Haris Medunjanin and Union look to continue improved form on the road at Cincinnati

Both Head Coach Jim Curtin and veteran midfielder Haris Medunjanin mentioned the importance of building on the positives as Philadelphia Union trek to Cincinnati to face MLS newcomers FC Cincinnati Saturday night.

Haris Medunjanin on the ball for the Union in their home Opener against Toronto FC. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Despite not earning results in their first three matches of the 2019 MLS season, Haris Medunjanin was quick to mention their recent run of form which earned them a crucial road point at Atlanta and a near perfect 3-0 win at home last weekend.

“I think as a team we had good games but the most important thing is that you need to win games,” said Medunjanin via phone call with PSN Thursday afternoon. “But now we are back. First game with a point and now a win. Hopefully we can do something with it.”

Head Coach Jim Curtin mentioned similar thoughts during his weekly press conference Wednesday. As his team travels to yet another hostile road environment, Curtin stressed the need to remain focused while also highlighting the reemergence of injured, suspended, and international players to the matchday roster.

“The one positive we talked about in the film session today was that in each game this year we’ve shown growth. We’re on an upward trend right now which is positive,” said Curtin. “We now recognize that we go to a very difficult an new place to go to in Cincinnati.”

FC Cincinnati has proved to be a well coached and hungry team as an MLS newcomer. With crowd sizes up over 35,000 they’ve made the jump from USL to MLS with little to no hassles. So far in 2019, Cincinnati has earned seven points through four games. With a 2-1-1 record and a +5 goal differential, they’re impressive start could land them in MLS history books if they secure a win against Philadelphia tonight. A 3-1-1 record after an expansion club’s first five games would be both historically important but also very impressive.

Consider this road match yet another early test for Philadelphia. They’ve been saddled with a very difficult schedule to start the year, facing four of the best teams in the league in the opening month of the campaign. And Saturday night is no different. They’ll need to be sharp in enemy territory if they hope to build on recent improvements in their play.

When asked about how he and his teammates are handling the new formation and style of play, Medunjanin stressed the need to put full effort with both body and mind into training in order to get things right. “It’s challenging. You just need to put your mind into it,” said Medunjanin. “It’s a new formation but I think it’s the same principles. You need to press together, work together, and help your teammate that is playing next to you.”

Tactically, Philadelphia was repeatedly exposed in the first three matches whenever they had too many numbers forward. With two strikers this year, there is less of a need to have midfielders running forward along with them. Medunjanin mentioned they have focused on this as a team in order to limit their opponents’ chances to counter attack against them.

“There’s a lot of talking and coaching and it’s much easier than what we sometimes think. In this system it should normally go if one eight [central midfielder] goes forward the other one covers but sometimes we want to go with so many guys to attack and then sometimes you get exposed in the back,” said Medunjanin.

But Medunjanin was clear to state issues have been addressed both in training and film sessions. And that’s a credit to Curtin and his staff as well. They’ve managed to highlight the team’s mistakes while actively fixing the problem.

“We already have two strikers and the number 10 is there, the fullback is coming and one eight. So it’s already four or five players up there,” said Medunjanin.

The over eagerness to get forward actually made Medunjanin into an early scapegoat for critical Union fans. Often throughout the first three matches, Medunjanin was back on defense with little to no help. But as of late, the team has gelled and the cohesion that’s needed to prevent slip ups seems to be present as well.

“The game plan is the same. We need to play our own game and not be afraid of any team because we need to believe in ourselves,” said Medunjanin. “When you play an away game where they have 35,000 people, they’re going to stand behind them so we should be calm, focused, and go in there with the mindset that we need these three points.”

The last road match in hostile territory provided Union fans with a delightful performance and a crucial point in Atlanta. Curtin and Medunjanin are hoping for more of the same in yet another difficult atmosphere Saturday night.