The goal before the goal was heartbreaking. Bastian Schweinsteiger rising through the air, his graying temples flashing as he pounced on a momentary lapse of concentration to even the scoreline at 3-3 in a match where his team had clearly been inferior.
Suddenly it looked as though the Union would be leaving with a single point instead of the three they deserved. Only a moment of pure magic could deliver the win Philly so badly wanted, the one that would help them continue chasing a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
David Accam did not have a goal or an assist on the season. But, to the dismay of Fire fans who had cheered him lustily during his standout 2017 season in Chicago, he did have that magic.
Haris Medunjanin headed the ball into the winger’s path, and the diminutive Ghanaian’s energy was apparent. His head had not dropped; he was focused.
The ball bounced and Accam misplayed it, but he recovered. Jorge Corrales, respecting the winger’s speed, provided space, and Tony Tchani, for reasons unknown, did as well.
Accam beat them both: In cooking terms, they were roasted. Jonathan Campbell stepped forward to help but he was too late. With Richard Sanchez setting his feet in goal, Accam struck hard through the ball, driving it with fierce spin into the left side netting.
Union head coach Jim Curtin leapt into the air in wild celebration as teammates flocked to Accam, who had ripped off his shirt in giddy celebration before suddenly remembering the unwritten rule that one does not do such things against a former team. The joy had been too immediate, too powerful.
And the long-term effects of the moment on the Union’s season could be even greater.
