Mikael Uhre has fallen into Jim Curtin’s doghouse, but can get out of it fast

The circus of Cavan Sullivan’s signing with the Union has moved on, so now the spotlight shines on something less appealing.

With the season almost half-done, the two most expensive strikers on the Union’s roster are firmly in manager Jim Curtin’s proverbial doghouse.

Tai Baribo has been there for a while, as has been written a few times now. Uhre landed there after last Saturday’s 2-2 tie at D.C. United when Curtin gave a one-word answer to why he hasn’t started three of the last four games: “Form.”

“Obviously, in soccer, strikers have more pressure to score goals,” Curtin said Friday at Subaru Park. “That’s the reality: the guys who make the most money get the most pressure, and those usually are the guys that score the goals. We have full confidence that Mikael will get going.”

Uhre has four goals in 13 games this year, with his last on April 14 at Atlanta. He said after Friday’s practice that he didn’t have any extra conversations with his manager this week, and Curtin confirmed that.

» READ MORE: Mikael Uhre's goal at Atlanta quieted his critics for a moment

“He knows what he’s capable of,” Curtin said. “He also just had a child [his wife had their second], so there [are] always variables off the field that complicate things, and family always comes first. … But, again, the reality of all strikers is they’re going to be judged by how many times the ball hits the back of the net.”

This isn’t Uhre’s first scoring drought, which makes it even more frustrating for the team and its costliest-ever signing. But he always has been honest about things, even when struggling, and he was again on Friday.

“It’s about finding my form, and that’s how it is sometimes,” Uhre said.

In basketball, a three-point shooter takes a few drives to the basket to regain his touch. In baseball, a slugger tries just to notch a few base hits.

There’s no traditional prescription in soccer, just an adage: all goals count the same no matter how they go in. So when Uhre was asked what would spark him out of his rut, he didn’t need to get creative.

“It’s easy. It’s getting a goal again, and some confidence,” he said.

» READ MORE: Why Cavan Sullivan, hyped as the world’s best 14-year-old soccer player, chose to turn pro with the Union

Uhre certainly will have the opportunity Saturday when the Union (3-2-5, 14 points) host Orlando City at Subaru Park (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). Julián Carranza is suspended because of yellow card accumulation, and Uhre will take his starting spot against an the underwhelming Lions (2-5-3, 9 points).

“This is a big game for Mikael — it’s a big opportunity for him,” Curtin said. “We want to get Mikael going.”

Friday’s practice scrimmage and Curtin’s remarks made it pretty clear that Quinn Sullivan will start at the other forward spot in the Union’s usual 4-4-2 setup. But might it help to tweak things just a little bit so that Sullivan, who’s better as a midfielder or winger, plays behind Uhre instead of on the same line?

“Is he going to be a back-to-goal No. 9 target in the box? That’s probably not in his skill set,” Curtin said. “But when he comes off underneath the striker and finds a pocket … at the end of the day, Quinn’s a playmaker. That’s really what he is, and that’s an important thing to have in any team.”

The Union has played a 4-3-2-1 often enough before, including with Dániel Gazdag and Sullivan behind the lone striker. The benefits are who it gets on the field, but there’s a risk of stranding Uhre alone up top.

Uhre’s best trait is his runs that stretch back lines and create for teammates. A change in the players around him changes where their runs come from and how they serve him the ball.

» READ MORE: Union owner Jay Sugarman believes Cavan Sullivan can be a long-sought homegrown breakout star

“Quinn and Julián are two different players,” Uhre said, the latter being a true striker. “But then again, it’s about getting sharp in the box and getting to the chances and creating some more than we’ve maybe done lately.”

We might even see Baribo on Saturday. Curtin said he “to his credit, has had a really good week of training,” and “could get some minutes this game, depending how it goes. I think he worked hard this week.”

If Baribo plays, it would be his first minutes of the year, and his first overall since last September.

At the end of Friday’s practice, Uhre was wrapping up a shooting drill under a cool rain that felt like his native Denmark. He ran forward, Gazdag and Jeremy Rafanello ran behind him, and they quickly passed the ball among each other.

But the sequence didn’t quite go as it was supposed to, so the ball ended up at Uhre’s feet just off the end line near the net.

It’s not a place that makes much sense to shoot from, but Uhre took a swing anyway. The ball spun up on him, then looped backward and took a lucky bounce into the net.

Maybe that’s what will break his rut.

» READ MORE: Tai Baribo had a symbolic role in the Union’s loss to Seattle, in more ways than one

Star goalkeeper Andre Blake is still out with the knee issue that’s been bothering him. Right back Olivier Mbaizo also is sidelined with a calf injury, and forward Markus Anderson — who could bring a different element to the front line — has a quadriceps injury.

“Andre’s getting closer, still not fully back training with us,” Curtin said. “Markus is training off to the side, I think he’ll be available to fully resume training on Sunday. Olivier also, with his calf, I think he’ll miss [Saturday] , but hopefully be able to resume training at some point next week.”