CHESTER, Pa. – Last week presented the Philadelphia Union with a unique opportunity to not only surge into playoff contention but also capture the first trophy in franchise history.
Naturally, then, the Union were very disappointed to lose in the US Open Cup final to Seattle, while leaving points on the table with home draws to New York and Houston.
It also left them angry – a feeling they’ll take with them into RFK Stadium for Saturday’s nationally televised showdown game with D.C. United (3 pm ET, NBCSN, live stream at NBCSports.com).
“The mentality of our group has changed because after the Houston tie [Saturday], guys were disgusted with it,” Union interim manager Jim Curtin said. “That was a face I maybe didn’t see earlier on. There’s accountability within the group that that wasn’t good enough.”
Saturday’s scoreless draw with the Dynamo, coupled with some other results, currently has the Union two points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with just five games remaining.
D.C. United, meanwhile, sit in first place in the East, 10 points clear of the sixth-place Union heading into Saturday’s matchup.
And even though the Union have been one of the league’s better teams since Curtin took over in June, the disparity between the team’s records shows how much of an uphill climb it will be for his team to steal points on the road this weekend.
“We’re a no-B.S. type team, and we are what our record says we are,” Curtin said. “That’s kind of what we believe in and what we’re about. We know going down the stretch in these last games, we have to protect our home field obviously. But we’re going to have to go somewhere difficult and steal points. … It’s going to be a brutal, tough game, but we’ll be ready to go.”
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With little time left to make the playoffs, perhaps it’s not surprising that Curtin and some players are labeling Saturday’s contest a “must-win.” Throw in the fact that the Union are playing one of their closest rivals, and it’s no wonder why this game is being viewed as just as big, if not bigger, than their two league contests last week.
“With the amount of games we have left, there’s really no margin for error,” fullback Sheanon Williams said. “Since Jim took over, all of our games have been big games, trying to climb back into the standings and put ourselves into position to potentially be in the playoffs. With D.C., it being a rivalry game for us, it makes it a little bit bigger of a game.”
Added Curtin: “They’re looking to win the East; we’re looking to get above the red line. It’s going to be a war."
Dave Zeitlin covers the Union for MLSsoccer.com. Email him at djzeitlin@gmail.com.
