CHESTER, Pa. – Jim Curtin has played in three US Open Cup finals, winning two while playing for the Chicago Fire.
But for the Philadelphia Union interim manager, tonight’s Open Cup final pitting his team against the Seattle Sounders at PPL Park (7:30 pm ET, GolTV) is different.
This one is for his hometown.
“When I look back at the ones I won as a player, you’re a little selfish in that it’s very in-house for the 11 guys on the field and the fans,” Curtin told MLSsoccer.com. “This one I feel a bigger burden. I want our guys to get that feeling of lifting a trophy, but it’s the first trophy for the club, so you feel the responsibility to make sure all 18,000 people in your building are happy. It’s a little more pressure, I’d actually say.”
It makes sense that Curtin would feel extra pressure not to let Philadelphia down. The manager grew up in the area, went to college at nearby Villanova and returned to his home city to work for the Union just as soon as they were awarded an MLS franchise.
Curtin is also a lifelong Philly sports fan – which is to say he knows that these chances to win championships are few and far between.
“I’ve been through the highs and lows and the runs of emotions with Philadelphia sports teams, and what it means to be a Flyers, Sixers, Eagles and Phillies fan,” Curtin said. “We have our own unique fanbase, and they’re hungry. This is an opportunity to lift a trophy, and it’s one that our fans deserve.”
The Union certainly rode their fans to this point, winning their first three Open Cup games at PPL Park, needing extra time to beat the lower-division Harrisburg City Islanders and New York Cosmos in Curtin’s first two games in charge.
And after surviving the New England Revolution – and a dust storm that caused a one-hour weather delay – in the quarterfinals, the Union edged FC Dallas in a semifinal shootout on the road to earn the opportunity to return home for what will be the first USOC title game played in the Philly area since 1966 (when the Ukrainian Nationals won the title).
“It’s a good thing to have the final on your home field – a good advantage for us,” Curtin said. “It’s something that means a lot to me. Being from this city, to do it here, would be special.”
Dave Zeitlin covers the Union for MLSsoccer.com. Email him at djzeitlin@gmail.com.
