CHESTER, Pa.—The unlikeliest of U.S. Open Cup contributors emerged for the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night.
International call-ups and a spate of injuries forced the hand of Jim Curtin and wreaked havoc on his typical starting lineup. In the end, the Union took down the Harrisburg City Islanders, 3-1, at Talen Energy Stadium in the Open Cup’s Fourth Round.
A predictable result, no?
“It’s harder than people think,” Curtin said.
Curtin went on to describe the difficulty in MLS clubs entering Open Cup matches as heavy favorites against USL teams like the Islanders.
“The Philadelphia Union wants to take this competition very serious,” Curtin said. “There are only two trophies – I say it all the time; there are only two trophies you can lift in this country, and this is one of them. And we’ll approach it that way.”
Curtin’s club required support from a pair of irregular offensive options to secure this win. Derrick Jones and CJ Sapong netted first-half tallies, and Marcus Epps scored in the final 45 for the Union. For Jones and Epps, the goals represented their first in Union kits.
At the other end, John McCarthy made the most of his rare opportunity.
The goalkeeper played well in his spot start for the Union. Making his first appearance of the season, McCarthy stopped four shots – including a header that nestled into his midsection in the final moments of stoppage time.
“Overall, I thought a pretty professional performance from the guys, so credit to them,” Curtin said. “I thought the first 35 minutes in particular, they really approached the game in the right way. There was a lot of motivated guys on the field, is the best way to put it, and they played very well. They’re going make some decisions in the future very hard. We’ve assembled now a very deep roster.”
While Curtin had zero inhibitions about playing as many of his regulars as possible against Harrisburg, his hands were a bit tied by extenuating circumstances. Andre Blake, the league’s reigning Goalkeeper of the Year, is away from the Union on international duty with Jamaica’s national team. Alejandro Bedoya (hamstring), Warren Creavalle (hamstring), and Fabian Herbers (groin) also missed the match with minor knocks.
Their absences set the stage for players like rookie forward Epps, who had been earning minutes with Union USL club Bethlehem Steel FC.
“It’s been tough, but it’s been a great experience,” said Epps, who got into space in the 48th minute and toe-poked a shot past Harrisburg City goalkeeper Sean Lewis. “I’ve had a wonderful time learning from them, doing what I can. I’m happy to get a break tonight.”
