Philadelphia Union has one more match before the international break – they’ll take on CF Montréal on Saturday night at Subaru Park before a two-week break without a match. During that span, a growing contingent of players will depart to represent their countries, and some won’t return by the time Major League Soccer resumes play.
Claiming three-points in this weekend’s match is paramount as the team currently sits in 8th place in the East with 19 points. Despite the team’s recent winless stretch at home -- Montreal has fared much worse, falling to sixteenth place after picking up just four wins, and four losses, and seven losses since the start of the season, and they’ve only won two away from home.
So far this season, the top player to watch on their squad has been 21-year-old forward Sunusi Ibrahim, who’s accounted for four of their 21 goals so far this season. He and Costa Rican forward Ariel Lassiter each scored in their most recent 4-2 win against D.C. United on Wednesday, securing all three points while limiting Golden Boot contender Christian Benteke to just one goal. That match was their second this week, and just like the Union, this weekend’s contest will be mark their third in quick succession, creating a need for rotation for both sides.
As for the Union, their last two matches finished in scoreless draws, which is a far different circumstance than the team experienced to start the season. Finding balance between maintaining their foundational defensive principles while creating scoring opportunties will be a top priority in the game to come, and Curtin detailed what he hopes to see from his squad after a hard-fought draw against Toronto.
"To reflect on Toronto, the positive is it was a clean sheet. Negatives were consistent chance creation, I think it's something we can can improve onm and that'll be something we look to do against a strong Montreal team that's coming off of a good result scored four goals at home. Both teams now will be dealing with the fact that it's the third game in a week, and in some fairly warmer weather, plus tere's injuries or suspensions that both teams will deal with," Curtin said.
"We expect a really tough test against Montreal. You can tell they're well-coached, they're well-drilled in the way that they try to pass out of the back, not dissimilar to Columbus for obvious reasons. They have some really intricate movement within their group. They're brave home and away in the way they try and play, and we'll have to do a good job of being organized try to turn them over as close to their goal as possible and create chances."
Saturday's match will be a celebration of the team's 15-year history, as former players will be in attendance for Alumni Night. For more information about must-see matchday events and activations, click here!
