Upon further review, old Ilsinho tough to handle
CHESTER » For the better part of 18 months, Jim Curtin has insisted that Ilsinho’s best play was ahead of him, even as his 32nd birthday beckons in October.
In the last two appearances at Talen Energy Stadium, all those tricks and stepovers that have so enamored the Union brass and wowed teammates have manifested on the scoresheet, at a time when the Union’s thin play- off hopes desperately need them.
Ilsinho produced a transcendent performance with a goal and two assists, setting up a CJ Sapong brace as the Union trounced FC Dallas, 3-1, Saturday in a game that will go down in MLS history as the first use of the video assistant referee (VAR).
Ilsinho’s been on a mini-tear that has finally turned his immense promise into goals. In his last three games, including two home starts in which the Union scored three times each, he has two goals and three assists. He had just four goals and two assists in his previous 41 appearances.
“His talent’s undeniable,” Curtin said. “When you see this player train day in and day out, the things he can do with the ball, players are scared to get close to him. You’ve seen it in flashes in the games, but the challenge is always for every player to play at your top level for 90 minutes, and when he plays at his top level for 90 minutes, you guys see the results. He’s setting up goals, he’s getting goals. … He’s a differencemaking type of player.”
It hasn’t quite added up to consistency for the Union (8-10-5, 29 points) yet. They’ve alternated being trounced on the road with home victories, an incongruence that perplexes Curtin. Saturday’s goal allowed to Michael Barrios in second-half stoppage time, for Not sure what has gotten into but it’s fun to watch. Haris with a clinic on how to control a game from midfield.
Medunjanin Ilsinho, Ryan Hollingshead Chris Pontius. Mauro Diaz Alejandro Bedoya
half against Ditto barely made the
with marking him out of the game. instance, broke a streak of four home shutouts and was the first even-strength goal allowed at Talen Energy Stadium since May 20.
But the Union are managing the peaks and valleys of the season, in part by keeping Dallas (95-7, 34 points) mired in an uncharacteristic ditch of form to compound last week’s 4-0 loss to Vancouver.
The opening goal in the 17th minute was a thing of beauty rarely seen in these parts. Ilsinho was the inspiration, bombing down the left flank by splitting a pair of defenders in the buildup, then prizing open the defense with a nifty leaping back heel to Haris Medunjanin who crossed on a platter for Sapong.
Medunjanin did plenty in the sequence, which included an understated but vital win of a 5050 challenge by Chris Pontius in the box. Alejandro Bedoya helped reset on the edge of the box, and Medunjanin rolled the ball over onto his left foot to trigger Ilsinho’s 1-2 before right-footing the cross to Sapong, who slid furtively off the shoulder of right back Hernan Grana and slotted home.
“Not only is it just easier all around, but it’s fun as well,” Sapong said. “The little kid kind of comes out of you on the field. That’s always a beautiful thing to win that way. We just have to keep it up moving forward.”
“Every day, we try something different,” Ilsinho said. “Every day on the practice field, we try. Some days, it’s good. Some days it’s terrible. But we have to try. It was good for us.”
Ilsinho’s second goalscoring contribution was more succinct, yet still clinical against former Union man Chris Seitz. Pontius’s throw-in was headed aimlessly by Ryan Hollingshead straight to Ilsinho, who lashed home a volley with his right leg.
“Yeah the coaches every day push me to shoot,” Ilsinho said. “‘You have to shoot.’ I try in practice, I try every game. Whenever I get a chance, I try to shoot.”
Ilsinho’s effort in the 68th minute was beaten down by Seitz, but Ilsinho toe-poked the rebound into the path of Sapong to build on his career-high with 12 goals, tied for third in the MLS scoring charts.
Dallas wasn’t without its chances. The big moment came in the 79th, when Cristian Colman rounded a stumbling John McCarthy and saw his effort turned aside, but Maxi Urruti roofed the follow-up. Referee Ricardo Salazar was notified by the VAR reviewing the play, and after a 47-second delay to consult the monitor, Salazar waved off the goal for a Colman foul on McCarthy.
“The ultimate goal is to get calls right, and it succeeded tonight,” Curtin said. “That’s what you want. We were lucky to be on the end of the first review ever in the league’s history and on the good side of it. I think it accomplished its goal, and now we move on to the next game.”
McCarthy was battered in the second half, but produced a career-high nine saves, Urruti the most dangerous combatant. After Barrios blistered the post in the 20th minute, McCarthy — starting for a sixth straight game in Andre Blake’s absence — rushed off his line to enlarge his frame and fight off a short-side Roland Lamah attempt in the 31st. He added a pair of denials of Urruti after halftime. The shutout was spoiled by Barrios, who tallied his second goal of the season in stoppage time.
The Union entered Saturday knowing that anything but a win would have disastrous consequences for their playoff hopes. While holding serve at home won’t vault them into playoff position — only the unearthing of that elusive road form will — it’s a step in the right direction, especially when players like Ilsinho and Sapong are clicking on all cylinders.
“It felt amazing,” Ilsinho said. “After this game, it’s not about the goal or assist. It’s about a big win. We got a big win. We did a very good job. Everyone was on the same page.”