Hitting 100 regular-season games managed in MLS
isn't the biggest thrill in the world for Jim Curtin. (AP)

Jim Curtin’s initial reaction Thursday to news of his 100th MLS game in charge of the Union was a joking “who cares?” muttered under his breath. So monumental was the achievement attained Saturday at New York City FC that Curtin didn’t hear much about it until questioned by the media five days later.

To put it lightly, milestones aren’t what drives Curtin to work every day. They also illustrate something important about his aptitude for the job: For all his early-season pugnacity and occasional prickliness in the face of criticism, he was more than willing to stand in the line of fire and take criticism for his team’s struggles. When it comes to accepting plaudits for his team's accomplishments, he’s far more deferential.

Which brings us back to the answer Thursday:

“It means I’ve been here for 100 games, which is something I guess. At the same time, I believe in the work that we’re doing. I think we are moving things in the right direction and it’s a milestone, but at the same time, the individual stuff isn’t anything I get too excited about, for sure. Wish we could’ve gotten a result on the road against New York City FC for our fans.”

With respect to Curtin’s position, from a historical perspective, it is significant. Jim Curtin is the 31st manager in MLS history to helm 100 MLS regular-season games with a club in one continuous stint. His next game will send him past Ron Newman, who coached exactly 100 contests with Kansas City from 1996-99. (Curtin is also the longest tenured manager in Union history, a less distinguished benchmark.)

An intriguing pattern within the numbers is the proportion of 100-game managers that are active. Of the 31, nine are active managers. The 32nd member of that list will be inaugurated in August when Greg Vanney (93 matches) hits the mark. The full list of active coaches with 100 or more regular-season games managed (through June 4, 2017):
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I did learn a lot from the Seattle game last year. I thought we were a fresh team going into it, but we did play a lineup that kind of was repeated and played again in the final. So, I won’t have any regrets this year. I’ll play a fresh team, completely fresh team, in the final.

- Jim Curtin, Sept. 16

We’ll find the right balance of lineup to give guys the proper rest and proper confidence going into a final. I’ll tell you there will be no regrets in terms of whether we are fresh or not in terms of the final. We will be fresh for sure.

- Jim Curtin, Sept. 20

Often without much provocation the last two weeks, Philadelphia Union manager Jim Curtin has been forthcoming with his vision for how the final days of September should play out. With the playoffs falling out of view, all of the squad’s efforts have been geared to one solitary date: The Sept. 30 U.S. Open Cup final against Sporting Kansas City.

Curtin is a manager that you can often take at his word. Judging by the above quotes, he’ll dial up massive changes for Saturday’s trip to New England, a game in which the Union’s hope of a result would be remote, regardless.

Here’s what the Union did last season, playing New York Red Bulls at PPL Park Saturday before entertaining Seattle at home Tuesday in the cup final.

Union lineups vs. New York Red Bulls Sept. 13, 2014 in MLS play (left)
and vs. Seattle in the Open Cup final Sept. 16, 2014 (right). (Via MLSsoccer.com)

That’s 6.5/7 changes, depending on how you look at it, with Ray Gaddis and Maurice Edu each changing positions but playing in both games. That’s a fairly fresh team, you’d think. But the result against Seattle, with the Sounders looking far stronger in extra time, may indicate that more rest is required. The term “fresh” is inherently ambiguous, and for some players, getting a half or 90 minutes is preferable to a weekend off in terms of their sharpness, though the three subs limit how many can follow that tack.
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(Times staff / ERIC HARTLINE)

Jack McInerney will be an All-Star after all.
 

The Union striker earned a place on the gameday roster for Major League Soccer’s summer showcase match, being selected Sunday by All-Star Game manager Peter Vermes to replace New York midfielder Tim Cahill.

The MLS Stars will face AS Roma Wednesday night at 9 p.m. at Sporting Park in Kansas City.

For McInerney, the All-Star nod must feel like sweet vindication. The 20-year-old forward, who ranks fourth in the league with 10 goals in 19 matches, was passed over for the All-Star Game during the initial fan vote procedure, then by MLS commissioner Don Garber, who gets to add a few players of his own choosing to the roster.

McInerney had played off his omission coolly in the last couple days, upon returning to the Union from the first United States national team call-up of his career, though the fourth-year pro had to feel at least slightly jilted. When he got the call to join the American squad in Gold Cup pool play, he was MLS’ Golden Boot leader. When he returned, he had slid in the league’s scoring leaders list and been overlooked for an All-Star spot.

The All-Star selection is the first for McInerney, who was drafted seventh overall by the Union in 2010. The news must have made for a pretty epic Sunday for McInerney. Though he had been released from the U.S. team’s Gold Cup roster for the knockout stages, McInerney was in Chicago for the American team’s win in the Gold Cup final, and was tweeting pictures of himself from the locker room holding the championship trophy only minutes after his All-Star Game nod had become official.

Vermes’ selection of McInerney gives the Union at least one All-Star Game representative in each of the club’s four seasons of existence. Sebastien Le Toux played in the 2010 match, Faryd Mondragon got on the pitch in 2011, and Michael Farfan and Carlos Valdes both subbed on in the 2012 exhibition, which was played at the Union’s PPL Park.

(Greg Carroccio / Philadelphia Union)

The Union pulled off something that, outside of their locker room, not too many people would've predicted.

How about a 4-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City ... to snap a seven-game winless streak ... for a team that, entering the night, had scored only eight goals all season?

"This was big, wasn't it?" rookie Antoine Hoppenot asked, rhetorically.

Yeah, it kinda was. The Union had been written off this season, left for dead after an abysmal start to the season was part of the reason Peter Nowak got canned. So to break out with four goals against the Eastern Conference's second-place team, against a goalkeeper (Jimmy Neilsen) many had penciled in as a favorite to start the MLS All-Star Game, this one was out of left field.

Is 'stunning' the right word? If you ask Freddy Adu, it is.

"It is. With our team, we haven't had a lot success this season," Adu said. "This game was huge for us. This was very important for us."

Here's a quick rundown of the accomplishments from Saturday night's win: John Hackworth picked up his first victory as manager, Hoppenot scored his first career goal in MLS, Jack McInerney (who had a brace) scored his first goals in 322 days, and Zac MacMath posted his fourth shutout.

That's a lot to happen in one night.

“Everybody brought it today," Adu said.

And that's what it might take for the Union to dig out of their hole in the East.

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A few notes and quotes from the locker room:

• Roger Torres, who was set to sub on in the 90th minute, never got his chance. He had to go back to the bench because he had forgotten his shin guards. "I would've been in trouble," he said.
• Zac MacMath, who took a knock to the head in the 89th, said he's OK. Having missed action with concussions this season, and playing without a helmet, MacMath drew widespread concern. "He hit me in the back of the head a little bit," MacMath said. "I'm not sure if he meant to do it or not, but just a little knock. Nothing serious."
• Ray Gaddis is a fan of bowties. He was rocking the unique look while fielding interviews from his locker. “Back home, if you don't have a good suit, that's bad. It's expected of you," the rookie right back said. "It's an expectation of your mom, too. I come from a church-going family, so I'm used to wearing suits and getting it all together. Chris (Konopka) has his variety of bowties, so it's always good to see what he brings to the table.”
• John Hackworth broke some news in the postgame presser. Here's the lowdown: "First announcement is I heard that if we score more than three goals, Great Clips is going to give free haircuts to everybody at PPL tonight," Hackworth said. "I guess we all get free haircuts." Better get in line: 18,207 attended the match.
• Peter Vermes is a man of few words. "They deserve the three points," the SKC coach said. "We didn't play well and they did." And that was the extent of his press conference.