Union’s Julián Carranza is out of concussion protocols and available vs. Columbus

The likely return of the star striker is welcome not just for its own sake, but because Mikael Uhre is in another drought.

Julián Carranza (center) missed the Union's last game because of a concussion.Read more / Staff Photographer

by Jonathan Tannenwald

Published Sept. 29, 2023, 1:55 p.m. ET

Union striker Julián Carranza has been cleared from concussion protocols and is expected to play in Saturday’s big game at the Columbus Crew (7:30 p.m., Apple TV, paywalled), manager Jim Curtin announced Friday.

“Julián was cleared to play this morning,” Curtin said. “He trained for the first time with the group, which is very encouraging. We’ll have to be smart and now see what’s best, from the start or off the bench for him.”

The return of the Union’s second-leading scorer this year (14 goals and 10 assists in 33 games) is welcome not just because the team has tied four straight games and because this game is perhaps the biggest yet of the season. Fellow starter Mikael Uhre is in another drought. He hasn’t scored in his last six games, and while he has nine goals in all competitions this year, he has hit the net in just six of the Union’s 42 contests.

“All strikers go through highs and lows during a season, and our strikers are no different,” Curtin said. “We can run very, very hot, and we can go cold, and the hope is that we can pick each other up when the other’s going through a tough moment … We want to get that front three clicking by the time the games become elimination games.”

In fairness, Uhre was inches from ending the drought in Wednesday’s 1-1 tie against FC Dallas, denied by Maarten Paes’ full-stretch dive in the 66th minute. Curtin also acknowledged the team could do more to get Uhre better looks at goal. His runs forward usually are away from the ball, opening up space for others — especially Carranza — to receive and shoot.

“Trying to get him more service, get him on the ball a little bit more, not be in a situation where he’s fighting with two center backs because that’s not his strength he wants to be out in open spaces,” Curtin said. “It’s not just him, we’ve missed him on some through balls as well. [The] timing of his runs has been good, and sometimes you need service as well.”

Though Carranza is cleared to play, Jakob Glesnes (groin) and José Andrés Martínez (bone bruise) remain questionable.

“Jakob will still be kind of in that day-to-day category, as will José,” Curtin said. “We’ll see how they responded to different workouts today.”

Glesnes seems the closer to returning of the two. Curtin said he expects the centerback to play either Wednesday against Atlanta United or Saturday against Nashville SC — both home matches.

“I’m fully confident that he’ll play a role in the games down the stretch here, and in the playoffs as well,” Curtin said. “It might not be Columbus yet as a starter for Jakob, but I’m confident that he’ll be starting one of the next two home games.”

More good news came when Curtin announced that Leon Flach is back in town, after going home to Germany for treatment of a hernia injury. He’s been out on the practice field, but has not been a full participant yet. Curtin didn’t try to guess when Flach will be ready for games, but at least there’s been substantive progress.

Curtin was certain about one thing: tying four straight games isn’t good enough.

“It’s a lot of ties,” Curtin lamented. “The guys are frustrated — they want to turn those ties into wins, obviously.”

That said, a tie at a very good Columbus team would be a creditable result. Led by striker Juan “Cucho” Hernández and versatile playmakers Darlington Nagbe, Diego Rossi, and Julian Gressel, the Crew play soccer that delivers results and style.

Manager Wilfried Nancy would be a leading Coach of the Year candidate if not for St. Louis City leading the Western Conference in its first year of existence and FC Cincinnati running away with the East (and the Supporters’ Shield).

“He’s an incredible coach and incredible soccer mind,” Curtin said of Nancy, who left CF Montreal after many years there because he wasn’t supported enough. “You have some real weapons in their group, and some nice toys for Wilfried to play with.”