Photo Paul Rudderow

Quotes courtesy of John McCarthy with special thanks to Michael Battista of New York Sports Nation, thecup.us, and Hudson River Blue

John McCarthy and LA Galaxy will face Carlos Coronel, Cory Burke, and the New York Red Bulls today at 4 PM in MLS Cup 2024. You can watch the action on FOX/FOX Deportes or on streaming at Apple TV+. 

Author’s note: While this piece may have taken a different perspective had it been originally written for PSP and not Ocean City, I choose to view McCarthy’s post-Union career arc as one of the classic examples of how cursed the Philly sports fandom is. The guys you lose or let go always come back to bite you. Regardless, it seemed the time was never quite right for the Union and McCarthy. 

Reliving the Past

When the 2023 MLS season concluded, John McCarthy wasn’t sure where he’d be playing next year. 

Despite starting the majority of the year for LAFC, leading the Black and Gold to 3rd in the Western Conference, and reaching the CONCACAF Champions League final, Head Coach Steve Cherundolo still preferred Canadian keeper Maxime Crépeau. 

Following a September 9th loss to the Timbers, and with Crépeau ready to return to the playing field, McCarthy resumed his backup role for the rest of the season. He watched from the sidelines as LAFC made back-to-back MLS Cups, losing a close match to the Columbus Crew 2-1.

Of course, it was Crépeau’s red card, and subsequent injury, that led to one of the most iconic moments in MLS Cup history the year prior. 

In the 116th minute of the 2022 championship game, McCarthy was subbed on against the Philadelphia Union, his hometown club. He had only played in 3 games prior to the final: A 2-0 loss to Colorado in MLS, a 3rd Round US Open Cup victory against USL side Orange County, and a 2022 Leagues Cup Showcase versus Club América. This was by far the biggest game of his career. 

Everyone knows what happened after that and the game would go to penalties. 

In a moment of bizarre coincidence, McCarthy found himself in a situation similar to one from years prior, when he was still with the Union. In a 2015 Open Cup game, McCarthy faced former team Rochester in a penalty shootout. He was the hero of the shootout, diving the right way on every attempt. He made 3 saves to seal the win for Philly. 

In the then Banc of America Stadium, McCarthy, the Philly kid, blanked his former team in the shootout 3-0, winning MLS Cup 2022 and claiming Finals MVP.

With Crépeau’s lengthy recovery sidelining him for almost all of the 2023 season, McCarthy made the most of the opportunity. He recorded what, at the time, were career highs in Games Played (25), Saves Made (67) and Clean Sheets (8). He played a vital role in LAFC’s run to the Champions League final, receiving Golden Glove and Best XI honors in the 2023 competition.

But, his best season in the pros wasn’t enough for McCarthy to retain the starting job. 

With his contract up, and LAFC signing Tottenham Hotspurs star Hugo Lloris, he would have to move clubs again. 

Humble Beginnings on the Path to Pro

However, McCarthy is no stranger to these kinds of challenges.

Coming out of North Catholic High, he wasn’t a nationally ranked recruit and his college program, La Salle, was certainly not a powerhouse. He had to work for it, cutting his teeth in the pre-professional level of the US Soccer Pyramid.

McCarthy still remembers some of the lessons learned during those key years of development he spent with the Nor’easters. 

“One of the memories that sticks with me was my first training session with OC in 2011. To this day it might have been one of the most competitive and intense training sessions I’ve been a part of”.

After his first year with Ocean City, McCarthy returned to La Salle and had a monstrous sophomore campaign for the Explorers. He made 2nd Team All-Atlantic 10, the All-Tournament Team and led the nation in saves with 143. 

“Going to Ocean City was something I needed because I went to a smaller school. OC was one of the few PDL teams, at the time, that brought in top players across the country to play on the same team. Being in training environments with the top guys was a great challenge to prove to myself I could play at the next level”.

His second year with the Nor’easters was one that wrote his name in team record books. He made 14 appearances, making 67 saves, posting 5 Shutouts and even recorded 2 assists. Those performances saw him named to the 2012 PDL All-Conference Team.

“It’s a great opportunity for college kids because the [NCAA] seasons are so short, you gotta keep playing. You’re playing with and against some of the best college players, the guys that go to big D I top 10, or top 25 schools. So, to be with a good organization like Ocean City, that’s something you want to be a part of in the summertime”.

His collegiate and USL-2 performances weren’t enough for any MLS teams to take a chance on him though. After going undrafted in 2014, McCarthy signed with the Rochester Rhinos of USL. In his first professional season he won a duo of awards, and was named both the Rookie and Goalkeeper of the Year. 

That got him noticed and the Philadelphia Union picked up the local kid ahead of the 2015 season.

A Special Bond

Apart from the layers of Philly grit, toughened by Ocean City saltwater, there’s another important element to McCarthy: compassion.

McCarthy has endeared himself to fans at all his clubs, but in particular while he was with the Union. It wasn’t just his on-field performances or passion for the city, although that helped. 

It was his actions off the field. 

John heard the story of Cameron McCarthy, a young soccer player from the area. Cameron had been diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. Feeling he needed to take action, he did something simple yet very powerful: he became her friend. 

John would visit Cameron during her hospital stays and at her family’s home, lending her support during her treatment. Cameron would go to John’s games and cheer him on from the stands. 

In his own words, “Cameron McCarthy and her family are amazing. Being able to help her and be a part of her kicking cancer’s ass, I would do it all over again without a question. No one deserves to fight cancer, especially an innocent child like Cameron. So I was just hoping to cheer her up whenever she needed it. The reason I will always step up to help the community is because I need to remember where I came from and where I want to be. I believe all athletes should help out one way or another in their communities”.

It’s been nearly a decade since Cam’s initial diagnosis, and the now teenager is living a healthy and cancer free life. 

Cameron’s family still holds annual toy drives and raises awareness to support other children battling cancer through the Team Cameron foundation.

Another Twist in the Tale

Despite the mutual love between McCarthy and the Union community, he found his professional development stalling with Jamaican national team goalie Andre Blake in front of him. 

After parting ways in 2018, McCarthy spent another year in USL with the Tampa Bay Rowdies before landing at MLS expansion club Inter Miami in 2020. After two years with the Herons, he sought a new opportunity, and signed as a free agent with LAFC in 2022, with a club option for the following season.

While McCarthy’s heroics in that 2022 final earned a one year extension, his time was now up and the journey would lead him elsewhere for 2024.

In stepped opportunity in the shape of LAFC’s crosstown rivals: LA Galaxy. After a disappointing 2023 season that saw LA miss out on the playoffs, Team President Tim Klein was fired amid a supporters boycott. Will Kuntz, formerly of LAFC, assumed General Manager duties with the Galaxy. He began a rebuild that completely overhauled LA’s roster.  

While signing big name attacking players ate up most of the headlines, the free agent signing of McCarthy was a key piece to the success the Galaxy would find in 2024, even if it went under the radar at the time.

McCarthy never looked back. He earned the starting role in preseason and went on to have his career best season in terms of Games Played (32), Wins (18), and Saves (127). He posted a .726 Save Percentage all while facing an average of ~5.5 shots per game.

“It’s not like I could choose where I wanted to go. Coming from LAFC to LA Galaxy was one of the few opportunities I had in the off-season. I am extremely grateful that the Galaxy believed in me and offered me a contract”.

With so much of LA’s roster constructed around the attack, McCarthy excellently filled the needed role of a savvy veteran between the sticks. Every jaw-dropping save he makes, justifies the Galaxy’s belief in him a little bit more.

LA finished with a record of 19-7-8, just barely missing out on the #1 seed to LAFC, after giving up an injury time winner to Houston Dynamo on Decision Day. 

Taking that momentary failure as a lesson, the group rebounded and stormed their way through the playoffs, scoring a whopping 16 goals in 4 games.  

Crucially, in the Conference Final against perennial contenders Seattle, McCarthy recorded 5 saves, keeping a clean sheet to help give LA the 1-0 win and set up a championship clash with the New York Red Bulls. 

He will now be appearing in his third straight MLS Cup Final, and his first as the starter.

“To make 3 MLS Cups is an awesome achievement. The reason we play the game is to lift trophies. So to have this opportunity is a dream come true. The only thing that could be better would be winning all 3”. 

McCarthy has the opportunity to make history as the first player to cross the ‘El Tráfico’ divide, and win a championship with both Los Angeles teams.

Other Former Union Players in MLS Cup

Former Union players Carlos Coronel and Cory Burke will be lining up against McCarthy on the Red Bulls. 

Carlos Coronel

Coronel was signed on loan from Red Bull Salzburg through a Tanner connection in 2019. Although he only made a handful of appearances for the first team, he holds a unique place in Union history. Carlos Coronel is the first player to go on from the Union and play in the UEFA Champions League. Sure, he didn’t really develop with Philly, and most people would probably answer the question, “Who was the first Union player to play in the Champions League” by saying Brendan Aaronson. But, it is technically correct that Coronel was the first. 

Salzburg, facing a goalie injury crisis, recalled him for their match against Liverpool. Although he was only the back up at Anfield, Coronel was substituted into the match versus Napoli on October 23rd, 2019, thus securing his place in Union history. Following this Tanner-related blip, on an otherwise spotless Red Bull resume, he was sent on loan to the energy drink conglomerate’s Big Apple affiliate with the move being made permanent in 2022.

Since then he has performed well and nailed down the starting GK spot over 4 seasons, keeping 34 Clean Sheets in 128 games for NYRB.

Cory Burke

Cory Burke was a big-time fan favorite. In the days before MLS Next Pro and Union II, he featured heavily for Bethlehem Steel in the USL Championship. His eye for goal and knack for scoring eventually got him a place on the Union first team. 

After a great debut campaign in 2018 that saw him net 11 goals, an unfortunate VISA situation that was reminiscent of Keon Daniel’s in 2013, prevented him from returning to the US for 18 months. After starting and scoring against Montreal Impact on April 20th, 2019 he wouldn’t make another appearance for the Union until October 19th, 2020 the following season. 

During that otherwise unremarkable period in the world he went on a few side-quests. First, a loan to Portmore United in the Jamaican Premier League, where he scored 11 goals. Second, another loan. This time to Austrian Bundesliga side St Pölten where he netted a hat trick against WST Tirol. Thankfully, he was able to return to the Union at the backend of the Shield winning 2020 season, and scored the Union’s last goal of the year in a 2-0 win against New England Revolution on November 8th. 

In 2021, he re-entered the rotation, primarily as a depth piece. In 2022, he scored 7 goals, including the dagger versus NYCFC in the Eastern Conference Final, and added a career high 5 assists.

He was, of course, on the receiving end of Maxime Crépeau’s infamous DOGSO tackle in MLS Cup 2022, which was also a self-inflicted leg breaker. Following that, he was unable to continue. That was unfortunately, his last appearance in Blue and Gold. 

Burke moved to the Red Bulls in 2023, joining the likes of Sebastien Le Toux, Marcus Epps, Josue Martinez, and the aforementioned Coronel as the only players to have made the notorious move from the Union to the Red Bulls. Although he’s had a slow couple seasons in Harrison, perhaps today will be the day he finds his ‘Scorey Burke’ form again?