Out of contract at season’s end, Union’s Leon Flach focused on must-win finale
CHESTER — The Philadelphia Union have had two weeks to stew on consecutive defeats that deeply imperiled their playoff chances.
That wait would have felt long to Leon Flach even if it weren't the last weeks of his contract with the club.
The midfielder is solely focused on Saturday's clash with FC Cincinnati, he said Thursday, not on the looming contract cliff at season's end that could see his four years with the Union end.
"You want to just go out and play to know if you make it or not," Flach said after training. "So it's challenging mentally, but I think we're ready for the moment."
Flach, 23, has made 115 league appearances (106 starts) since being acquired from German second-division club St. Pauli in 2021.
He played in all 34 league games in both 2021 and 2022 before a sports hernia limited him late last year and a torn pectoral muscle in preseason cost him the first two months of this season. He started all six of the Union's playoff games in 2021 and 2022.
Beyond those two injuries, he's been a stalwart, with two goals, 10 assists and constantly reliable defensive play. He's so dependable that coach Jim Curtin offered an unprompted defense of Flach's value last month with an eye toward retaining his services.
Negotiations on a new deal haven't taken place, which Flach says is his call. The Union last offseason picked up the final option on his initial deal, which called for two years guaranteed and two options. Flach is free to leave after the season, though he's shy of MLS service requirements for in-league free agency.
He's put those concerns on hold for the moment.
"I told them that I wanted to finish the season first because contract negotiations are always a little bit of mixed emotions, because everybody tries to make the best deal," Flach said. "I told them, we'll finish the season and we'll see."
Flach was born in Texas, where he lived for his first 18 months, before growing up in Hamburg, Germany.
Dual citizenship provides options on both sides of the Atlantic for the German Under-18 international and American U-20 representative. He joined St. Pauli at age 15, and playing in the Bundesliga is the kind of step he's long aspired to.
But he's also found a home in MLS, where he's played since turning 20 and where he can have a long and well-compensated career. Flach is earning $314,500 this season.
Flach admitted that being closer to family is a consideration, citing the recent passing of grandparents back home. He understands his situation, with multiple passports, offers a unique opportunity.
"I will see what I feel is the right way," he said. "Also the dream of being a competitor in Europe is always alive. I think that's the reason for everybody to come here, first of all. That was my reason to come here."
Flach is an ideal cog in the Union's counter-pressing system. While he's limited going forward, he has defensive sensibilities that Curtin likes and that a team that has regressed in that department this season could use more of.
Flach has played a bigger role in recent weeks since the transfer of Jose Martinez to Brazilian club Corinthians. After a season of instability, Flach, playing at the No. 6 with Quinn Sullivan on his right and Jack McGlynn on the left, has become Curtin's preferred arrangement in the midfield diamond.
"It makes it maybe easier, but also sometimes a little bit more complicated, because you have more responsibility," Flach said of focusing on just the No. 6 role. "You have to keep the position in the middle, so you can't fly out as much as you can do as an eight. So you have to find the right mix, depending on what situations there are in the game. But I like to control everything a little bit from the middle. You have more influence in certain areas. You also get the ball in areas where I would say I feel a little bit more comfortable."
The Union (9-14-10, 37 points) needs a win Saturday, Decision Day, over Cincinnati, which is locked into third place, and a loss from either Montreal (vs. New York City FC) or D.C. United (vs. Charlotte).
Both teams are at home and facing opponents who've qualified for the playoffs. Both D.C. and Montreal have 10 wins, which the Union must get to. If the teams are even on points and wins, the first tiebreaker, the Union hold the second tiebreaker, goal differential, over everyone. The Union are in 11th place. Idle Toronto is ahead of them but eliminated, and Atlanta United sits 12th with the same record and points.
The top nine teams make the playoffs, No. 9 visiting No. 8 midweek for the right to play top-seeded Inter Miami in the first round.
Selfishly for Flach, the Union making the playoffs would also postpone his decision. He said he hasn't given much thought to the possibility that Saturday may be his last game in Chester. He's using that chance as motivation to, "just enjoy everything a little bit more," even if he's feeling amply motivated by the predicament the team finds itself in.
"I hope we have a long, long season ahead, so I don't have to really make my thoughts up in the next few weeks," he said. "So let's see. First, I would just want to finish the season in a really good way and not being out after the next game."
