Philadelphia Union looks to continue its undefeated record at Subaru Park on Sunday night as the club wraps up its regular season series against the Montreal Impact. Kick off from Subaru Park is set for Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. and can be seen on PHL17 and PhiladelphiaUnion.com.
The Boys in Blue enter the weekend coming off a 3-0 win led by an explosive second half against FC Cincinnati. That result coupled with others from around the conference sees the Union in second place in the Eastern Conference and in the race for the Supporters Shield with 31 points. After unexpectedly losing Jose Martinez to international duty, Head Coach Jim Curtin quickly pivotted his tactical strategy just hours before the match on Wednesday. It took some adjustments in the first half, but the Union found their stride in the 59’ and couldn’t stop scoring. “That’s what a good team does. Guys are able to adjust and that’s what this season has been about - being able to adapt your surroundings and keeping a positive mentality. [The season has] been unique in all aspects.” The team has had more time to train and prepare for the absence of El Brujo leading up to the Montreal matchup and the coaching staff is confident they have many options and strategies to fill in successfully.
The last matchup between Philly and Montreal was a physical one that saw the Impact take an early 1-0 lead with a goal from Romell Quioto. Shortly after giving his team the lead, Quioto found himself finishing his night early by drawing a red card in the 15th minute. Having to play the rest of the their match with 10-men the Union took advantage by tacking on four goals and taking the three points out of Harrison, NJ (Red Bull Arena is Montreal’s temporary “home.”) The Impact are coming off of a big upset win over Columbus, but will find themselves in a difficult position coming into Sunday’s match at Subaru Park - a place where the Union have yet to be defeated.
Players to watch
Jamiro Monteiro: Miro has stayed relatively quiet on the stat sheet thus far, but his importance on the pitch will be amplified with the absence of El Brujo.
Romell Quioto: Quito had an impressive 15 minutes against Philly in the first matchup collecting a goal and a red card. He’ll likely be taking this matchup personally and seeking some revenge.
