Union seek a ‘good response’ Saturday with a Concacaf Champions Cup berth on the line

Lost in the spectacle that was Messi Mania and the disappointment from a 4-1 Leagues Cup semifinal loss to Inter Miami was the fact that heading into Tuesday night, the Union already were guaranteed one more game in the intercontinental tournament.

The Union were hoping that game would be a fifth final in team history, but instead, they will settle for the third-place game of the Leagues Cup, which will be played Saturday at Subaru Park against Mexican outfit Monterrey (6 p.m., Apple TV). While Grammy Award-winning rapper Nelly once said, “Two is not a winner, and three nobody remembers,” Saturday’s game does have significance, at least for the Union.

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That’s because the winner clinches a spot in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup (formerly League), the region’s top competition. Last season, the Union reached the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions League, where they lost to nemesis LAFC by an aggregate score of 4-1. A club of the Union’s ilk expects to compete for trophies domestically and beyond, and qualifying for the Concacaf Champions Cup provides another bite at the apple. Even with a loss, the Union still could qualify for the tournament by finishing in the top five of the MLS standings (they currently are fourth), but why not wrap up a spot on Saturday?

The Union’s opponent, Monterrey, has far less at stake on Saturday in Chester. Why? Well, Monterrey has already secured a spot in next season’s Champions Cup. Given Monterrey has little to play for and will be playing a seventh game in a seventh U.S. city in less than a month, manager Fernando Ortiz said Thursday that he plans to play a reserve team against the Union. But Union manager Jim Curtin isn’t overlooking Monterrey, regardless of which players the Liga MX side fields on Saturday.

“I full understand their coach’s comments from yesterday, because the game doesn’t have any real meaning for them,” Curtin said. “However, if they do go the route and play a second group, I know how talented those players are. Those at the bottom of the roster are looking to impress their coach, so there is never an easy game.”

To Curtin’s point, Monterrey’s “B” team would be better than many teams in the region. Los Rayados, or The Striped Ones, are one of Mexico’s oldest and most accomplished clubs historically. They’ve won five Liga MX titles, finished as domestic runners-up six times, and own a record five Champions League trophies, the last coming in 2021. Led by the likes of Rogelio Funes Mori, Jesús Gallardo, and new signing and former La Liga star Sergio Canales, Monterrey can be a daunting team to defend against. But the Union will look get a bit of a break with Ortiz set to rest some of his stars.

But the bigger question will be can the Union get back off the mat after one of their worst performances in some time? The team looked starstruck against Messi and Inter Miami, making several glaring defensive mistakes. Curtin always says that good teams have the resolve to bounce back from low moments. Saturday will provide the latest test.

“It is really about us getting back to doing to doing the things that make us a good team,” Curtin said. “We had some uncharacteristic errors. We had a bad performance against Miami, and now it is about having a good response and finishing the competition the right way. Again, with 47 teams, we want to finish third. That’s our goal.”

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Saturday could mark the debut of new signing Tai Baribo, whom the Union acquired earlier this month from Austrian side Wolfsberger. Curtin revealed that Baribo will be available off the bench Saturday, his first game in a game-day squad with the Union.

The Israel international striker, 25, recently signed a 2½-year contract for an undisclosed fee with the Union after playing the last two seasons in Austria. Baribo tied for third in the Austrian Bundesliga Golden Boot race with 16 goals last season, and scored 24 goals in 41 games over all competitions. He is known for his ability as a poacher in the box and for his work rate when it comes to pressing.

With Mikael Uhre slumping (two goals in his last 20 appearances) and Chris Donovan not polished enough for a starting role, the Union will hope Baribo can acclimate quickly and make an impact this season.

While Union fans could see Baribo on the field Saturday, they will not see fellow forward Julián Carranza. Carranza, who was an unused substitute against Inter Miami earlier this week, is being held out because of a hamstring injury he suffered in the quarterfinals against Querétaro. The Union hope Carranza, the team’s second-leading scorer with 14 goals, will be back for the league game against D.C. United on Aug. 26.