After a two-week break from play, Major League Soccer Decision Day is on the horizon and preparations are ramping up at the Philadelphia Union's campus in Chester.
While a handful of starters spent the international window away with their respective national teams, the full group was back in tact on Wednesday, and at training, all focus shifted to their must-win match against FC Cincinnati at Subaru Park on Saturday.
“Everyone is officially back here at training, which is nice. It gives a little buzz to the group for sure. The guys that have trained the last week and a half have done a good job, too, putting in the work, maintaining fitness, building some sharpness on the ball,” Head Coach Jim Curtin said after their session.
‘Overall, we know what we have to do. We have to win a home game, which we're more than capable of doing. Cincinnati is a great opponent for sure, but in front of our home fans, we want to finish the season the right way. With a win.”
The challenge ahead isn’t an easy one. Matches between Philadelphia Union and FC Cincinnati have been historically intense, especially as of late, and Saturday's in particular is an important one for both sides.
Philadelphia needs to come away with all three points to keep their postseason aspirations alive. And even if they do win, they’ll have to rely on a loss from either C.F. Montreal or D.C. United in order to get a spot in the single elimination Wild Card round between the No. 8 and No. 9 seed in each conference.
“We're in a position this season that we don't want to be in, but our reality is we have to fight our way out of it now. Winning cures a lot of things, and we have to find a way to get three points and then get a little help,” Curtin said.
“From there, we can beat anybody. It's going to be a tough match. It's going to be a little colder, the weather's shifted a little bit. It's that time of the season, we know we have a job to do, and the objective is three points.”
Cincinnati sits in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, but as of late, they haven’t been in great form. Former Philadelphia Union assistant turned Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan and his team have won just one of their past six matches. They’ve dropped three in a row, and after two weeks without a match, Saturday will be their first opportunity to get back on the right track before embarking what's expected to be a very competitive MLS Playoffs.
The Decision Day matchup with also serve as Philadelphia Union’s U Thank U night, and Curtin has a message for the fans ahead of the last Subaru Park match of the regular season.
“We know it's been a year that's been hard. It's been challenging for all of us. It's been difficult. We know what we're capable of though, in front of our home fans and we want to end the season the right way for them and prolong the season,” he said.
‘We're a team that can even still finish in the eighth seed if things bounce our way, which means another home game. We apologize for the season, but at the same time, we know that we have a job to do, and winning at home is something that we've been very good at over the last several years.”
