More than ever, the Union major league soccer team has a clear identity and the right players, helped along by Union manager Jim Curtin and sports director Ernst Tanner, writes Jonathan Tannenwald for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Curtin and Tanner have built a strong bond, visiting Europe together last winter to visit teams.

“We got to spend a lot of time together, have some good meals, discuss the future of the club, learn from each other, learn also about each other as people,” Curtin said.

That included Tanner learning about Curtin’s anti-racism campaign with the team.

“When we were together over in Europe, I was explaining to him how the situation is over there, and he was explaining to me how the situation is over here,” Tanner said. “He is an honest person and a good human being.”

That’s only helped with collaboration and communication.

“When I started, that was my first question — what kind of human being is he?” Tanner said.

Now he knows.

“He’s not only a manager of people,” Tanner said, “he’s a good coach.”

Read more about how the Union team has grown this past year here.