Philadelphia Union can’t let Open Cup final loss derail their season

We’ve been through this before.

We’ve seen the U.S. Open Cup being lifted by the Philadelphia Union’s opponent before. The Seattle Sounders did it. Sporting Kansas City did it. Now it’s the Houston Dynamo lifting the trophy that should have been making its way back to 1 Seaport Drive right now.

This familiar sting will stay with us for some time. We won’t think back on this game fondly. Just like Chad F*cking Barrett and Andrew F*cking Wenger, Mauro Manotas has earned a new middle name.

In some ways however, we have not been through this before.

The Union are heading into uncharted waters. In 2014 and 2015, the Union weren’t going to the playoffs. Those teams weren’t as deep as this team.

There are still stories to be written. Stories of the redemption that can be won by players. Jay Simpson can earn some redemption and perhaps salvage his career. David Accam can earn some redemption and prove that he too isn’t a million-dollar bench warmer. Jack Elliott can earn redemption for getting burned on the first two Houston goals and Auston Trusty can earn redemption for his own goal.

The team should not dwell on this game. There’s still soccer to be played and a trophy to be won.

A win in Columbus on Saturday would put the Union into fourth place with three games left. The reward for fourth place: a playoff game at Talen Energy Stadium.