Philadelphia Union host Inter Miami FC on Saturday, June 24th at Subaru Park in it's second game this week. Ahead of the matchup, Head Coach Jim Curtin met with the media, previewing what's to come.
Messi Mayhem
The Union are preparing to take on an Inter Miami team that will soon face an uncharted change in July as international superstar Lionel Messi will integrate into their lineup. Fortunately for the Union, he is not eligible to play yet, the club will field a team that has won only five games so far this season.
“Preparing for a team that doesn't have Messi versus one that has Messi is certainly much, much different and much more easy,” Curtin said.
Although he won’t be present on the pitch, Curtin is still bracing for the inevitable impact Messi’s addition to the league will bring.
“When you bring the best player that our games ever had into your club, a lot goes along with that. We're fortunate enough to see that it's not going to be till the end of July. Again, when he does come, that's the type of signing that can transform not just the team on the field, but can transform the league from a global perspective. He brings in the eyeballs that will now be on not just the inter Miami games, but on the MLS, which is good,” said Curtin.
Proper preparation
Miami hasn’t had much success so far this season, totaling 12 losses by the season’s halfway mark. On paper, Saturday’s matchup tilts heavily in favor of the 9-4-5 Philadelphia Union, but Curtin insisted the team’s competitive mindset and diligent preparation hasn’t faltered.
“They haven't had the cohesiveness and the consistency of lineups because of international call ups, injuries, and just a little bit of unluckiness, but still a really dangerous team,” said Curtin.
“We've still prepared our guys for Yosef Martinez, who's an incredible proven goalscorer in our league. [Leonardo{ Campana, his movement in the boxes is really dangerous. So, it's tough to predict exactly how they're going to play, what shape they’re in, who's available even for them,” Curtin said.
Martinez, a forward with seven years of league experience, and Campana, a 22-year-old forward, lead Miami’s squad with four and three goals, respectively.
“We talked a lot about us doing the things that we do well, playing at our max intensity and having our amazing crowd behind us. If we do all those things, we know we can create chances in this building," Curtin said.
Protecting the net
Starting keeper Andre Blake will miss Saturday’s game after being named to Jamaica's Gold Cup roster that sees him face off against the United States. On Friday, Curtin emphasized the importance of the team’s defense in limiting opponents chances, regardless of who’s protecting the net.
“Overall, we have to do a good job as a team defensively, like we always talk about. It starts with our strikers getting pressure, midfielders putting on good back pressure, then not allowing 10-15 balls to be whipped into the box. And that's something that we can control with things like good contact on clearances and no stupid fouls in and around the box,’ Curtin said,
34-year-old keeper Joe Bendik started in Blake’s place in Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Orlando City SC, and the team limited his total shots against to just four, of which he saved two.
“Any chance we can, we want to limit the amount of opportunities on goal regardless of whether it's Andre, Joe or [Holden] Trent in goal. So, overall, I thought we did a decent job of that. Obviously, we didn't do good enough, because we gave up two goals. So we have to clean that up. And I think we can all do better.”
Fans can catch the Union's final match of June starting at 7:30PM ET with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV!
