MLS: Philadelphia 4-3 Chicago Fire
This game was very entertaining. Chicago led first but the visitors will fall to a 4-1 hole later in the game. They fought back to 4-3 to almost salvage a point.
Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin
“A big three points. I said it at halftime to the guys, I’d say for team attacking in the first half was even better in the second half attacking-wise as a team, A+. Defensively as a team, F. So you see a little bit of the risk reward, we had a lot of good attacking guys on the field for sure but I think that collectively as a group, falling asleep on restarts, things that we need to fix because on a different night we could have been punished.
We give up an early goal, no concern from the group they don’t show panic when we concede, they have a confidence that we are going to create chances and we’re going to get goals, we did that on the night. At 4-1 we should do a better job closing out the game, we give up two corner kick goals, which is unacceptable, there’s no tired legs, we have 10 guys back at that point and that needs to be executed and not conceding goals off of restarts. Again, good moments though, there’s still positives in the attack.
Really excited about the great night for Roland Alberg around the goal, could have had 4 or 5 to be honest. He had some really good actions to goal. He give us a calmness on the ball, and was very happy for him, he’s put in a lot of work in. For him to be rewarded, he did a great job getting the goals for us, carrying us to be honest. Got some things to clean up for Vancouver coming in, if we play like that we’ll lose, simple as that. Undefeated at home, we’ll end on a positive undefeated at home, this group fights, they have a lot of guts and again for whatever reason, Chicago, you can think back to last year’s 3-3 crazy blown lead. The games against Chicago, for whatever reason the games were wild against them and this was a big step forward, a good win.”
On response to early 0-1 start …
“The group, it’s tough to say a slow start because they scored in the second minute, the game isn’t really going yet. A little bit silly at midfield where we go under a tackle, we don’t come out on the right end of it and then Accam is one of the fastest, safe to say people in the world, [chuckles], No. He’s fast and he is dangerous and he is a guy that you need someone being physical with him and you also need someone behind for when he does knock the ball long and to himself and runs to chase it down. We got caught, he punished us, they started the game well. Again, could have had a couple goals in the first half as well, I think the goal before halftime was critical was get that third and give a little bit of doubt to them. They can throw kind of caution to the wind because there is nothing to lose 4-1, where they are in the table all of these variables factor in so they can do some, call it unexpected things, and that’s the difficult to defend sometimes. We stuck through it and got our three points.”
Philadelphia Union midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta
On mood in locker room after a game that goes from 4-1 to 4-3 …
“We are happy about the 3 points but I am a little disappointed because we have to close this game down a little earlier. I’m still a little happy for the points, but we have work to do and we have to keep going and not think that, we can’t think that these games are easy so we have to do a better job as a team and we will stay where we are.”
On feel from going down 0-1 to 4-1 to 4-3 …
“It’s crazy. It was a tough start but we tried to keep calm on the field and we know that we have the opportunity to always create chances and that’s all we did after the 0-1, but still how I said after the 4-1 because that was what we talked about in the halftime, that we need a fourth goal. We did this but still we struggled in the end, and that’s not going to happen for our next game because you have to win this game. Like I said, we are happy with the 3 points but yeah we have to keep going.”
