John McCarthy starred at North Catholic and La Salle University; he played a season with the Rochester Rhinos of the USL in 2014 before being signed by the Union. PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES STOKESBERRY
Every kid from Philadelphia dreams of playing professional sports in his hometown. John McCarthy is no different, except for the fact that he no longer has to dream it.
He’s now living it.
McCarthy, a 2010 graduate of North Catholic and former standout for both the Falcons and La Salle University soccer programs, recently saw his lifelong fantasy come to fruition when he signed a deal to join the Philadelphia Union as a goalie. It’s been a rollercoaster ride, as McCarthy has gone from collegiate to professional soccer player in a remarkably short time, creating plenty of, “Can this be real?” moments.
“It really is a ‘pinch me’-type of scenario, just a dream come true,” McCarthy said in a Monday evening phone conversation, a week after the Union officially announced his signing. “It didn’t set in until the press release came out, and I don’t think it really will until the (March 7) home opener playing in front of thousands of fans that include my family, friends and former teammates. It’s an indescribable feeling, and I’ve been loving every minute of it.”
McCarthy, 22, grew up on St. Vincent Street in Mayfair, attending St. Matthew for grade school before landing at North. His family moved to South Jersey after his freshman year, but he remained at North and was among the school’s final graduating class before it closed. He was a three-year starter under head coach Jerry Brindisi (now an assistant at Roman), winning a Catholic League title in the process.
At La Salle, McCarthy was a four-year starter in goal and was named to the All-Atlantic 10 team three times. He was an NSCAA Scholar All-American and was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list prior to his senior year (the award for the nation’s top collegiate soccer player). The Explorers made the A-10 Tournament in all four of his years, including a trip to the championship game and two more to the semifinals.
That said, many get to play college soccer, while few get to take it much further. McCarthy is an exception, and now has the added bonus of not only playing pro soccer, but for his hometown team at that.
“Ever since I was a kid, it was always a goal to be a pro soccer player,” said McCarthy, who also played for Lighthouse, Philadelphia Soccer Club and FC Delco growing up, among other clubs. “As I got older, I understood I had to work, but my goal was to never work a 9 to 5 where I’d sit at a desk in an office all day. I didn’t want to do that. I figured I’d coach when I was done playing, but being a player was always the goal.”
Despite McCarthy’s rapid ascension through the ranks, his journey was not without a few potholes along the way. After his senior season at La Salle, he attended the Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft but did not hear his name called despite being in contact with some MLS clubs that had shown interest. He attended a combine hosted by the Seattle Sounders of MLS in Las Vegas but suffered a setback when he broke his finger.
Unfazed, McCarthy got another opportunity to showcase his skills, this time with the Rochester Rhinos of the United Soccer League (USL). Though not part of MLS, the Rhinos are still a professional organization, one in which McCarthy could be a part of and continue to hone his skills in net while keeping his eye on the ultimate prize.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder was brilliant in net for the Rhinos in 2014, nabbing both the USL Pro Rookie of the Year and USL Pro Goalkeeper of the Year awards. He led the league with an 0.72 goals against average, posting an 8–4–6 record with 10 shutouts; in 18 games, McCarthy allowed just 13 goals, getting himself back on the radar of MLS clubs.
“I was really excited to be in a pro environment and play with next-level guys,” McCarthy said of his time with the Rhinos. “It was definitely a jump up from college play, kind of like a Triple-A team, somewhere to start and get an opportunity, and that’s what I got. My season was a huge learning experience, to go from a three-month college season to seven months with a pro team, it was a wear-and-tear type of deal, both physically and mentally. You hit slumps sometimes, but that’s part of the learning curve. I struggled at times, but I just tried to re-focus on the goal in mind that I wanted to reach.”
McCarthy had been in touch with the Union since his senior year at La Salle, and contact was reestablished once he had proven he had gotten over the finger injury. He got an invite to preseason to train with the team, and the Union liked what they saw, offering McCarthy a contract with the club. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“John is a player we know well as we’ve watched his development out of Philly and last season in USL Pro,” Union technical director Chris Albright said in a statement released by the team. “He’ll continue to grow as he transitions into MLS and he gives us depth at an important position.”
McCarthy was acquired for just that: depth. Unlike with North Catholic, La Salle and the Rhinos, he won’t be the starter for the Union, which has two established goalies with experience playing for their national teams in Andre Blake, of Jamaica, the top overall pick of the 2014 MLS Draft, and Rais Mbohli, who helped lead Algeria to the knockout round of the 2014 World Cup for the first time in the country’s history.
“I thought about it when I had the opportunity to sign,” McCarthy said. “Will I be able to play in a few games? It’s a tough situation to play a lot, then to not play as much, but it’s a big-time learning experience. Here, someone is always better than you. Here, you’re never on top. It makes me push myself every day to become better than I was the day before. There’s two international goalies on the roster, and they can leave to be called up at any time, so I have to be ready. I’m always on my toes in practice, so that when the chance comes, I’ll be ready to take advantage. That’s all I can ask for.”
McCarthy said the ultimate goal is to start no matter which team he plays for, but showed his team-first mentality when he said, “Winning is always the biggest goal.” And McCarthy has already gotten some time in net during the Union preseason (three full games and one half of another), as Blake recently had knee surgery and is expected to miss four to six weeks. This means McCarthy will enter the March 7 season opener against Colorado at PPL Park as the team’s backup.
McCarthy is one of just a elect few layers in Union history with ties to the Philadelphia area. He doesn’t know what the future holds, but right now, he doesn’t care. All that matters is he’s here, getting to live what so many dream.
“It’s the biggest dream you can have come true,” McCarthy said. “It’s indescribable, an emotional ride for sure, and it’s really going to set in when I’m in the stadium for the home opener in front of my friends and family in Philly, the ones who showed me so much compassion knowing how much work I put into this journey. I’ve been on the side of the fans here in Philly, so I know their passion, and I love them for that. They want to see the teams they support win.
“Signing that contract and being able to play here, it still brings chills to my body. It’s been a really great experience so far, playing with a great group of guys who are real happy for me. This team had the faith and confidence in me to give me the opportunity to play, and I want to play well and help the team in the best way possible, whether that’s on the field in the game or on the bench cheering my team on while continuing to get better in practice. Growing up as a kid, this is what I strived for, and my motto has become, ‘Keep the dream alive at all times.’ That’s what I’ve done, and now, the dream has come true.” ••
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John McCarthy starred at North Catholic and La Salle University; he played a season with the Rochester Rhinos of the USL in 2014 before being signed by the Union. PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES STOKESBERRY
John McCarthy starred at North Catholic and La Salle University; he played a season with the Rochester Rhinos of the USL in 2014 before being signed by the Union. PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES STOKESBERRY
Getting his kicks: John McCarthy, a graduate of St. Matthew, North Catholic and La Salle University, officially signed with the Philadelphia Union on Feb. 23. PHOTO COURTESY OF GREG CARROCCIO / SIDELINE PHOTOS, LLC
Getting his kicks: John McCarthy, a graduate of St. Matthew, North Catholic and La Salle University, officially signed with the Philadelphia Union on Feb. 23. PHOTO COURTESY OF GREG CARROCCIO / SIDELINE PHOTOS, LLC
