Shorthanded Union prepare for grueling week of travel and competition

Jim Curtin has had the next week of the Union’s schedule circled on his calendar for some time.

The team’s eight-game slate in May might have been the busiest portion of its season. But the upcoming week — with the combination of cross-country travel, tough competition, and a shorthanded roster — will perhaps be the most difficult.

Up first is a trip Saturday night to Carson, Calif., for the Union’s first game against the Los Angeles Galaxy since 2019. On Wednesday, the Union will travel to Nashville, currently four points ahead of Curtin’s team in the Eastern Conference standings, albeit with one more game played. And on July 15, the Union return home for a rivalry game against New York City FC.

“This is a tough stretch,” said Curtin, who is in his 10th year as Union manager. “We always want to take as many points as possible, but when you go on the road, if you can take any points, it’s a real bonus in this league. So it’ll be hard, but our group has been able to play three games in a week and have success.”

The Galaxy (4-9-7, 19 points) sit in 13th place out of 14 teams in the Western Conference but are unbeaten in their last six league games. Most recently, they defeated in-city rival and defending MLS Cup champion Los Angeles FC, 2-1, before a league-record 82,110 fans at the Rose Bowl on July 4.

Meanwhile, the Union (10-6-4, 34 points) enter Saturday’s game fresh off a 2-0 defeat, their first loss to Atlanta in six games.

“[It was] a performance that wasn’t us,” Curtin said. “[We] talked a lot in the film [Thursday] about when we’re at our best, all 10 field players are attacking, all 10 field players are defending. We were a little disjointed in Atlanta, and for whatever reason, they played with a little more urgency, intensity, whatever word you’d like to use, and we got beat.

“That’s a good reminder that if you’re not on top of your game on the road, you can get punished. And we look forward now to having a better team performance against the L.A. Galaxy, a team that just had a very hard-fought, emotional win against LAFC.”

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For at least the Galaxy game — and likely longer — the Union expect to be undermanned.

Goalkeeper Andre Blake and centerback Damion Lowe are with the Jamaican national team for the Concacaf Gold Cup and will miss their fourth consecutive games Saturday. (Jamaica plays Guatemala on Sunday in the quarterfinals.) Both players would be away longer if, as expected, Jamaica advances in the Gold Cup, which ends July 16.

Meanwhile, starting left back Kai Wagner continues to recover from a right hamstring injury he suffered June 24 against Miami.

“At the worst case, he’ll be back for Nashville if he’s not able to make the [Los Angeles] trip,” Curtin said.

Nashville (11-5-5, 38 points) combines a potent offense led by reigning MVP Hany Mukhtar, who is once again leading the league in goals (13), with a defense that has surrendered an MLS-low 16 goals.

Capping off the week, the Union will host New York FC (5-7-10, 25 points), which has not lost in its last seven games but is still outside the playoff race in 11th place. It will be the Union’s final opportunity for points before the MLS takes a monthlong pause for the Leagues Cup tournament against Mexico’s Liga MX.

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The third game in a week might ordinarily be a time for Curtin to rotate his starting lineup and avoid wearing out his regulars. But it remains to be seen if that holds true against New York FC, a bitter rival the Union have faced in the last two Eastern Conference finals.

“I think everyone’s capable of playing every game all season almost,” centerback Jack Elliott said. “I don’t think it takes people much to get up for a game, and I think physically, we’re able to do that, even with the heat in the summer.”

Staff writer Jonathan Tannenwald contributed to this article.