After David Accam’s last minute winner secured three huge road points for Philadelphia Union, Jim Curtin focused on the grit and toughness his team showed. And he heaped praise on gamewinner David Accam.
Accam-ing up huge
“I thought that we could’ve laid down at 3-3 and tried to get out of here with a point,” Curtin admitted. “But credit to David Accam who stepped up in a big way for us and got us a huge goal.”
The goal was Accam’s first in the league in a Union jersey after Chicago traded him to Philadelphia in the offseason, and the winger was clearly thrilled to get it. “For me, I’ve worked really hard and I think this goal will rank really high in my career,” he said after the match. “I needed this goal to get going, and for me — I’m so happy for this goal.”
From the bench to the big time
Both Accam and Cory Burke have struggled to nail down regular minutes this season, but they were ready when called upon Wednesday evening. “I know the whole group and coaching staff has had his back through this, maybe, scoring drought you’d call it,” Curtin said of Accam. “This is a big way to break out and I’m really happy for him. He’s stuck with things, worked hard in training, and now put in a performance where he gets the winner.”
The Union head coach thought Burke’s hard work could have netted him a hat trick if the bounces had been different. “Cory stepped up in a major way,” Curtin emphasized. “He’s maximized every minute he’s been given, worked hard defensively for us as well, was just a pain to play against, and obviously gets some goals.
“And probably would’ve had another one if, I think he headed one off David Accam, so maybe the lucky one [off goalie Richard Sanchez’s error] is a reward for that one.”
Heart helps out
“Really proud of the group for the fight that they’ve shown,” Curtin proclaimed. “I think the narrative changed 6-7 times over the course of 90 minutes.” Indeed, The Union gave up three one-goal leads before finally wrapping up all three points late. But it’s worth noting that the Fire scored with the only two shots they took in the second half before Alex Katai’s 97th minute off-target free kick. So as tough as it is to give up three goals, if the team can continue to limit shots, they should continue to have success in the future.
