling like both parties got something from the switch.
“We were a great team with Haris, and we’re still a great team without Haris,” Curtin said. “It’s always difficult to make decisions at the end of seasons and to lose a player of his quality who really loved the club. It was hard and difficult and I was upset about it and it happened, but at the same time now, there’s a professional element to it. … It was always tough to lose him, but again, I’ll remember the times that we had with him and just how important he was to the team.”
Medunjanin reciprocated those feelings after the Red Bulls win, discussing his friendships with players and Curtin and, “my son” Aaronson. The mentorship Medunjanin offered young players lasts long beyond his exit from Chester.
“It’s going to present its challenges because obviously Haris knows our style of play,” midfielder Anthony Fontana said. “He’s been in the system, he was a big part of the system, and just as a former teammate, someone we all looked up to. I still look up to him. He’ll always be a player that has helped me and helped the other Homegrowns.”
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Curtin declined to comment on the latest MLS schedule drop, released an hour after his call. The final nine games of the season, which bring the total to 23, include five home contests, a rarity for a club that has played just three of its first 12 games (15 total) at Subaru Park.
The Union come home from Wednesday’s trip to Cincinnati for a home date with Inter Miami Saturday, then start the stretch run with a trip to Hartford to take on Toronto FC at Rentschler Field.
Home dates with Cincinnati and Montreal follow Oct. 7 and 11. The Union have a midweek trip to D.C. United before venturing to New England, then visits from Toronto FC and Chicago Fire. Nov. 1 brings a trip to league leader Columbus in a national television game, then the Union finish at Subaru Park Nov. 8 with a fifth meeting of the season with the Revolution.
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Ray Gaddis (hamstring) was held out of Sunday’s win over Montreal largely as a precaution after he felt tightness. Curtin said that the veteran outside back would’ve played had it been a playoff game. Instead, it turned into a convenient rest ahead of his participation against Cincinnati.
Jack Elliott (ankle) is improving but is a long shot to make the bench against Inter Miami. The Toronto game is a more likely return. Kai Wagner (leg) trained fully two consecutive days and could make the bench against Cincinnati with an eye toward starting against Miami.