The 2019 season is less than two months old and Jim Curtin has already used all three goalies on his roster. Andre Blake is the undisputed number one in net, but an international call-up handed Carlos Miguel Coronel his first minutes and a recent injury dropped Matt Freese into the win over Montreal. Now Coronel and Freese are vying to be the top name on Curtin's list when Philadelphia Union take the field against Vancouver Whitecaps this Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on PHL17. Philly has looked like one of the league's stronger sides this year, so both men know that they will need to be locked in if they get the call.
However, the week leading up to this match is atypical for goalies. On most teams, there is a clear number one and, often, a fairly certain number two. The Union's willingness to use both Coronel and Freese in gameday 18s, though, has opened up a competition for the starting role in Blake's absence.
"I understand that the final decision is from those responsible from the technical staff, and I will accept it. But I do expect to play," Coronel said this week. "There's also that level of daily competition among players. If there's an opportunity for me to play on Saturday, I'll be ready to do it."
The Brazilian only had to make on save in his MLS debut against Columbus Crew earlier this season, and he went the final 83 minutes of the match without being challenged. To remain ready for his next start, Coronel has spent time with Bethlehem Steel, recording two penalty saves and facing far more action than he did with the Union.
"In the game against Columbus, not much was required of me, but that's positive because it shows that the team is well-positioned," the former Red Bull Salzburg man said. It's also worth noting that when Coronel joined the Union, Sporting Director Ernst Tanner pointed to the goalkeeper's control of space and ability with the ball at his feet as a big reason he had a high ceiling. That type of play requires Coronel to be part of the Union's buildup play, and points to the need for good communication, particularly on the road.
"We know that the games at home are usually good games, and we know that the road games are more difficult because the other team has more motivation and has the fans on their side," Coronel admitted. "But as soccer players, we are used to that and we get motivated by it.
"We try to communicate when there is a foul, when there is a stop in play. And during the game we try to communicate as well as we can. I've been taking a lot of classes so I can communicate better too."
Whether Coronel or Matt Freese gets the call on Saturday, Union fans will hope they can provide the same kind of security blanket that Andre Blake has given the rest of the team for 3+ seasons now.
The lineups will come out an hour before Saturday's 5 p.m. ET match in Vancouver, make sure you tune in to PHL17 to find out who starts.
