The Philadelphia Union’s Wednesday night match against Orlando City SC finished in a 2-2 draw. Although the Boys in Blue will head home from Florida with just one point in tow instead of three, the competition was an exhilarating one, highlighted by promising late-game play from the team’s shorthanded roster.
After the final whistle, Head Coach Jim Curtin met with the media, recapping the contest.
Primero golazo para El Brujo
If any moment will be remembered from Wednesday’s draw – which otherwise may have had a lackluster finish, it will be the awe-inspiring 90th minute golazo from Union midfielder José Martinez.
The 28-year-old Venezuelan, fondly known among Union faithful as ‘El Brujo, scored his first-ever MLS goal, equalizing the score in the crucial final minutes of the game.
“Incredible, incredible goal, obviously from Jose. He's now one for… 286? I think,” joked Curtin.
Brujo’s blast to the back of the net was his first success in 86 attempts over his four year career in Philadelphia, which began in 2020. Since his arrival, he’s been a consistent starter and changemaker on the pitch; the only difference tonight, was the point he finally put on the board.
“I've said it before. He's an all-star six in this league. I think he's the best six in this league. For him to contribute with a goal like that, at the death of the game, to finish it off that way. It was big. It was a big point against a good Orlando team,” Curtin said.
Resiliency
The Union were down two goals in the second half, but persisted through the deficit to earn the draw and leave with a point. The team’s determination to push past adversity was a highlight for the head coach.
“This group never quits. I think that tonight's a good example, in this game, that if you don't ever quit, you get rewarded. I think even back to our last game against San Jose, they scored two pretty good goals from outside the box, and I'm a believer that if you do the right things over the course of 90 minutes, you'll get rewarded.”
Despite first half woes in missed chances, the team didn't surrender to the challenge presented.
“I thought we deserved the point out of the game at a minimum. So really proud of the group, again, it's a hard fought game between two teams that are missing a lot of star players,” Curtin said.
Missing pieces
Both Orlando City SC and the Philadelphia Union fielded an altered version of their typical starting lineups by no choice of their own, as the FIFA International Window caused multiple players from both sides to miss the contest. When asked about the circumstance after the game, Curtin was candid with his thoughts on scheduling and its impact on games.
“People pay a lot of money for the tickets, right? They want to see the best players. That's the reality of our sport,” Curtin said.
“I understand it's a unique season. We've had Champions League, we've had, regular season, we've had Open Cup, we'll have the Leagues Cup coming. So I get it, we want to play as many games as possible, but this one on this Wednesday, I think, I'm not the only one that looks around and goes, we maybe could have found another spot to put it.”
The Union expect to have starting midfielder Daniel Gazdag back from his duties with the Hungarian National Team by Saturday’s home game against Inter Miami, but as for the pair representing Jamaica in defender Damion Lowe and keeper Andre Blake, their tenure abroad is expected to be longer.
“I know it's not as easy as I say it. But, in all leagues now, everybody wants to see the best players on the field. That's why they pay to come. I understand, it's a long season, and there's many games. But whether it's the young kids that come to watch, whether it's the fans that have been with the club and come to every game of every match of the history of a club, I think they want to see all the stars here,” Curtin said.
The Union will be back in front of those fans, juiced by a long-awaited Martinez goal, very soon, as the team faces a quick turnaround to Saturday’s game at Subaru Park. Favorable for the Union, in the words of Curtin, “It's a heck of a lot easier in this league to play in front of your own fans.”
Philadelphia Union returns to Subaru Park for the final time in June as they welcome Inter Miami CF on Saturday, June 24th, for Unity Night presented by WSFS Bank. Kick off is set for 7:30PM ET with tickets extremely limited for the contest. Fans unable to secure a seat can catch the contest with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
