Philadelphia Union finished 1-1 against Atlanta United on Saturday night, claiming just one point before heading on an important two-game road trip.
After the final whistle at Subaru Park, Head Coach Jim Curtin met with the media, talking through what unfolded at home and how the result impacts his team’s postseason aspirations.
Playoff implications
With the result, Philadelphia Union still sits just above the playoff line in 9th place – one spot below Toronto FC and one above CF Montreal. The pair of Canadian teams share the same point total as Philadelphia, and with 37 apiece, just three more playoff spots available for the taking, and only one team officially eliminated, the matches ahead are all-important.
“We're at a point in the year where every team that's in and around that red line is very desperate. Atlanta is one of those teams. We're one of those teams. So it's never going to be easy,” Head Coach Jim Curtin said.
“So as great as the 5-1 win in New York was, as great as the 4-0 win at home was, this was going to be a game where you're going to get [Atlanta’s] absolute best."
That’s just what happened at Subaru Park, and although Philadelphia was able to hold Atlanta scoreless through the majority of the match, Saba Lobzhanidze’s 72nd minute comeback effort neutralized the lone Union goal Nate Harriel scored just 11 minutes prior.
“It's going to go down to the last day for sure for all these teams pushing to get in. We’ve put ourselves in a situation where we're still in control of our own destiny, but at the same time, our margin for error is, is very, very small. Not taking those extra two points tonight makes it a little bit more challenging. There's no question about that,” Curtin said.
“Still played some decent soccer for stretches, but at this stage, no one remembers the amount of chances you create. They only care if it's three points and tonight wasn't good enough.”
On the road again
Just one point was gleaned from their penultimate regular season home match, but Philadelphia Union will have two more opportunities to bolster their total in quick succession.
On Tuesday, the team will depart for a road trip that’ll begin with a midweek matchup against fourth place Orlando City, and after their stay in the sunshine state, they’ll face 2023 MLS Cup Champions and 2024 Leagues Cup Champions Columbus Crew.
It won’t be easy to return home with points in tow, but Curtin expressed the confidence he has in his team and their ability to rise to the occasion.
“It's always better to win and keep that momentum going. It's hard to go down to Orlando. It's going to be hot, it's going to be difficult again. They're in really good form. This team, though, has a way of surprising you and our group will, I think, find a way to persevere and hopefully steal a game on the road and steal some points on the road,” Curtin said.
“Every point at this stage is going to be huge again. We have the last game against Cincinnati. Who knows what it means to them at that stage, it's impossible to predict. What we do know is our next game in Orlando is going to be a real fight, and we have to make up for the two points that we missed tonight. You guys see how tight it is in and around the bottom of the Eastern Conference, there's a lot of teams that are still alive, a lot of teams that shouldn't still be alive that are and that's the reality of the league. We have to find a way to get in the playoffs. Then, anything can happen.”
