The Union have taken the Leagues Cup seriously, that much has been clear in the first two years of the competition. The only team to make the semifinals in both editions of the tournament, and the only one to play the maximum of seven games in both tournaments, is a distinction of some note for coach Jim Curtin.
But it doesn’t absolve the Union from underdog status in Wednesday’s semifinal trip to Columbus (7:30 p.m., AppleTV).
“It’s a group that is hungry, is together,” Curtin said Tuesday. “We’ve had players come and go in recent weeks. But at the same time, it’s a big opportunity. We know how hard it is to go to Columbus. … This will be another instance where we are the underdog. We’ll need to punch above our weight and find a way to survive and advance.”
The final four in the contrived competition between MLS and Liga MX is a cipher. For one, it contains no representative of the latter, with the Union having eliminated Mazatlan in penalties and the Colorado Rapids somehow upending Club America in a shootout in the quarterfinals. The final four includes both of last year’s MLS Cup finalists, in which Columbus won the trophy over LAFC. LA hosts the Rapids, who sit fourth in the West after two straight years outside of the playoffs.
And then there’s the Union, who always seem to be in the thick of a competition like this but can’t seem to win one. This is the sixth competition – two MLS Cup playoffs, two Leagues Cups and two CONCACAF Champions Leagues – in which the Union have made the semifinals since 2021. They don’t have any hardware from the previous five to join the increasingly lonely 2020 Supporters’ Shield in the cabinet.
The club is on a seven-game unbeaten run (5-0-2) that belies its placement in 10th in the East. The Crew are third in the East after reaching the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup and losing to Pachuca.
Led by Cucho Hernandez (13 goals, six assists) and Diego Rossi (nine goals, six assists), the Crew have one of the most dynamic attacks in the league. It’s orchestrated by coach Wilfried Nancy, regarded as one of the league’s best bosses. The CCC run showed the coherent identity and beautiful soccer that Crew are capable of at their best.
“They’re very brave with how they play,” Curtin said. “They aren’t going to change. So we know there will be no surprises. That’s what makes Wilfried an incredible coach. His team has a true identity. They play the same way, whether they’re winning, whether they’re losing, whether they’re home, whether they’re away, and it’s really entertaining, hard to defend. We’re going to have to suffer a little bit as a team defensively, but if we can be ruthless on the counterattack, that’s what can make this game exciting.”
The Union have found their way back to being brave in recent weeks. The unbeaten run has coincided with the return of Andre Blake, who has offered defensive stability and only allowed five goals in seven matches. The club will be without Tai Baribo, who received two yellow cards – albeit for the slightest of infractions – against Mazatlan. Jose Martinez is in Brazil to complete his transfer to Corinthians.
But the Union got Olivier Mbaizo back in training this week after a hamstring strain that proved minor. New signee Danley Jean Jacques is getting up to speed quickly with his new teammates, and Curtin said he is comfortable using him for a half or so.
For all of that, the Union are one win – either Wednesday or in a third-place game they would host on Sunday – from a Champions Cup spot next year. They are two wins from a trophy, and they would host the final against either LAFC or Colorado. They’ve already beaten a team that is flying high in the East in Ohio in this tournament, with the Round of 16 victory at FC Cincinnati.
So it’s all there for them to go out and win, daunting as the path may be.
“We’ll be the underdog,” Curtin said. “We recognize that. But they have confidence from going on the road and beating a really good Cincinnati team recently. So it’s not an impossible task. It’s a group that is hungry to win a trophy.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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