Philly Leader

Philadelphia Union, following a 2-1 defeat to Orlando City, are set to face Columbus Crew in Ohio for their last away match of the regular season. Head Coach Jim Curtin addressed the media to discuss the upcoming game at Lower.com Field.

Columbus Crew has been one of the strongest teams this season, having already faced Philadelphia twice in 2024. Both teams will be playing their third game within a week, with Columbus coming off a 3-2 loss to Inter Miami. Curtin emphasized the depth and strength of Columbus regardless of the lineup chosen by Wilfred Nancy.

“We learned that in the game at home in Philadelphia, they played a quote unquote second choice group, but it's still a very strong, deep team. In some ways, those guys are pushing to get into the starting lineup, so they put on good performances, and then you had the luxury of bringing in Cucho [Hernandez] and [Diego] Rossi to change the game,” Curtin stated.

He continued by highlighting Columbus's defensive capabilities: “Regardless of who starts, regardless of how they approach the game, you don't get many chances against them. They don't concede a lot of shots... They're at the very top of the league in terms of a lot of the defensive metrics.”

Curtin also shared insights into his team's preparations which included sessions in Orlando and Ohio. He stressed aggression when opportunities arise: “We have to be ruthless when we do get looks. We have to finish them off... because you can't sit back on a lead against this team because they have so much attacking firepower.”

Curtin remains optimistic about his team's potential: “A very tough task, for sure, but our group is capable of winning two games together... Let's go on a little bit of a win streak here to end the season.”