Another Union season ends, and an era likely ends too

CINCINNATI — The suddenness of how the Union’s season ended is what stood out the most.

They did a lot right in Saturday’s 1-0 loss at FC Cincinnati, but it was all for naught when Yerson Mosquera scored with two minutes left in second-half stoppage time.

Anyone in the Union’s locker room who wasn’t silent after the defeat was furious over Ian Murphy appearing to be offside when he headed Álvaro Barreal’s cross into Mosquera’s path. You just about needed a microscope, or a camera angle the Apple TV broadcast did not show, to uphold the goal.

“We saw the video, the pictures, and it’s just unbelievable,” said Julián Carranza, whose right foot was in that microscope as what might have kept the goal legal. “I was in the box, but the guy, half of his body was offside.”

» READ MORE: Union’s season ends with 1-0 loss at FC Cincinnati in Eastern Conference semifinal

For midfielder and captain Alejandro Bedoya, the feeling of another playoff disappointment felt too familiar.

“It’s heartbreaking to lose that way, and especially off of a set piece that we just lose our markers in the box,” said Bedoya. “I think it could have been offside, should have been offside … but coulda, woulda, shoulda, right? … We had our chances and we didn’t convert, and when you leave yourself susceptible to a one-goal game, that can happen.”

But that wasn’t the only emotion in the air. There was also the knowledge that the 2024 preseason starts in the first week of January, just over five weeks from now. Had they reached the MLS Cup final, the offseason would have been less than a month. The Union’s first game of next year will likely be in mid-February when they enter next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.

That gives sporting director Ernst Tanner and the rest of his staff precious little time to make some very big decisions.

Kai Wagner is out of contract, and his suspension for racist language in the Union’s playoff opener means he could have already played his last Union game. Backup goalkeeper Joe Bendik was on a one-year deal this year at age 34, and while goalkeepers can play longer than others, the Union now have good prospects coming through the pipeline.

Carranza could be sold to Europe for a big transfer fee. Olivier Mbaizo could go to Cameroon’s Africa Cup of Nations squad in January, and impress scouts enough to earn a move abroad. Jack McGlynn already has a line of scouts watching him, and the Union will have to fend them off so they can keep him through the Olympics and let him shine on his biggest stage.

» READ MORE: Julián Carranza has kept his focus on the field amid big-money transfer rumors

That’s just one piece of what’s coming next year: another Concacaf run, another Leagues Cup, McGlynn and possibly Nathan Harriel going to the Olympics with the U.S., Andre Blake and Damion Lowe going to the Copa América with Jamaica, and Dániel Gazdag going to the European Championship with Hungary.

And then there’s what could be the biggest talking point of all: Bedoya’s future. The 36-year-old turned in a slew of vintage performances in recent weeks. He wants another year, manager Jim Curtin wants him to get it, and they have to convince Tanner to agree.

It may have been impolite to bring this up right after Saturday’s game, but Curtin and Bedoya knew it was necessary.

“There’s always changes, but look, I’ve been on record a million times: Alejandro is bigger than anybody that’s ever been at our club, myself included,” Curtin said. “He should 100% be back. His play on the field speaks for itself.”

Bedoya tried to, as he put it, “stop myself from saying anything right now, just because I don’t want to give you any headlines or anything.”

But he couldn’t help himself, with a deep sigh as he set sail.

“I respect the hell out of Jim, a lot,” Bedoya said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. Who knows? But if this is the end, then, you know, we’ll see what happens.”

» READ MORE: Was it win or bust for the Union in this year's playoffs? Not when a busting might be coming no matter what.

That was just the start of his praise for Curtin.

“Jim has been — you know him — he’s a great coach, great manager, but even a better person off the field,” Bedoya said. “A family man, a guy you know that you can always confide in, someone who I’ve always had a great relationship with. … So if this is the end, I’ve loved every minute of playing under him and everything that we’ve accomplished together — because we have achieved a [bleeping] whole lot together.”

Bedoya never directly mentioned his terse exchange with Tanner at practice a few weeks ago, when Bedoya asked about his contract status and Tanner said Bedoya wasn’t coming back. But he came plenty close.

“There’s been a lot on my mind the last month and a half,” Bedoya said. “Sometimes there’s a business of sports, but certainly there’s a right way to go about business.”

So much for avoiding headlines.

“This amount of uncertainty [stinks], you know, and it’s been on my mind a whole lot,” Bedoya said. “I still have a high soccer IQ, and I know I’m still having a high value and impact on the team, and I have all these stats in my hand, so they’ll never be able to use that [stuff] against me.”

He then promptly added: “I think I’ve earned a certain level of respect, and when you don’t give that to me, it says a lot about people’s character. I’ll just leave it at that.”

» READ MORE: The Union start building next year’s squad with midfield prospect Sanders Ngabo

Curtin also went there.

“I think anywhere in the world, the head coach would have a say in what’s up with his captain,” he said. “I think there was a miscommunication for sure. So we’ll see how that plays out.”

It bears saying, though, that he was giving his side of things. As bad as it would be for the Union to burn bridges with Bedoya, Leon Flach and Jesús Bueno are waiting in the wings, and Quinn Sullivan is waiting to move back to midfield.

From a purely on-field perspective, the biggest-ticket item is replacing Carranza if he’s sold. The Union will have to plow as much money as possible into his replacement, because striker is the most important and most expensive position. The all-time heist the Union pulled to sign him from Inter Miami is the exception, not the rule, and must be seen as such.

“Right now, I’m just still angry from the game,” Carranza said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, I’m just sad and mad for this game. Whatever is going to happen in the future, I will think about it in the couple next days.”

The Union tried to run back as much of last year’s Eastern Conference champion squad this year as they could, hoping they would take the final step. They did not. So it might be time to bring down the curtain and start building the next era of success. And the short offseason might sharpen the focus needed to make that happen.