Philadelphia interim coach Jim Curtin manages for club and city as he waits on his future
There are few guarantees about tomorrow for Jim Curtin. His time as Philadelphia manager is marked by his interim tag. He is in charge of his hometown club for now, but the future remains decidedly murky.
Curtin’s precarious footing as the man in charge makes the opportunity ahead in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final against Seattle on Tuesday night all the more precious. The Oreland, Pa. native and former Villanova star will have a chance to guide the Union to the first trophy in the club’s five-year existence. He takes the responsibility seriously.
“It’s something that means a lot to me,” Curtin said during a press conference on Monday. “Being from this city, to do it here would be special. It’s different than being a player. I’ve won this competition twice as a player and I’ve lost it once as a player, but, as a coach, it carries a little more weight.”
The previous successes and failures with Chicago will inform Curtin as he prepares his youthful Union side for this challenge against Sounders FC, but his ties to Philadelphia will drive him.
Curtin knows all too well the sort of investment made in sports teams in this part of the world. He grasps the passion behind the Flyers, the Sixers, the Phillies and the Eagles in this sports town. He understands the Union are a different proposition entirely with a base out in Chester, but the commitment and the expectations linger nevertheless.
Philadelphia has waited five years for the chance to play in a final. This magical run -- commenced just days after his interim appointment and sustained alongside a substantial improvement in league form -- provides the Union with a chance to deliver on that promise on home soil.
Philadelphia players have rallied around interim boss Jim Curtin and surged to the Open Cup final and the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
“Being from here, I feel a little bit more of the weight not to let the city down,” Curtin said. “We want to win. That’s kind of the idea. I’ve preached trying to win from the start here. I thought we had a roster that was good enough to win. We’ve proven that lately. This is another game where we go into where the only thing to do is to win.”
It is, of course, never quite that simple. Curtin strengthens his own case for a permanent appointment if he can lift the trophy his predecessors could not. His team -- now 9-2-6 in all competitions under his direction after the 2-2 draw against New York on Saturday -- must defeat the Supporters’ Shield leaders in order to accomplish the feat. There are no easy paths to the promised land available here.
Curtin and his players aren’t accustomed to the straightforward way, though. They nearly exited this tournament at the first hurdle against Harrisburg and suffered through a first half poor enough to usher John Hackworth out the door. Their recovery over the past few months has carried them to the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race and the final of this tournament as the season winds to a close.
“We have a chance to lift our first trophy,” Curtin said. “We’re playing against a team that is the best in MLS right now. Like I’ve said all week – [it] is going to be a challenge, a challenge that I think our guys will be up to. We’ve had the mantra that we respect everyone, but we don’t fear anyone. As dangerous as they are in attack, I think our guys will be ready to go.”
Curtin is ready, too. He isn’t sure what comes next, though Philadelphia CEO Nick Sakiewicz told ESPN last week Curtin will remain on staff even if he isn’t handed the permanent job. He just knows what is in front of him now. The chance to deliver is here. He wants to take it for his city and his club before it passes.
