CHESTER, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Phillies fans had a tough night on Wednesday, but attention in the Philadelphia sports world now shifts to another team with championship aspirations. The top-seeded Philadelphia Union will kick off their playoff run at home Thursday night.
Diehard Union fans have a lot to be excited about.
“Three games away now [from a championship]. I know, as crazy as that sounds,” Union head coach Jim Curtin said to reporters on Tuesday. “We’ve been on many three-game winning streaks this year, and now it’s time to try to start another one.”
The Union completed the best regular season in franchise history with a 19-5-10 record and 67 points, which secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference and home-field advantage in the playoffs.
“In our sport in particular, when it’s a one-off game — it’s not a best of three, or a best of five, or a best of seven — it’s one game,” said Curtin. “Every coach in their right mind would prefer to play it at home in front of their own fans, so that is a huge advantage that you work for all season to get.”
The Union had a 12-0-5 record at Subaru Park this season and were the only team in MLS to not lose at home. There were accolades as well for Andre Blake, who won the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award, and Jakob Glesnes, who was named Defender of the Year.
The Union’s road to the postseason could not have been more different than the path taken by the other Philly playoff team at the moment.
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The Phillies had a roller coaster of a regular season that included a slow start, the firing of manager Joe Girardi and hiring of Rob Thomson, and injuries to 2021 MVP Bryce Harper, veteran Jean Segura and others. The Phillies entered the postseason with the final wild card spot, underdogs against the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves.
The Union, meanwhile, head into the playoffs as a favorite to win the MLS Cup.
It’s also a very unique stretch in Philadelphia sports history — all five professional teams are active at the same time.
The Union will play FC Cincinnati at Subaru Park in Chester starting at 8 p.m.
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