Ordinarily in a World Cup-style tournament the final group game when you’ve already clinched a spot in the knockouts would be an opportunity for a head coach to rotate their squad and rest up for the next round.
But the fact that Monday’s game against Orlando City SC at 8 p.m. will count for more than first place in Group A changes that approach for both Jim Curtin and Oscar Pareja.
“The way this is set up in such a unique way, which is actually a good thing, you’re fully motivated to get a result now in this game,” Curtin said on a video call with media Saturday.