Union Position Battle at Center Back
As the Union are gearing up for the “MLS is Back Tournament” in Orlando, manager Jim Curtin is preparing to make a tough decision as to who will be the starting center backs.
In the team’s last game against LAFC, the center back pairing included Mark McKenzie and Jakob Glesnes, with McKenzie playing left-center and Glesnes playing right-center.
In Curtin’s weekly presser, he did not declare a clear cut starter but he did provide an update on Glesnes, Elliott, and McKenzie.
When asked whether McKenzie or Elliott had an edge over one another in terms of who will be starting next to Glesnes in the tournament, Curtin responded with.
“Jakob went back to Norway and missed some time as well. They’re all competing, look it’s probably our deepest position. You look at it and you didn’t even mention [Aurelien] Collin too who has 300 games of experience under his belt. So that position for us is very deep, it’s something that is a good problem to have. There will be times where maybe at the end of games you play with all three of them out on the field to close out a game. When teams are throwing in their five attacking subs and we need fresh legs out there, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility to play with all three of those center backs that you mentioned. So its one of our deepest positions and it’s a real competition right now.”
“I would say they’re all very sharp, Jack’s [Elliott] playing really really well, he had a little dip in the preseason but that’s all behind him now. He looks like Jack from last year who was one of the best defenders in our league. Mark McKenzie continues to take steps forward in his growth and development. And you guys have seen Jakob’s quality now too. And Jakob’s starting to build that fitness back up after some time away. So I’ll just say the 95 degrees and the humidity in Philadelphia hits a little different than the Norway weather, and he’s laughed and joked about that as well.”
“But three great players, three great center backs, they’re actually so talented I could play Jack or Glesnes their feet are so good, or Mark as a six too. It’s actually tempting because their that talented of players. Happy with how their all working hard and competing, and we’ll pick the right pairing going into the game against New York City FC.”
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With five substitutions at his disposal, Curtin will have the opportunity to play some of the younger players on his squad and make some rotations, considering the heat in Orlando.
The Union have always prided themselves in their strong youth movement and core group, so now will be a great chance to showcase their depth in Orlando.
Curtin was then asked how he is going to implement the five substitutions and if Union fans and media members would expect to see more of the younger players in the tournament by the likes of Jack de Vries, Cole Turner, Michee Ngalina, and even Anthony Fontana. Curtin answered.
“Yeah, I singled Jack [de Vries] out last week. And sometimes I worry about singling a guy out in a press conference because they hear it and they think they’ve accomplished something. But Jack’s done the opposite, he’s kept pushing, he’s worked even harder in training. And look he’s in line to get his debut in Orlando. Did I want that debut to be in front of 20,000 people at Subaru Park? Yes, I do but I think that time will have to wait. He’s playing very well, doing a good job.”
“Anthony Fontana also, I guess he’s an old guy now. But he’s done really well also. Cole Turner works hard every day in training. I think he’s learning, growing and improving, and works tirelessly. Michee [Ngalina] is a real wildcard when he gets running at you full speed, he’s really tough to defend.”
“So we’re going to have to use all those young guys. I think the tournament set up, the times of the games, and the heat will favor youth. So that is something that we certainly have on our side with our group.”
It will be very interesting to see who Curtin elects to start once the “MLS is Back Tournament” begins and Philadelphia squares off against New York City FC on July 9 at 9 a.m. EST kickoff.
For the time being, Union fans can only hope that Curtin will make the right decisions and put Philadelphia in the best position to succeed or win.
If you are really yearning to see the Boys in Blue back in action, go test out your managerial skills and control the Union in career mode on FIFA 20.
Featured Image: Tom Bogert/mlssoccer.com
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