It’s fitting that Jimmy and Jeff Curtin hail from Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. For this duo of defenders who do not know the meaning of sibling rivalry, it’s as if they took the motto personally.

“Jeff’s a very talented kid,” says Jimmy, an all-star for Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire and the older brother.

“Jimmy’s a mentor to me,” counters Jeff (MSB ’06), an all-American senior captain for the Hoyas and the little brother.

Where other brothers who share the same sport – and the same position – might feel the need to compete, the Curtins are nothing but encouraging to each other.

“We’re very, very close,” Jimmy says. “We definitely support each other. We grew up having a lot of battles in the backyard – beating each other up, playing soccer – that’s for sure. But we’re very close.”

For Jeff and Jimmy, part of that closeness stems from the similar paths they have followed. Jimmy, the older brother by five years, played Big East soccer for Villanova, taking home Rookie of the Year honors as a starting center back in 1997. He was a two-time first team all-Big East selection his junior and senior seasons and then was selected by the Fire in the 2001 draft.

“I don’t want to sound cocky, but he’s had some tough things to live up to,” Jimmy says of his collegiate accomplishments. “He’s a competitive person just like I am, and I’m sure he sees any success that I have – I know he’s happy for me – but he also sees it as a goal he would like to reach himself. And so far, he’s done everything and then more.”

Doing everything and more includes being named the Big East Rookie of the Year as a central defender in 2002, and then going on to be a three-time second-team selection. This preseason Jeff was tagged an all-American, and the Big East coaches selected him as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, two awards Jimmy never earned.

“I hate to admit it, but he’s the better soccer player,” Jimmy says. “He has more of the natural talent, and I’m kind of the rugged, more physical player. He has more talent, kind of more of a finesse game than I do. But I’d say he’s definitely the better player.”

Jeff disagrees.

“He’s a proven player, an all-star in his league,” he says. “You can’t get much better than that. So I’d have to say [Jimmy’s the better player] right now.”

No matter which Curtin brother is better, both are clearly very talented. Jim has become a cornerstone of the Fire’s defense, and Jeff has been the anchor of the Hoyas’ defense this season.

In recent weeks Jeff has been sidelined with a nagging injury, and his playing time has been cut in an effort to get him back at full health for the playoffs. It is not the way Jeff envisioned his senior season, but his absence has only highlighted how important he is to his team.

“He’s pretty much our most important part,” senior midfielder and co-captain Brent Plumley says of Jeff. “All the other guys have been stepping up, but it is a noticeable spot that hasn’t been filled by anybody else.”

Junior defender Tim Convey – who has known Jeff since elementary school when Jeff played on the same club team as his brother Bobby – has been the player to whom the team has turned to fill in.

“With him on the field, it’s obviously just another leader, and it’s just great for our team because I think it lifts the other guys’ spirits a lot when he’s on the field,” Convey says.

Georgetown Head Coach Keith Tabatznik also knows the key role Jeff plays for the Hoyas.

“Jeff makes everyone else better,” he says. “With his organization, with his presence, there’s a great deal of confidence you have when Jeff’s in there.”

Jeff’s talent has not gone unnoticed, as he is preparing to leave Georgetown a semester early to join Major League Soccer in the spring. With advice from Tabatznik and his brother, Jeff is ready to make the jump from college to professional soccer.

Jimmy hopes he can make the move from the Big East to the MLS a little bit easier for Jeff than it was for him. Now an all-star and a leader on the Fire, Jimmy was one of only five players in the league to play every minute of the 2004 season and he is widely considered one of the top central backs in the game. Jimmy is eager to share his knowledge about the MLS with his little brother and – for the first time – play with him on the same field.

“I think it’ll be beneficial when he does come to ajor League Soccer because I can hand down some of my knowledge,” Jimmy says. “He’ll have a nice advantage that I didn’t have when I cracked into the league.”

Both brothers admit that the prospect of playing with – or against – one another is strange. Because they are five years apart, Jimmy and Jeff never got to play organized sports together while growing up, and their battles were always limited to the backyard. Now they will certainly see one another and the stage will be much grander.

“I’ve thought about it a lot,” Jimmy says of playing on the same team as Jeff, “and it would be tough and draining everyday because I feel like I’d be watching out for two people – myself and him – all the time. . But playing against him would just feel weird. I think if we ever ran into each other on the field in a pro game we would both just look at each other and laugh.”

Jeff brought up a different scenario.

“If we ever got in a scuffle or anything, I wouldn’t really know who to choose,” he says. “Would I fight him or the fight the guy who is hitting him? It’s a tough situation, but I guess we’ll have to see how that works out.”

When the MLS draft takes place in January, Jeff will wait and listen to learn his fate. A projected first-round draft pick, he will probably not have to wait very long. While Tabatznik hopes that Jeff will end up with his hometown D.C. United, Jimmy hopes that Jeff will join him in the Windy City.

“Someday, the possibility of us playing together on the same team would be a dream come true,” Jimmy says. “Maybe we’ll end up in the same city and that’d be pretty awesome.”

Jeff insists that he has no preference for any team but admits that he would enjoy staying on the East Coast.

“I know a lot of people in the league,” Jeff says, “and I wouldn’t have a problem getting along with any team, but I’m kind of an East Coast guy and I’d love to stay on the East Coast.”

But professional soccer can wait, at least a little longer. For now Jeff and the Hoyas are focused on the Big East tournament, which begins Thursday at Villanova. In the three years that Jeff has been on the Hilltop the Hoyas have never made it past the second round of the tournament. He hopes that will change this year.

“We haven’t really gotten over that hump yet,” Jeff says. “We’re borderline, on the verge of being a very good team, but I think we are pushing toward that right now.”

Again, the Curtin brothers find themselves on parallel paths. As Jeff prepares for the Wildcats, his brother is getting ready to take on the New England Revolution in the MLS conference championships. On Sunday afternoon Jimmy’s Fire crushed the D.C. United 4-0 to advance, and with the defending champions behind them the Fire are looking for their chance to take home another title.

If all goes well, both Jeff and Jimmy will be playing on Nov. 13 – Jeff in Connecticut for the Big East title and Jimmy in Texas for the MLS Cup.

And whether they are playing or watching, one thing is clear: They will be cheering for each other.