In his weekly press conference, Union head coach Jim Curtin updated the media that the team was not able to train on Thursday due to health and safety protocols. This is a very concerning update. Could Philly be without key players in the eastern conference final?
Union dealing with health and safety protocols
Curtin continued in his presser saying that this team will need the next man-up mentality should players be unavailable. He’s hopeful that he’ll have most of his players available for selection but was unsure what things will look like on Sunday.
Out of privacy for the players, Curtin didn’t disclose which players were in the protocols or not. This sent fans into a tizzy trying to find photos and videos of today’s training. They took to Twitter to piece together who was at training and who wasn’t. Luckily, the Union will provide a list of who’s in the protocols or not sometime on Saturday.
A list of who could be out
Tomorrow the Union will have to post a list of those in the health and safety protocols. It will be a relief for fans to know who’s available or not for the club’s biggest game in history. Once the clarity comes for the club and fans then there will be the ability to know which of the normal starters will be there and who’ll need to step up to the moment.
Coach Curtin mentioned players may be called upon to make an impact in this monumental match. If that’s the case, then they’ll have the chance to go from possibly seldom used substitutes to potential difference makers. Imagine someone like Anthony Fontana, who has been in the dog house all year gets called upon and scores a banger to bring Philly to MLS Cup. That would be huge, but it’s also something the Union might not have to deal with at all.
We’ll know for sure an hour before kickoff
Since there is all this speculation floating around out there, it can be easy to fall into the pessimistic mindset, but as reporters are now confirming things can change up until an hour before kickoff. Players can be cleared to play in a game up until one hour before the kickoff of the match. Essentially, a player can be cleared once lineups are due, after that, a player is officially in or out due to health and safety protocols. No matter what happens, Curtin will have his team motivated.
Curtin said that history has shown in the past that a group with nothing to lose is often times the most dangerous type of group. The Union’s coach will have whoever is starting raring to go. He has instilled this mentality of winning by any means necessary. If that means his team is missing some starters then that’s just another improbable part of the story that makes this Union team a historic one!
Patience
We’ll know for sure tomorrow who is in the health and safety protocols, and that doesn’t necessarily mean that anyone is out indefinitely for Sunday’s eastern conference final. We won’t know that information for a fact until lineups come out. We’ll have that definitive answer Sunday around 2 pm EST who will be good to play and who won’t be. Inhale and exhale Union fans!
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