McCarthy, a member of North Catholic’s final graduating class, gleefully holds his alma mater’s flag to the home crowd. PHOTO COURTESY OF SIDELINE PHOTOS, LLC
The pregame ceremony induced chills, which were nothing compared to the postgame tears.
Welcome to the best day of John McCarthy’s life.
The North Catholic and St. Matthew Grade School product, who signed a contract in late February to play goalie for the Philadelphia Union, got his first career start this past Saturday against New York City FC at PPL Park in Chester. In front of hundreds of friends, former teammates and family members, McCarthy made three saves in net — including a crucial stop off a free kick in the game’s 89th minute to preserve a 1–1 tie — and did his part to deliver a 2–1 Union victory, both his and the team’s first of the season.
“When I walked out of the tunnel before the game and heard the fans cheering, it gave me chills to the point where the hair on my body stood up,” McCarthy said during a Tuesday afternoon phone interview. “I was trying to live in the moment and enjoy it, because it was a big game for us. We needed a win, and the team played really well. I had a ton of friends and family there, but all week I tried not to change anything and looked at it like just another game in the sport I’ve played all my life.”
McCarthy may have attempted to treat Saturday like any other game, even though it was anything but. He estimated 100 to 150 family members were in attendance, and that figure was probably close to tripled when you take friends and old teammates and coaches into account. The Union staked McCarthy to an early 1–0 lead on a Zach Pfeffer goal in the 27th minute, a score that held at halftime.
New York’s David Villa — scorer of 190 professional goals and another 61 as a member of Spain’s National Team whom McCarthy called “a world-class player” — got one by McCarthy in the 55th minute to even the score, but his huge save off an in-tight free kick swung momentum back in the Union’s favor. The home team scored about three minutes later — two minutes into stoppage time — on a goal by Vincent Nogueira to seal the victory and prevent the game from ending in a draw.
McCarthy’s postgame reaction fell somewhere between giddy and a kid on Christmas morning. After the final whistle, he dropped to his knees, both arms outstretched in jubilation. Moments later, during an interview with television broadcasters, McCarthy vacillated from choking back tears to gleefully telling analyst Peter Pappas — a former goalie himself — “Dude, I looked up to you as a kid so much.” Later, he held a North Catholic Soccer flag and proudly displayed it to the crowd.
“When I saw Vincent’s shot hit the back of the net, I swear I jumped the highest I ever have in my life,” McCarthy said. “I just cheered right along with the crowd, it was just unreal to see. I’m getting chills right now just speaking about it. We bounced back as a team, fought to the last whistle and got a much-needed win.”
The win was huge for the team and McCarthy alike. The result pushed the Union’s overall record to 1–3–2, which looked the way it did in large part to poor goaltending by Rais M’Bolhi, an Algerian World Cup hero who ranked last in Major League Soccer (MLS) in save percentage and goals allowed when he was benched by Union head coach Jim Curtin. That set the stage for McCarthy, who was third on the team’s depth chart when he signed on Feb. 23 behind M’Bolhi and Andre Blake, the former №1 MLS Draft pick who is on the mend from February knee surgery. Blake was listed as McCarthy’s backup on Saturday, and while it appears no clear-cut decision has been made on the goalie situation going forward, McCarthy at least earned himself the possibility of another start, be it on Thursday night in a rematch against New York FC at Yankee Stadium, or down the line.
“As soon as the game ended, I soaked it all up, enjoyed myself and then my mindset changed to the next game,” McCarthy said. “What I’ve said from day one is that I want to be better than I was the day before. That’s all I can try to do. I hope I get more starts and get to play more, but another main thing I’ve said in the beginning is that as long as we win as a team, then that’s all that matters.”
In his postgame TV interview, McCarthy said Saturday’s result was huge because it’s another feather in his cap in the hopes that one day he can suit up for the U.S. National Team. He told his interviewers that if he can’t succeed at the MLS level, then playing for the United States would probably never occur. And granted it’s just one start, but it’s certainly a big step forward in the right direction.
McCarthy was profusely appreciative to his support network, which even included friends and former coaches from St. Matt’s.
“The support I’ve had growing up and playing this game, it’s just been unbelievable,” he said. “They know how hard I’ve worked to get here, so for them to be here to support me and the fact that I can still call all these people friends, it’s one of the reasons I cried after the game. The support is just overwhelming, and I’m really grateful for everyone who was there for me.”
McCarthy’s saga is the kind of stuff you’re more likely to see in a Hollywood script than real life. But this is indeed very real, and the raw emotions emitting from this day are just further proof of that for the Union’s newest star.
“It really is so much like a dream,” he said. “Because you dream of playing for your hometown team when you’re a kid, be it the Phillies, Eagles, Sixers, Flyers or Union. For me, that moment came around this past weekend. To be able to win my first MLS start, the tears of joy were very real. I thanked all of my teammates for having my back and supporting me in the moment. All week, they told me to enjoy it, and I enjoyed it to the fullest.
“It’s a dream to play soccer for a living, and it always has been for me. I love every minute of it. Waking up and knowing my job is to go play soccer, it’s great, and it’s even better to wake up to play soccer for my hometown team that I’ve watched as a fan. That makes where I’m at even more special, and I’m just grateful for the opportunity to play the game I’ve loved and enjoyed ever since I was a little kid.” ••
READ MORE: John McCarthy signs a contract to join the Philadelphia Union as a goalie
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The Union signed McCarthy, 22, to play goalie in late February. PHOTO COURTESY OF SIDELINE PHOTOS, LLC
McCarthy made three saves in net, including a crucial one in the 89th minute with the score still tied at 1. PHOTO COURTESY OF SIDELINE PHOTOS, LLC
John McCarthy, a Mayfair native who attended St. Matt’s and North Catholic, jubilantly celebrates after his Philadelphia Union scored a 2–1 victory on Saturday. It was the first win of the season for the Union and the first of McCarthy’s MLS career. PHOTO COURTESY OF SIDELINE PHOTOS, LLC
