Quinn Sullivan squanders big opportunity for the Union against Columbus

Quinn Sullivan doesn’t often get to play the wide role he had as a starting midfielder in the Union’s 1-0 loss to the Columbus Crew on Wednesday at Subaru Park.

Because the Union don’t use wingers in their front line, Sullivan usually ends up in one of the sort-of-wide central midfield spots in the diamond-shaped midfield quartet or as part of the forward pair.

For this game, Union manager Jim Curtin flattened his midfield four into a line and put Sullivan in the far right spot in it. And because of how the rest of the front six lined up — Leon Flach, Alejandro Bedoya, and Danley Jean Jacques in the midfield and Dániel Gazdag at forward with Tai Baribo — Sullivan’s role gave him a chance to be one of the team’s main creators.

Unfortunately, Sullivan didn’t take that chance. He had just 52 touches on the ball and completed 22 of 34 passes, a low completion rate (65%) and low quantity. And while he slammed a close-range shot off the crossbar in the 38th minute, that was one of just three shots he took, and he created just one scoring chance for others.

» READ MORE: Union lose to Columbus Crew, 1-0, in resumption of MLS regular season

Players have bad games now and again, but this one wasn’t Sullivan’s first recently. It was, though, his 37th game for the Union this year — which is every game the team has played. Kai Wagner is the only other Union player to have been in every game, and Sullivan’s five goals and seven assists aren’t the same level of justification as Wagner’s outstanding play at left back.

It’s no secret that the Union don’t have many creative midfield options, won’t have more until Cavan Sullivan and CJ Olney are ready, and were playing a midweek game in which a lineup rotation was needed. Still, Sullivan’s poor performance was a concern, and it was worth asking Curtin about after the game.

“He had a couple of half-chances at goal, and we’re talking differently [if any went in], but the margins are really thin,” Curtin said. “I thought he did some good things. He did turn some balls over, I think, trying to be brave and play forward, which I can live with.”

That was a nice thing to say, but we’ll see how long Curtin can live with those errors. The Union (6-11-9, 27 points) have just eight games left in the regular season, and with seven of those games against current playoff teams, they must fight for every point they can get.

» READ MORE: The Union are shorthanded at centerback as they resume their regular season

“Our goal is still going to be to get into the playoffs,” Curtin said. “As hard as it seems, whether it’s right or wrong, we’re still only a point out of it. We’re not that far off — we have to fight [our] way back into contention.”

If Sullivan can’t do enough to help deliver those points, it might at least be worth giving him a day off.

Right back Nathan Harriel’s early exit from Wednesday’s game was caused by back spasms, Curtin said, and the manager sounded pessimistic about when Harriel could be back. It certainly didn’t sound as if Harriel will be ready for the Union’s next game, Saturday at the New York Red Bulls (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).

“When a back locks up like that, there’s no real timetable yet, but it’s not good because it’s something that can happen again and again,” Curtin said. “We’ll assess things, get some tests, and see where he’s at. But he’s a tough kid, so for him to come out, it was pretty serious and pretty painful.”

» READ MORE: José Andrés Martínez’s departure from the Union to Brazil’s Corinthians is official

Harriel’s absence leaves the Union without not just a right back, but without the de facto No. 3 centerback on the depth chart since Damion Lowe is gone. Jack Elliott also is a yellow card away from a one-game suspension for card accumulation, and it will be no surprise if the Red Bulls try to bait him into it.

That could leave Curtin with no choice but to play centerback prospect Olwethu Makhanya, and Curtin admitted it Wednesday night.

“With some of the absences now and injuries, he’s going to get an opportunity, I’m sure, at some point this year,” Curtin said. “And like all good players, hopefully he steps up and takes his chance.”

» READ MORE: The upside of the Union not winning the Leagues Cup is their young talent now knows what it takes