Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Burke celebrates return with winning goal
CHESTER » Somehow, a gameday that started with a Union player testing positive for COVID- 19 ( and the team playing anyway) managed to get weirder by the fi - nal whistle.
It also moved the Union one big step closer to its fi rst trophy.
A 2- 1 win over 10- man Chicago saw to that, the winning goal scored by a player who hadn’t scored in MLS in 18 months, the game fi nished by a goalie who hadn’t played in 15 months, the result saved by a forward with no league goals in more than a year who stopped a shot bigger than any he could’ve scored.
That’s the momentum tilt- awhirl the game was thrown into after Francisco Calvo’s red card – which Jim Curtin called “ridiculous” – in the 36th minute. Kacper Przybylko had already put the Union up 1- 0, but Robert Beric evened it at before half.
The goal by Cory Burke, his fi rst since being banished from the U. S. due to visa issues in April 2019, won the points in the 65th minute. But not until, in order: Andre Blake came off injured for Joe Bendik’s Union debut, Andrew Wooten contorted his body to acrobatically clear an equalizer bid off the line, and Kai Wagner sacrifi ced his body twice to clear Fire shots off the line.
“Another unique day in what’s been a unique season,” Curtin said. “I can’t say enough about how proud I am of our players for their resiliency, their ability to adjust, adapt and embrace any new challenge that comes their way.”
The win puts the Union ( 133- 5, 44 points) in prime position for the Supporters’ Shield. With two games left, they are three points up on Toronto, which lost to New York City FC Wednesday, 1- 0. The Union all but clinched no worse than second ( and at least two home playoff games) after Columbus’ loss to D. C. United. The Union visit the Crew Sunday.
Wednesday’s game was already blighted by the pre- game announcement that a Union player tested positive for COVID- 19, later confirmed by his agency to be Jose Martinez. Curtin said he found out late Tuesday, leaving the team down two midfi eld starters, with Jamiro Monteiro suspended. Warren Creavalle is out injured, so Jack Elliott was drafted into his second pro midfi eld start.
“If you call last time short notice, this one would be very short,” said Elliott, who last was deputized when Martinez was spirited away to play for Venezuela Oct. 7. “But I’m always ready to do a job and I enjoy playing in midfi eld. I was ready for a tough game tonight, and I’m just ready to play and do the job.”
The game delivered just as much tumult, devolving into a low- grade UFC match after Calvo’s dismissal. “It looked like 1999 MLS where it was tough to identify the game of soccer tonight,” Curtin assessed.
A Ray Gaddis cross hit Calvo’s hand in the box in the 27th minute, referee Giudo Gonzales pointing to the spot after sharing glances with a hesitant assistant referee. Przybylko made no mistake on his fi rst goal in eight games and team- leading eighth of the season.
Apparently unnerved, Calvo added to his woes by clipping the heels of a retreating Alejandro Bedoya in the 36th. Gonzales drew a straight red, harsh for a reckless but ultimately not malicious foul.
The exit of the Fire captain should have kept the Union’s momentum ticking. But the Union switched off in the 42nd and were punished. Blake made a great diving save on Ignacio Aliseda. But Djordje Mihailovic was fi rst to the ball, squaring to an unattended Beric on the doorstep to nod home his team- leading ninth goal of the season.
Curtin was decisive on his subs, his team needing a jolt. Olivier Mbaizo came in for Gaddis,
who picked up a quad knock, at the break. In the 60th, he gave the hook to ineff ective starters Sergio Santos and Anthony Fontana for Burke and Ilsinho. Two of the subs connected in the 65th, Mbaizo’s cross thundering off the head of Burke, an emphatic return to play.
“It’s a great feeling to be back home with the guys and all these Union lovely fans,” Burke said. “It couldn’t be better. It’s a happy feeling to be back home and score my fi rst goal in front of everyone.”
The Union should’ve added a third, Bobby Shuttlesworth pawing away a Przybylko eff ort in the 71st, one of fi ve saves to keep the Fire ( 5- 9- 6, 21 points) fi ghting for their playoff lives in 11th place.
Blake suff ered an arm injury covering a Beric header off a 76thminute set piece. He soldiered on until the 90th, requiring Bendik, who last played in July 2019 for Columbus, to enter. A free kick in the second minute of stoppage time was bungled goal- ward, and
Bendik was caught in two minds, fl apping at it. But Wooten, another late sub, was on the line to stab it away over his head and out of trouble.
“It shows that everyone’s ready to do what they need to do for the team to win,” Elliott said. “It was a great goal- line clearance. It shows that everyone is willing and ready to do whatever it takes to get the three points.”
A minute later, Wagner dove in front of shots by former Union man Fabian Herbers and Gaston Gimenez within two seconds, one of several desperation defensive interventions to preserve the result.
In a hectic game to cap a crazy day, Curtin said he doesn’t take much from an ugly aff air beyond the points. But they’re three that get the club closer to a monumental result.
“Big three points, but I would also say I feel empty because we’re missing some important people,” Curtin said. “These three points cost us a lot.”