When the Philadelphia Union announced their split from longtime head coach Jim Curtin last November, few would have guessed they would be the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Yet, that’s exactly what they did Saturday night under first-year head coach Bradley Carnell, defeating the star-studded FC Cincinnati on the road 1–0 to secure a postseason berth, after playing with 10 men from the 60th minute onwards.
Bruno Damiani’s winning goal also helped extend their lead atop the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings to four points ahead of second-place San Diego FC.
“We don't change our game model when we play at home or away, we play to win games, and sometimes it goes in our favor and sometimes it doesn't,” Carnell said after the match. “I want the guys to make sure they have the ticket of freedom for me to go and defend and go forward, to play brave, and to do all the things in our philosophy.”
For the Union, it’s been a year of transition. Not only did they undergo a coaching change, but they’ve also found success despite a shuffling roster, having lost longtime star Daniel Gazdag to Columbus Crew in April, and dealing with travel and health issues involving star striker Tai Baribo.
However, Sporting Director Ernst Tanner addressed those challenges. To replace Gazdag’s offense, they added Milan Iloski after he starred at San Diego. and have seen the rapid development of 19-year-old goalkeeper Andrew Rick, who posted his seventh clean sheet of the season on Saturday.
“There’s been a lot of trust displayed over the course of the season, and then the away results will then start taking care of itself,” Carnell added.
“To be a winning team, you need to defend well away from home. And we’ve seen the environment we're in tonight. I don’t think this team needs to prove that they’re a good team anymore, I think we can see that now. We just have to keep putting ourselves, motivating ourselves, and finish off strong.”
