Skip to content
Sports
Link copied to clipboard

Union's goal: 10 home wins this season

OBVIOUSLY after just two games, it's early in the season. Still, isn't it better to speak of it being early from a positive standpoint instead of a negative one?

On Sunday when the Philadelphia Union has its 2016 Major League Soccer home opener at Talen Energy Stadium, it has a chance to do something that hasn't happened much in club history - win consecutive games.

After winning 2-1 at Columbus last weekend, the Union (1-1-0) can post consecutive MLS wins by beating the New England Revolution (0-0-2).

Philadelphia bounced back from an uninspiring loss in the season opener at FC Dallas to beat the Crew, which played for the 2015 MLS Cup and is again one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference.

Newcomer Chris Pontius scored twice this time to support another fine effort from goalkeeper Andre Blake.

A winning streak, even one of the most modest qualities, would give the Union some of that positive momentum it has typically had a difficult time finding or maintaining.

"Confidence is everything in our game," Union coach Jim Curtin said. "Yes, it is critical to put back-to-backs together. That's what good teams do.

"We have not been a good team in the past but we're trying to change that. I think we are a different team. I think our culture is changing. It's different but unless you back it up in the 90 minutes, it's just talk.

"There has to be a consistency to what we do and that can start by putting back-to-back games together."

Because draws are acceptable outcomes in soccer, streaks without a loss are valued.

Still winning streaks have to be worth more, and, pathetically, the Union has put one of those together only 10 times in its first 202 MLS games.

The longest winning MLS streak in club history is three games, which has been achieved once.

Last season, the Union did not get consecutive wins until matches 12 and 13, and by then it had already dug a deep enough hole that it could not climb out of.

Considering the Union's highest win total in a season was 12 in 2013, Curtin said he knows people might look at him strangely when he says he has set a minimum goal of 10 wins at home this season.

"We've made a real emphasis of wanting to protect this house," he said. "In this building we have to have confidence, a lack of fear. We have a great fan base that is behind us from the start of the game and we need to feed off that energy.

"If we get to 10 in this building, you win some on the road and draw a few; you'll be in the playoffs."

Blake on break

Union goalkeeper Andre Blake, who has gotten off to an impressive start during his third Major League Soccer season, has been called up to the Jamaican national team for the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica. The two games against Costa Rica will be March 25 and 29th.

Blake will be away on international duty from March 21-30. The Union don't have a game scheduled during that time. After Sunday's home opener against New England, the Union (1-1) won't resume action until April 2, when it visits the Chicago Fire.

"He will play against Chicago barring an injury" Union coach Jim Curtin said about Blake during his media conference on Wednesday. "To take away any doubt, Andre won't miss any MLS games during this stint with Jamaica."

(Staff writer Marc Narducci contributed to this story.)

@SmallTerp