Even before the July 9th date was known to Philadelphia Union Head Coach Jim Curtin, he had tasked his staff to develop a plan to properly ramp up the side before returning to competition. The final answer was a three-week program that saw the intensity and duration level increase each week so that players would be prepared not only for the Florida weather but to properly be fit to avoid soft-tissue injuries that can occur when games start up after delays.
“Keeping guys healthy before we get down [to Orlando] will be critical,” Curtin told reporters last week.