In its constant evolution and adaptation to exterior schedules, Major League Soccer enters the month of June in 2022, where teams will be taking a break for the most part. The rest period is great for some teams who may need to reset their downfalls and plan a comeback, whilst the momentum of teams riding high on success could be tampered with.
Philadelphia Union in a Healthy Position Before the Break
So, as the United States men’s national team and the other CONCACAF teams attend friendly fixtures and begin their Nations League fixtures, teams of the MLS will rest, regroup, and return to action on June 18.
Sitting in the second position of the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia Union hit a slump in May; the summer break will undoubtedly give coach Jim Curtin the opportunity to reflect and review the five drawn games his team underwent during May. Fortunately, this season, a 5-game win streak gave the Union enough points to maintain their table-topping position, but their recent lack of wins has now reached the headlines.
Bet on the Union to Reach the Playoffs
Pennsylvania sports betting has been rampant with support for their local MLS team this season. Despite their lacklustre string of performances in May, the Philadelphia Union has lost just one game all season. And whilst a 6 won, 7 drawn, moneyline record doesn’t look impressive, they’ve allowed just 10 goals all season.
Odds on the Union to reach the playoffs have naturally dropped since the season’s beginning. Still, with their May performances, we’ve seen a slight value boost, and I wouldn’t be opposed to the expectations of this squad bouncing back into the win column following the summer break.
“We’re still in a good spot in the table,” said Curtin, whose Union squad hold a two-point lead over third-placed Montreal and fourth-placed NY Red Bulls. “We haven’t played our best game yet, which I’m OK with. We’ve had some guys have very good seasons, we’ve had some guys have some average seasons, and some that need to do a little bit better for the group. But this message is, if we get everybody just going well, this team, is there a team in the league that’s better than us?”
Break
Heading into the break, Philly had already taken 9 points without losing from five games versus top 10 teams in the Supporters’ Shield standings. But from all of this season’s drawn fixtures – most of which arrived last month – the most distressing 1-point meetings came against a 10-man NY Red Bulls squad and a domineering 90 minutes versus Inter Miami that resulted in a 0-0 scoreline.
“We’ve seen a lot of the top teams already, and we’ve played with them all pretty even to better than some of them,” Curtin continued. “So, we’re in a good spot. We know we can be better. I apologize to the fans for not getting it done on Wednesday [versus Miami].”
Portland
The Union headed to Portland following the disappointing one-point from the Miami game and walked away with all three points when overcoming the Timbers 0-2. They ended the month with another draw versus New England, but Curtin didn’t overlook the Portland success and was joyed with his squad.
“Right around this mark [of the season], you start to realize who the top teams are. And for me, Portland still is a top team,” Curtin said. “When a team puts up seven goals, it speaks to the quality of their talent. And they can score goals a lot of different ways.”
Curtin couldn’t help but notice Diego Chara, praising the Portland midfielder as an excellent blueprint for Jose Andres Martinez in his own middle of the pitch.
“I have the most respect for what Chara does,” Curtin said. “Because sometimes the defensive-minded players, it takes longer for the public, the fans, and the media to recognize their greatness. For me and with Diego Chara, you have the greatest No.6 that our league has had.
“Chara is a great role model for what Jose can be with his potential. He can be one of the best 6s in this league’s history. I believe he has that kind of talent.”
