Philadelphia Union will host their final regular season home game at Subaru Park on Saturday night, taking on Nashville SC in an important matchup that could impact postseason seeding. On Friday after the team’s annual open training session for season ticket holders, Head Coach Jim Curtin met with the media, previewing what’s to come.
Brotherly buzz
Saturday will be the team’s last appearance at Subaru Park in front of Union faithful in the 2023 regular season and the city is abuzz with brotherly love for their local sports’ teams. Curtin, a Montgomery county native turned Philadelphia local, expressed his pride for the city and the Union’s contributions to its unmatched sportscape.
“You can tell right away whether the Eagles won or whether they lost or whether the Phillies just had a big win, because everybody's a little more upbeat. And now the Union is part of that as well. We're pretty consistently now getting into the postseason and can do some special things,” Curtin said.
Pregame praise
Moments before entering the press conference room, Curtin spoke with his team, offering words of encouragement before what’s anticipated to be a fierce matchup. He pulled back the curtain on the energizing conversation, detailing what he shared with the Eastern Conference’s third-ranked squad.
“I get really proud of the other [Philadelphia] teams but certainly my own team and we talked about guys getting hot at the right time and I think last game was a good indicator of that front three that we have,” Curtin said.
“I told them today, just now, when confidence starts to waver with you guys and you doubt yourself? I said that's BS, because this season we have 48 goals. 48 goals this year and 21 assists. In the last two seasons, that front three – this is insane, has 100 goals and 48 assists. 100 goals and 48 assists between three guys.”
That statistic reinforced the sentiments he shared about Mikael Uhre, Daniel Gazdag, and Julían Carranza after they each scored a goal in the final 15 minutes of the first half, noting that their play sets the tone for the entire squad.
“Our fans will back those guys, and now it's time to finish the season the right way these last two games and then get on a run in those playoffs. It's going to be special, and it’s going to be hard too,” Curtin said.
The impact of injuries
Nearly the entire roster will be available for selection on Saturday, as left back Kai Wagner will rejoin the squad after missing Wednesday’s match due to yellow card accumulation. The only player who could be missing is Jesús Bueno, who left the match with an ankle injury in the opening minutes against Atlanta.
“I was concerned there might have been a fracture and a break in there just the way it swelled up like I've never seen. Actually, a quick healer because he was going to try today – he was all taped up and went through our prehab that we do in the weight room before we come out and he made a strong effort to join the group for training today,” Curtin said. “We'll reevaluate it tomorrow morning, but as of today, it was too much pain and you don't want to risk and force a guy at this point when he has obviously played big minutes for us already. You don't want to further make the injury worse.”
Though the team is heading into their 47th game in 2023 with most of their squad ready to play, it has been far from easy for the club to maintain a healthy roster this year. Bueno’s injury is one of many that the Philadelphia Union have faced during their historically strenuous season. During the press conference, Curtin spoke to the impact that injury and pain have on a player’s mental health.
“Mental health of players is finally starting to get talked about more. I think too often we think of professional athletes as robots or superheroes and these people that are just tough in every moment in every situation, and they don't have feelings, or they don't go through hard things at home, whether it be a loved one, struggling with cancer or whatever it might be a million different things that can happen in the life of an athlete. So yeah, it's not easy on your mental state,” Curtin said.
Keeping Kai
The postseason remains the focus for Curtin’s squad, but as Wagner continues to cement his reputation as one of the top left backs in MLS, speculation about his future with the club has increased. When asked about the rumblings regarding the 26-year-old German, Curtin addressed them candidly.
“We'll see how it plays out. I coached the team. I coach the players that are here and I tried to do it the best they can. I think I'm open and honest with you guys. I still have hope that something can still be agreed to that benefits both sides,” Curtin said.
“But you know how good he is. I am blown away, because I do think he can play in the Bundesliga. I do feel he can play in England, certainly in the Championship [League]. I think he can play in so many leagues in the world, so sometimes I am surprised that the big offer didn't come across for the best left back in the league. In some ways that kept him here and helped us win games as well. Again, we have to finish the season the right way. Hopefully, I'm still optimistic that something can work out because he's such a great player and he's really valuable to the group.”
