Philadelphia Union: Jim Curtin has established foundations
This week, Jim Curtin said the Philadelphia Union is in the ‘strongest’ position in their history. He is right, and it all comes down to the foundations established.
It takes years to build a team. Jurgen Klopp has assembled one of the greatest teams in Premier League history at Liverpool. In his first year at the club, they scraped into the top four to achieve Champions League qualification. Los Angeles FC were bright in their first season in MLS, but it wasn’t until Bob Bradley got his hands on the team in his second season they elevated themselves into the elite level.
Such is the nature of team sport, successful team-building requires correct decision after correct decision, forever offloading the right players at the right time, recruiting better players, and building the basis of a team that is cohesive and complementary. And after almost a decade of trying and failing, the Philadelphia Union have finally built a foundation.
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The Union finished above sixth in the Eastern Conference just once in their first nine years of trying. They qualified for the playoffs just three times and made it past the knockout round just once. They have never appeared in even an MLS Conference final, nevermind an MLS Cup.
But over the past two seasons, head coach Jim Curtin and the front office have begun to build from the ground up. They brought in an influx of hugely talented young players. They added experienced, high-level central midfielders to control matches with extended periods of possession, and instilled leadership, accountability, and a positive culture. And they saw results improve on the pitch.
2018 was the start of the building process. They finished sixth in the East but were immediately knocked out of the playoffs. But they also made the final of the U.S. Open Cup. They lost, again, but it showed that they can compete with the elite MLS teams. And in 2019, they proved it over an extended sample.
Curtin’s team sat atop the East for much of the regular season. They eventually slipped to third but were on-par with New York City FC and Atlanta United throughout the year. They lost to Atlanta in the Conference semi-finals, but they crucially beat the New York Red Bulls, shaking a major monkey off their back: their first-ever playoff victory.
And now, two matches into the 2020 season, Curtin is extremely positive about the position the Philadelphia Union are in.
“I mean it when I say it, It’s the strongest this organization has felt,” Curtin told reporters on Monday of his team’s start to 2020 via mlssoccer.com. “And to your point, it was the best soccer we’ve been playing as a club. I think there’s been good teams in the past, but I think that we have a good team right now, and one that the fans can really get behind. We’re the most stable I’ve ever felt at the club, and I’m proud of that.”
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Given the growth of the team, the young talent that is coming through, and the excellent culture and steadiness of the dressing room, Curtin’s confidence is not misplaced. In fact, the Union have built a superb foundation that will allow them to compete for years to come. It took them a decade to get here, but finally, the Union have arrived.