A second straight win at Subaru Park and Philadelphia Union fans were all smiles as they the stadium after the final match before Major League Soccer takes a pause and Leagues Cup begins.
Following the final whistle, Head Coach Jim Curtin caught up with the media, recapping the end of a six-point week at home.
Blake is back
Curtin kicked off his press conference by pointing out two keys to the team’s much-needed win: the atmosphere in the stadium and goalkeeper Andre Blake.
Daniel Gazdag's impressive hat trick was the star of the show, but when discussing the win, Curtin was sure to highlight his newly-returned net-protector and his impact on the match.
“Soccer is fun again for the guys, which is good to see. No group has gone through a tough season like this more than our group and it's hurt, but for them to now be back on the field together and to get a guy like Andre back, who again makes a big save that no one will remember. He saves 2-0 from becoming 2-1, then we go right down the field and score after that to make it three and end the game,” Curtin said.
“These little plays are huge. The value of having your best players be your best players in this game, as simple as that sounds, is so important.”
Another debut
Newly signed forward Samuel Adeniran made his Philadelphia Union debut in Saturday night's win, stepping into the match in the 61st minute for Mikael Uhre. He’s been with the team for all of two days, but he held his own with his new teammates, and Curtin expressed his thoughts on his new player's first minutes in blue and gold.
“Sam came into the game and I thought it influenced it in a big way,” Curtin said.
“You see how good he is and strong in the air. The speed to get in behind. Could have had a couple goals, but we’ll save those for the 1-0 wins rather than the 4-0s at the end of the game.”
Playoff Push
Philadelphia Union jumped to 10th place after Saturday night’s stunner, and now they’re just one spot away from getting back above the playoff line. Curtin gave credit to the players, who have put their team in a far better spot before their push toward playoffs after Leagues Cup.
"When our best players are on the field together we're still a really good team," Curtin said.
"We're not where we want to be in the table, and I get that. It's been difficult but these two wins will go a long way now going into the break, to build some confidence, to push through Leagues Cup and then finish the season the right way."
Should they make that jump into the top nine teams in each conference that earn a playoff berth, Curtin said opponents will have a tough task ahead of them.
"You guys see what we are when we're clicking and we're confident. I would just say no one wants to play us in the playoffs if we get in. That's a fact."
