Philadelphia Union is in the midst of a challenging stretch, and after the team’s setback against Charlotte FC on Saturday, Head Coach Jim Curtin and his team regrouped for a productive week of training and discussion. Despite recent unfavorable results, the team’s desire to succeed hasn’t subsided, and this weekend, they’ll head to Canada in hopes of claiming points against C.F. Montreal.
On Thursday, Head Coach Jim Curtin met with the media for his pre-match press conference, reflecting on the group’s past few days in Chester, while considering the challenge to come.
Back to the basics
Curtin’s roster has been riddled with National Team absences and injuries, and this week was no different; numbers aside, the team gathered to address their recent difficulties, and what they can do to improve in the second half of the season.
“While it is a small group right now, it's a group that is all on the same page,” Curtin said. “We talked a lot about what’s made us a strong team, our culture, our identity, our principles. We reviewed those, got back to basics, had a good, healthy, long discussion, and had some good film sessions with the group.”
The team recently played three matches in eight day span, but with no midweek, the team had ample time to reflect and reset before heading North in Canada.
“We know that half of a season does not define this group. Again, we've been together for a while. We trust each other, we know who's here, who's not here. We also know that the end of the Charlotte game was not acceptable. So we'll learn from it, we'll get better from it, and we'll move on now to a new test,” Curtin said.
CF Montreal has had their fair share of disappointing results as well. With both teams having won only four games so far this year, Saturday night will be a battle between two groups vying for a boost to their point total.
“We had a good week of training, and a lot of work has been put in. Now, it needs to come out on the field against a Montreal team that is very good with the ball. A very dangerous team at home and has scored a bunch of goals. So we have to be on our game to limit them,” Curtin said.
Gazdag’s return
It’s no secret the Union have a limited selection of available players to chose from for this weekend’s match, but one of their missing international players is slated to return sooner than anticipated, just in time for the trip to Canada.
The Hungarian National team’s loss is Philadelphia Union’s gain, as Wednesday’s slate of matches confirmed that Daniel Gazdag’s home country were officially eliminated from the tournament. Curtin shared that the club’s all-time leading goalscorer is homeward bound and expected to land in the states on Thursday evening.
“Credit to Daniel for really being aggressive and helping us out with his Federation. He real pushed to get back to help his team,” Curtin said.
He shook my hand when he left for the Euros and I wished him luck, but you could feel he was upset to leave us in the moment that we were in, because he didn't want to. He's a guy that represents the Union badge as well as anybody. He loves Philadelphia, wants to win here, and showed that now by getting back as quickly as possible.”
Gazdag will return to training on Friday for the team’s matchday -1 session at Subaru Park, and if he travels to Montreal, Curtin says he’ll be contributor in some capacity.
“With the jetlag, with all the travel, with the emotions, with the load that he's had – maybe not playing as many minutes as he wants, we’ll determine what he’s ready for, but he'll certainly play in the game,” Curtin said.
“That is for sure. I'm not going to have Dani Gazdag fly back to then have him watch a soccer game in Montreal.”
Keeper Chronicles
Philadelphia Union have started three different keepers in net so far in 2024, most recently giving 18-year-old Homegrown Andrew Rick his Major League Soccer debut at home against Charlotte FC.
While Curtin didn’t reveal whether he or Oliver Semmle would be the keeper in Canada, he did provide an update on Andre Blake, who’s been in recovery from a meniscus surgery.
“He was out on the field today, for the first time. I saw him and he did have gloves on, which is a good first step. So not close yet to starting, but that first step of getting back on the grass, putting the cleats on, being with the guys a little bit more emotionally and mentally, I think is a good thing,” Curtin said.
