Preseason success could change Union's attacking needs

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Since the start of 2015, Union manager Jim Curtin has repeatedly and definitively stated that his club is hungry for a No. 1 striker.

And although that fact hasn’t changed two weeks into training camp, an impressive preseason showing by the Union’s current stock of attackers has Curtin questioning his roster priorities.

“Conor [Casey] is a target forward, CJ [Sapong] is similar, a target-type guy, a big body. [Dzenan] Catic is a big body,” Curtin said from the Union's preseason camp in Clearwater, Florida. “We’ve discussed maybe a different type of striker, whether that’s more of a speed guy. You want to find the right mix. You don’t want three or four of the same types of forwards, you want that change of pace. That has affected the type of guy that we’re targeting, for sure.”

This development has seemingly caught Curtin and the Union by surprise, coming primarily from the scoring efficiency of rookie Catic, the 31st pick in the latest MLS SuperDraft.

“It’s positive though to see our forwards having success,” Curtin said. “Catic has been excellent in front of goal. He finds a way to put the ball in the back of the net, which at the end of the day is the most important thing in our game.”

And the veterans aren’t far behind.

“CJ has done a great job holding up that first ball and letting us breathe a little bit and giving us a chance to move our lines,” Curtin said. “He’s been excellent in that regard and he gets in the box and he’s dangerous in front of goal. Conor has looked very good as well. He looks very sharp. We’re happy with how those guys are progressing.”

Yet even with the emergence of Catic to supplement the known ability of Casey and Sapong, Curtin is still searching for an impact striker. It just has to be the right fit.

“That doesn’t mean we’re not going to add another piece up top,” he said. “I still think that is the goal. We have clear targets and we’re actively pursuing them. But at the same time, the guys that are here playing day in and day out having the success they’re having is good.”

That early success has impressed Curtin so much, he’s even considering a tactics change to fit more strikers on the field.

“We’re open to playing with two forwards this year,” he said. “We’re going to experiment with it in the preseason. We’ll see. That will be to be determined in the preseason and how things go in the market.”

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