Union draw with Inter Miami, suffer first shutout of season

The Union’s midweek match against Inter Miami resulted in a sleepy 0-0 draw at Subaru Park on Wednesday. The result is a disappointment for a team in a slump of draws and hitting the road for a pair of tough games before the international break.

The scoreless result is the Union’s fifth straight tie and marks seven straight games without a win.

A bit of optimism might be gained from the fact this is the first match they didn’t drop points after going ahead in six matches.

The lackluster march toward stalemate exacerbates mounting questions for Jim Curtin’s side regarding their ability to finish chances and put away games. Philadelphia ceded possession but created more chances in the final third, taking 20 shots to Miami’s 9. Curtin told the media after the match that his side hadn’t planned to cede possession,and were surprised when they were forced to play defensively. “I was picturing creating overloads on their left side,” he said. “I thought we’d have possession. To Miami’s credit, they kind of pinned us back and made us defend them.”

Elaborating on the team’s offensive struggles, Curtin said they’re still looking for that “spark,” for that guy that can make the plays and turn chances into goals. He feels it could soon come from anyone on the field.

Curtin also faces questions about his depth and rotation. Julian Carranza was barred from play tonight due to loan parameters with Inter Miami. Danish striker Mikael Uhre remains injured and Jose Martinez was absent due to yellow card accumulation. Despite hinting at heavy rotation and formation change, Curtin kept a roughly familiar formation with Sergio Santos and Corey Burke as starting strikers, Jack Elliot pushed up into the midfield and Stuart Findlay filling in behind. Olivier Mbaizo also slotted into the right back position otherwise occupied by 21-year-old Nate Harriel.

Curtin told the media he’d mulled over multiple possibilities, but went with the evening’s lineup expecting to control possession and force Miami onto the backfoot. “To Miami’s credit” the opposite reality played out in the first half, and it wasn’t until the final 30 minutes of play that the Union began to take control of possession and look lethal in the final third.

The shift in momentum came in part with Curtin’s substitutions, shifting the formation and pace of play as he sent Harriel and Paxten Aaronson, then later Quinn Sullivan and Jack McGlynn into the game. The youth prospects and academy kids haven’t featured as often this season, and when asked why they hadn’t featured this evening from the start given their evident impact, Curtin stated: “I didn’t think it was a game where you throw three young guys out there and ask them to carry the moment, but they came in and gave us something at the end.”

The Union ceded their hold on first place this past Saturday and Wednesday’s result will likely send them further down the rankings as they lose their advantage in a tight conference. The team is now 5-6-1 and will head to Portland this Sunday for their next match.