Mid-season swoon, declining defense doomed Philadelphia Union season

At one early stage of the season, the Union were the last undefeated team in the league. Despite crashing out of the Champions Cup to a tough Pachuca side, they had completed over 20 percent of the season without losing a league match. Given this unit’s recent history, the Union appeared on track for another playoff run.

But then a confounding thing happened. The Union crashed like partyers hitting their pillow at dawn. The Union we knew were no where to be found, and while they recovered to some extent, the hangover remained.

After that opening stretch of the season, the Union collected 24 points in 27 matches, which means they played like the third worst team in the league. Had they played that way all season long, they would have been tied with the Chicago Fire for last in the East with 30 points.

What’s more confusing is that they played that poorly over the last 27 games of the season while still managing a +2 goal differential. Meanwhile Chicago came in at -22. So was this just a case of being unlucky in close games? That’s never an acceptable answer fans, but there is probably some truth to that argument that shouldn’t be ignored.

But really the collapse can be summed up in two ways. First, there was a terrible stretch of 9 games in the middle of the season. The one where they were sleeping. Second, the Union’s defense went from being one of the best the league has ever seen two years ago, to being ranked 18th in the league in terms of goals allowed. From best in class to below average, with largely the same starting players.

The Swoon

The terrible 9 game stretch from May and into July included 6 games at home, all against Eastern Conference teams that averaged the 7th position in the table at year end. This was nothing but an average strength of schedule, and the games at home meant this should have been a favorable run where the Union made a strong move in the table. This turned into the period where the season ended.

It’s been pointed out that injuries, particularly to Andre Blake, and lengthy international windows were a culprit here, but all teams suffer similar fates, and any such excuse only points fingers at the Union’s lack of depth and lack of planning for the inevitable.

Defensively, this was also a bad period, but one that typified the Union’s struggles on that end of the pitch. In the 9 game swoon, the Union gave up 20 goals, which was on a pace for the league’s worst – San Jose at 2.29 goals allowed per game.

The Defense

Overall, the Union gave up 55 goals this season, up from 41 in 2023 and 26 in 2022. Yet somehow in Curtin’s press conference leading up to the final Cincinnati match, he failed to mention defense as one of his potential failings.

Curtin: “I’ve already thought a lot about what I could have done differently as a leader—mistakes I made, substitutions, adding players at the right time, dealing with injuries, and preparing for international breaks. All those things run through your mind.”

Fans can complain about the lack of investment in the roster and resulting lack of depth, but one of the amazing aspects of soccer is that teams with lower levels of talent can compete against superior teams by creating a defensive shell. The less talented predominantly give up the ball, bunker in and make it difficult for the opposition to break through in the final third. At the same time they open up space for counterattacking. It’s been happening this way ever since the beginning of soccer time. Defense is the great talent equalizer in the sport.

Yet Curtin decided to not use that tool. The team came out and played the same way all year long, their defense failing them time and time again. In the final 3 critical games, all losses, they allowed 7 goals when just 3 points would have seen them to the postseason. Bold, productive tactical adjustments have always been a blind spot for Curtin, and this year was no different.

What’s next?

Three big questions need to be answered this offseason: First, how much of the starting XI will be turned over? Second, can the Union acquire legitimate depth for the inevitable injuries and scheduling issues that make life difficult? Third, is it time to ditch the 4-4-2 diamond?

Danley Jean Jacques will surely take the helm at the defensive midfield – but every other starter except Jack Elliott is slated to return. Jack Elliott is a clear opportunity to upgrade and stabilize a defense that didn’t get it done. Outside of that, changes to the XI are not clear.

From a depth perspective, the Union homegrown stories are nice, but not if you want to compete for a Cup. True, experienced depth is critical this offseason.

And lastly, the formation. The 4-4-2 diamond has been the Union’s unique calling card ever since Ernst Tanner arrived. But the central midfield positions put too much demand on the Union’s young offensive stars, Quinn Sullivan and Jack McGlynn. They simply could not handle the defensive demands of this formation. Formation options are another topic for another day, but scrapping this formation should also be an angle Curtin pursues.

A Union turn around in 2025 might involve a turn in their luck, but whatever they do getting back to a defensive first mindset should be the top priority. They’ll never be able to pay for the firepower to compete with the league’s stars. But they can always neutralize that deficiency with defense.