Philly Leader

Philadelphia Union finished 1-1 against Atlanta United on Saturday night, securing just one point before embarking on an important two-game road trip. Following the final whistle at Subaru Park, Head Coach Jim Curtin addressed the media, discussing the match and its impact on the team's postseason hopes.

With this result, Philadelphia Union remains just above the playoff line in 9th place—one spot below Toronto FC and one above CF Montreal. The Canadian teams share the same point total as Philadelphia, with each having 37 points. With three more playoff spots available and only one team officially eliminated, upcoming matches are crucial.

"We're at a point in the year where every team that's in and around that red line is very desperate. Atlanta is one of those teams. We're one of those teams. So it's never going to be easy," said Head Coach Jim Curtin. "So as great as the 5-1 win in New York was, as great as the 4-0 win at home was, this was going to be a game where you're going to get [Atlanta’s] absolute best."

The match saw Philadelphia holding Atlanta scoreless for most of it until Saba Lobzhanidze's 72nd-minute goal equalized Nate Harriel's goal scored just 11 minutes earlier.

"It's going to go down to the last day for sure for all these teams pushing to get in. We’ve put ourselves in a situation where we're still in control of our own destiny, but at the same time, our margin for error is very small. Not taking those extra two points tonight makes it a little bit more challenging," Curtin noted. "Still played some decent soccer for stretches, but at this stage, no one remembers the amount of chances you create. They only care if it's three points and tonight wasn't good enough."

Philadelphia Union will now head out for two more opportunities to bolster their point total quickly. On Tuesday, they depart for a road trip starting with a midweek matchup against fourth-place Orlando City followed by facing Columbus Crew.

Curtin expressed confidence in his team's ability to rise to these challenges: "It's always better to win and keep that momentum going. It's hard to go down to Orlando... This team has a way of surprising you and our group will find a way to persevere and hopefully steal some points on the road."

"Every point at this stage is huge again... Our next game in Orlando is going to be a real fight," he added. "You guys see how tight it is around the bottom of the Eastern Conference; there are many teams still alive that shouldn't be alive... We have to find a way to get into the playoffs. Then anything can happen."