Union (8-12-9) vs. Fire (14-9-6)
7 p.m. on TCN
Home for the first time in over a month, the Union will rely on that home cooking to try and break up a six-game winless run as they host Nemanja Nikolic and the Chicago Fire on Saturday night at Talen Energy Stadium.
Here are five things to know:
What to play for
With five matches remaining in the season for the Union, miles from the playoff picture and sitting five points from the bottom of the Eastern Conference, motivation is scarce. But according to Union manager Jim Curtin, his club has two reasons to show up Saturday and compete.
"We're playing for pride and we're playing for positions for next season," Curtin said. "There's still a lot on the line in that regard. Pride plays a big role as professional athletes. You have to look yourself in the mirror and realize this year wasn't good enough. I think we know that. Now, you're playing for positions on the team next year."
Expected to go on a shopping spree in the offseason, the Union will use the final five matches to evaluate talent, especially when things get tough. Of the bubble players, Curtin wants to know which players are willing to fight for the badge with nothing to play for.
He also wants some momentum.
"We have had guys who have had good seasons and we need them to continue that," Curtin said. "Any positive momentum you can take has to be with wins. I think that will really build equity back in the fanbase and confidence in the group. How you finish is still very important."
Elevated Creavalle
Since beating out Derrick Jones to replace suspended Alejandro Bedoya on Sept. 9 against Minnesota United, midfielder Warren Creavalle has forced himself onto the field with strong play. Even with Bedoya's return last Sunday, Creavalle found himself coming off the bench for a solid 45 minutes.
"Warren falls into the category of a guy who could be pretty frustrated with the minutes he received this year," Curtin said. "But when he was called upon, he really stepped up and did a good job for us."
Creavalle has done such a good job in the midfield that Curtin, notoriously stubborn with formation changes, is kicking around the idea of adding Creavalle as the more defensive player in a triangle with Haris Medunjanin and Bedoya, freeing up both players to take chances.
Curtin hinted we could see that change as early as Saturday.
"It's something, moving forward, where we can invert that triangle and have Warren there with Ale and Haris, so when we have the ball it gives other teams a different look," Curtin said. "It's something you could see down the stretch, it plays to their skillsets a little bit.
Fire on fire
Saturday will be a tale of teams headed in different directions. While the Union haven't won in six tries, the Fire, who are 3-7-4 away from home this season, haven't lost in their last three.
"They are a very confident team right now," Curtin said. ‘They have a strong group of attacking players."
But that doesn't mean the Fire, who will be without seven players, including Bastian Schweinsteiger and Juninho on Saturday, are overlooking the Union. Sitting third in the East with 48 points, the Fire, led by Nikolic's 18 goals, are three behind New York City FC and 14 behind league-leading Toronto FC.
"Being second is better than third always, and being first is better than anyone else," Fire manager and former Union player Veljko Paunovic told the media. "Right now we have to chase second place. We don't know what will happen so we have to do our job. We're looking at who is our next opponent and preparing the team every possible way."
That makes the match against the Union a crucial one for the Fire's playoff outlook.
"Until we get there mathematically and get the best possible spot, we're approaching our next game," Paunovic said. "In this case, Philly on Saturday is very, very important. We have to put everything we have there and try to get three points."
Keep an eye on …
Andre Blake: Coming off one of the best outings of the season, an eight-save scoreless draw with New York Red Bulls, Blake was the star of the night. If the Fire want three points against the Union, they'll have to get through a red-hot Blake first.
Dax McCarty: The veteran midfielder doesn't put up the points needed to jump off the page but he's an important cog in the Fire machine. "Everyone will always talk about their attack, but I think the key acquisition in the offseason was Dax," Curtin said. "I think Dax is a really good player in our league, a two-way player. His passing doesn't get enough credit. He's been their most important guy."
This and that
• The Union are 6-7-5 against the Fire all time and 4-2-2 at Talen Energy Stadium.
• Union defender Josh Yaro (knee sprain) and midfielder Ilsinho (Achilles tendinitis) are both listed as questionable for Saturday's match.
• Union center back Richie Marquez made his first start in nearly five months Sunday. Though the club will likely go back to either Oguchi Onyewu or Josh Yaro, Curtin liked what he saw from Marquez. "I thought two guys had performances that were at the level they would expect and above," Curtin said. "Andre was one of those guys and Richie was the other. He's a true professional and deserves a lot of credit. He had a solid performance."
• Although Fire coach Paunovic played one season with the Union in 2011, the experience made an impression. "I loved the time I was there," he said. "They really made me feel at home, it was fantastic. It was a special time for me."
