The Union start another run in the U.S. Open Cup, a trophy they’d really like to win

In a way, it’s strange to demand that a team’s goal in the U.S. Open Cup should be win-or-bust. Just like the NCAA basketball tournaments, England’s FA Cup, or any other single-elimination event, one fluky day can knock you out no matter how good you are.

But in the big picture of this Union season, the Open Cup might be the team’s best shot at a trophy. The Concacaf Champions League title was always a long shot, and the jam-packed early-season schedule dented the team’s shot at the Supporters’ Shield. That in turn affects playoff seeding and home-field advantage.

Although the Union’s Open Cup run starts on the road Tuesday at Minnesota United (8:30 p.m., free on YouTube), the team’s strong regular season last year earned it a bye to the round of 32 this year. That means having to play only five rounds instead of six in the tournament.

The Union have long placed high value on the Open Cup, for sentimental reasons as much as on-field ones. It’s America’s oldest soccer competition, now in its 108th edition, including teams at all levels from amateurs to pros. Seven amateur teams and one semipro squad from the Philadelphia region competed in the current tournament’s early rounds.

Union manager Jim Curtin won the Open Cup twice as a player with Chicago, and has coached the Union in three finals: 2014, 2015, and 2018. It still stings him that he has lost them all. But teams from Pennsylvania have lifted the trophy 14 times over the decades, the third-most of any state, including legendary Bethlehem Steel (five times) and the Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals (four times).

Many Union players have also competed in cup competitions abroad, including captain Alejandro Bedoya in Sweden, Scotland, and France.

“Definitely a trophy that we’d like to have, for its storied history and tradition,” Bedoya said. “The Open Cup is another competition with a trophy on the line. Whenever there’s a trophy on the line, you want to make sure that you compete as much as you can to win it.”

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Monday brought the year’s first managerial changes in MLS, and they each had connections to the Union.

The New York Red Bulls “mutually parted ways” with Gerhard Struber after 2½ seasons — and two days after a 1-0 home loss to the Union. The result left the Eastern Conference’s last-place team (1-4-6, 9 points) even further adrift. Assistant coach Troy Lesesne was promoted to the top job on an interim basis for the rest of the season.

Many Red Bulls fans rejoiced at the news, and not just because of the standings. They protested against Struber for nearly a month after his handling — in their view, mishandling — of big-money striker Dante Vanzeir using racist language during an April 8 game against San Jose.

The unofficial custom in MLS is that if players on the field back up a claim of racist language, the player’s manager removes him from the game. Struber didn’t take Vanzeir out, even though the broadcast appeared to show New York goalkeeper Carlos Coronel asking him to.

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Red Bulls supporters’ clubs walked out of a subsequent game. Vanzeir was suspended for six games, and the team announced its staff would undergo diversity training.

Struber, an Austria native, said in a statement that he had already planned to go home to his family at the end of this season.

“I had several conversations with Gerhard over the last days and weeks,” New York front office chief Jochen Schneider said in a news conference. “We came now to the common agreement that [it] is in the best interest for both parties to part ways ... We are really thankful for the work and the commitment he did for our club. We know it has not been easy for him living so far away from his family.”

Asked if the Vanzeir incident played a role in the decision, Schneider answered: “No, otherwise, we would have taken it immediately.”

Less than an hour later, the Chicago Fire dismissed manager Ezra Hendrickson. He was blamed for a 2-3-5 (11 points) start with four blown leads or ties, including at home against the Union on April 15.

This move didn’t go over as well with local fans and media. They pointed at sporting director Georg Heitz, who paid a $7.5 million transfer fee and an $8 million-plus per year salary to Swiss World Cup playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri but left holes elsewhere on the roster. Shaqiri has delivered just seven goals and 11 assists in 35 games for the Fire so far, with zeroes in both columns this year.

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The Fire have turned to one of their old guard, Frank Klopas, for his second stint as manager. He played for the team, coached it from 2011-13, and returned as an assistant in 2020.

But many eyes in Chicago will turn to another ex-Fire stalwart: Curtin. His contract here expires after the season, and while talks started last fall, there are still few hints of what might happen.

The most recent sign came from Union principal owner Jay Sugarman last month. Asked if Curtin will get a new contract this year or if the clock will run out, Sugarman said: “It’s not going to be the latter. … We have a clear plan through the [2026] World Cup, and Ernst [Tanner] and Jim are critical to that.”

The potential for Curtin to go to the U.S. men’s national team is a factor, especially if his friend Jesse Marsch, who’s also a Fire alum, gets the lead job. Marsch is a top candidate, perhaps the top candidate, and Curtin has made no secret of wanting to contribute to the buildup to the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

Coincidentally, Marsch will be at the Fire’s Open Cup game against St. Louis City SC Tuesday, and is scheduled to have a meet-and-greet with fans before kickoff.

» READ MORE: Union owner Jay Sugarman says Jim Curtin’s contract status will be settled before his deal expires