CHESTER, Pa. – For the first time since Jim Curtin took over as interim manager in early June, the Philadelphia Union have hit a rough patch.
But despite his team picking up just two points in their last three league games to fall into seventh place in the Eastern Conference – three points below the “red line” that signifies the five playoff positions – Curtin remains optimistic.
The main reason for that optimism? While other teams have more difficult schedules to contend with, the Union play their next three games at home, starting with tonight’s nationally televised contest against the Chicago Fire at PPL Park (8 pm ET, ESPN2).
And the Union haven’t lost at home in their last eight league matches.
“Everybody’s schedule is difficult,” Curtin said. “I have it written out on my desk right now and you look through it and go, ‘Shoot, they can lose every game, they can lose every game.’ We’re in the mix right now. We know the urgency. We know what needs to be done. We know we have the advantage of being at home for three in a row. We like that. We have to show the fight to do whatever it takes to get three points.”
Curtin also has no reason to think his team won’t bounce back from last Saturday’s 1-0 loss to D.C. United – their first loss in league play since Aug. 15. He is enthused that two of the team’s last three games are against a Columbus team currently five points in front of them in the standings.
“We haven’t lost two games in a row,” the Union manager said. “That’s something to be proud of. We bounce back. We’ve dealt with a lot this year, fighting to get back in this playoff race. If you look at the schedule, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you play Columbus twice, and that part will be in our hands.”
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But to put pressure on the Crew and the rest of the teams in front of them, the Union must first beat the ninth-place Fire on Thursday night. To do that, they must figure out a way to break a five-half scoreless drought. Again, though, Curtin isn’t worried – at least not publicly.
“For whatever reason, it’s just not going in right now,” he said. “We’ll have to tinker and maybe shake things up and give a different look. But at the same time, it’s not something we’re really harping on. I’m happy with the amount of chances we’re creating. We just have to have a little more commitment to get in the box and finish some of them.”
Dave Zeitlin covers the Union for MLSsoccer.com. Email him at djzeitlin@gmail.com.
