Union know the clock is ticking on their climb up the MLS playoff contention ladder

In between fielding questions about the firing of U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter, and being on the list as a possible candidate for the role, Union manager Jim Curtin provided his thoughts ahead of a crucial trip to Toronto.

Those thoughts leaned on the positive side as the Union were set to receive more players back from injury or international duty, namely striker Mikael Uhre, who is returning from an adductor injury, and crafty midfielder José Martínez, back from his time with the Venezuelan national team during its run to the quarterfinals of the Copa América tournament.

What was still iffy, however, was whether or not the team will have its stalwart goalkeeper Andre Blake, who has missed 14 matches as he continues to bounce back from a knee injury that also saw him miss playing for his native Jamaica club in the Copa América. Blake, a full participant in practice on Thursday and Friday, remained a question mark ahead of the club’s Saturday night date with Toronto FC (7:30 p.m., Apple TV, free).

“Andre trained today with the team, which is a positive,” Curtin said during his availability on Thursday. “[We] have a meeting with him … to see exactly where he’s at, and still one more training session before we make a decision and an assessment.”

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Here’s what Curtin already had assessed before taking the podium on Thursday. A mere 12 regular-season games remain — six at home and six away. And if his club, currently sitting 14th (4-9-9) in the Eastern Conference standings, has any desire or even hope without receiving help from other teams of getting into the MLS playoffs, a far better run of form needs to be put together — like now.

If there ever was a team to have a jump-off against, it would be a Toronto team that has been mired in a winless streak of its own — six games to be specific, seven in all competitions — with a lackluster offense and a defense that midway through the season still hasn’t been able to put together consistent performances.

Much like the Union, you’d have to rewind the clock to May for the last time Toronto collected three points — by way of a 5-1 win over CF Montreal on May 19. The Union’s last win came just a day earlier in a 3-0 rout of a 10-man New England team. Toronto has even played the Union since, a scoreless draw at Subaru Park. It was just the second time in eight matches that Toronto (7-13-3) has picked up a point.

“Part of this match against Philly is [they are] a squad that’s coming in with a very similar situation to ours,” Toronto coach John Herdman said during his Friday news conference. “Like us, they’re missing a lot of players … when you compare apples with apples this is a game where Toronto FC, with the team we’ll be able to put out we should be able to get a win at home.”

However, on the road is where the Union has found success this season — along with an uncanny ability to score in bunches. In its last three road matches, the Union have scored eight times. Conversely, Toronto has only been able to score just three goals in its last three at BMO Field.

Additionally, Toronto is still reeling from an upset loss earlier this week in the Canadian Championship. Herdman may talk a good game, but like Philly, the results suggest otherwise in just how soon his club’s upward trajectory is coming.

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Ask Curtin and he knows the same can be said for his.

“This game is a big one for both teams,” Curtin said. “We are both not where we want to be and we both have more quality within our group than the point totals show. But as I’ve said before, you are what your record says you are. We have to find a way to get a result. That starts with continuing to score goals on the road, but also being smart defensively.”