With last year’s U.S. Open Cup final loss fueling them, C.J. Sapong and the Union get a crack at redemption Wednesday (7 p.m./ESPN2), when they host high-powered Dom Dwyer and Sporting Kansas City at PPL Park.
Here are the five things you need to know:
1. Seeking redemption
Since dropping the 2014 Open Cup championship at PPL Park to the Seattle Sounders, 3-1, in added extra time, the Union have had an insatiable thirst for a second chance.
“Last year we just missed it in the final,” Union forward and all-time leading USOC scorer Sebastien Le toux said. “We are very motivated to bring the first trophy to this franchise. It’s a moment for us to make history for this team and it’s what we want to do. We are going to do everything we can to make it happen.”
But that extra motivation doesn’t stop with returning players from last year’s title match. Sapong, the Union’s leading scorer, played four seasons with SKC before being traded to the Union this offseason.
“C.J. has had a great year for us,” Curtin said. “He’ll have a little added bite to him. I know he has friends on Kansas City, so you always want to perform good against friends and former teammates and coaches. I’m excited for him to get the opportunity to play in a final first and foremost and against former team where it does add something a little extra special.”
2. Blake or McCarthy?
Four goalies starred in net for the Union this season, making it only natural for the club to have a question in goal entering Wednesday’s match.
Does Curtin select John McCarthy, whose heroics helped the Union weave through the Open Cup tournament, or does he go with the hot hand in Andre Blake, who made a team-record 10 saves against the New England Revolution over the weekend?
“It’s a good situation,” Curtin said. “Both of them have played well. John recently gets a shutout against Houston and Andre plays a pretty darn impressive game against New England. Big decision to make there, but confident that both of them can get us a win.”
Despite not playing in an Open Cup match this season because of knee issues, the favorite of many is Blake, especially following that jaw-dropping road performance. But McCarthy has shown a propensity for making penalty kick saves, which he did in wins against the Rochester Rhinos and New York Red Bulls.
Either way, Curtin wouldn’t budge on who is playing.
“In the end, coaches make decisions to win games,” he said. “We have an opportunity to win a final. We will field our best eleven guys and guys that we believe will do a job. Everything during the buildup happens for a reason and everybody plays a role in getting you to a final. From there, you have to select a team that gives you the best chance to win.”
3. Slowing down SKC
The key to SKC’s success this tournament has been the attack play of Dwyer and Krisztian Nemeth. Dwyer leads the tournament with five goals and Nemeth is second with four.
“You know how they're going to line up,” Curtin said. “You know what a Kansas City team looks like, they are going to fight and scratch for everything. [SKC coach] Peter Vermes won’t allow anything less than that. They are very disciplined and it will be a very difficult challenge Wednesday.”
But while the Union must worry about the fight from the SKC attack, which crushed FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake on the way to the title game, it’s playmaker Benny Feilhaber in the midfield that could cause them the most disruption.
Feilhaber is currently second in MLS in assists with 14.
“Benny is an MVP Candidate for a reason this year,” Curtin said. “In the league, he’s a guy that I respect a great deal, he can make a final pass, he can score a goal, he is a difference maker.”
4. Injuries
All hands are on deck for the Union entering Wednesday’s match. The club is only missing rarely used midfielder Jimmy McLaughin to a concussion. Center back Maurice Edu (left hamstring strain) and Andrew Wenger (left MCL sprain) are expected to play.
For Sporting KC, defender Ike Opara (Achilles tendon) and midfielder Roger Espinoza (broken foot) are out for the championship, while Nemeth (left foot contusion) and goalkeeper Tim Melia (hamstring strain) are game-time decisions.
5. This and That
• The Union and SKC are franchises with opposite levels of success. While the Union have struggled for relevance in MLS, SKC has won the MLS Cup (2013) and Open Cup (2012) in the last three seasons.
• Despite SKC’s success, the Union are 4-5-4 and 2-2-2 at home all time in MLS play against the decorated club.
• SKC has been struggling of late in MLS play, going 1-2-2 in its last five and scoring just five goals over that span. Meanwhile, the Union are 2-2-1, scoring six goals.
• SKC has outscored Open Cup opposition, 13-4, in four games, while the Union have outscored opposition, 4-2.