CHESTER, Pa. -- Near the end of the Philadelphia Union’s 1-0 US Open Cup win over the Chicago Fire on Wednesday, midfielder Michael Lahoud came over to the bench and asked to come out.
Union head coach Jim Curtin considered the request -- for only about a second. Then, he told him to stay out there and bring home the win.
“It was a very short [conversation],” Lahoud laughed afterwards. “'No' was the answer. This is the longest I’ve played in a couple of months so this was pushing the limits for me. But he just kind of asked me if I wanted it. And the answer of course was 'yes.' So I went back out there and did the job.”
Lahoud, who had been sidelined for more than three months with a hip flexor injury, has now done the job in two straight games for the Union, partnering with Brian Carroll in the defensive midfield and helping Philly post back-to-back shutouts.
And even though he felt completely gassed after playing 79 minutes in last Saturday’s scoreless draw with Orlando followed by a full 90 Wednesday, Lahoud is ready to dig deep for Sunday’s rematch against the Chicago Fire at PPL Park (7 pm ET, FOX Sports 1).
“It’s going to be tough,” he said. “They’re going to be charged up and ready to go. They’ll have revenge on their minds. But regardless of what they do, it’s about us. I think we’re really turning the corner. I think we have the right mentality. And just knowing the guys in this locker room, we’re going to be hungry. I say this professionally but we’re definitely showing up Sunday to kick their butts.”
Beating the same team twice in five days certainly comes with its share of challenges. And the fact that the Union and Fire are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference table adds a level of desperation for both clubs.
But the Union say they’re not content with simply getting to the US Open Cup final, even though that was one of their main goals before the year began. Now, they’re hoping to springboard off their USOC semifinal victory to make a late-season playoff push, starting with Sunday’s game vs. the Fire.
“We seem do well in the Open Cup because it’s a win-or-go home mentality,” captain Maurice Edu said. “If we can approach the season with that same kind of attitude and go out there and put everything into every game we play, it is possible to make a playoff run. I’m definitely not ruling it out.
“I think the team’s confident. After a performance like [Wednesday], you have to be confident.”
Lahoud has certainly played with confidence after missing 13 straight games with a frustrating hip injury. But he knows he’s still trying to shake off some rust.
After one play Wednesday in which he made a dead sprint and sliding pass to prevent a possible Chicago breakaway, he joked “that’s the most explosive thing I’ve done in three months, other than probably turning the TV on pretty fast.”
When he didn’t reaggravate his hip, though, it made him feel good about all the rehab he put in during his lengthy absence.
“Three months is a long time,” Lahoud said. “It was difficult for sure. One of the [Union] staff members put it to me this way. He said that I had two ways of looking it: I could do the usual thing of just putting my head down and thinking the season was over and what’s the point, or I could be motivated by it and see it as a chance to really help pick the team back up and finish strong.
“That’s kind of been my motto for the rest of the season -- finish strong. Whether it’s helping us to the Open Cup finals or helping us get to the playoffs, I’m just here to finish strong.”
Dave Zeitlin covers the Union for MLSsoccer.com. Email him at djzeitlin@gmail.com.
