Jim Curtin hails Julian Carranza after 2-0 win over Charlotte FC
The Philadelphia Union triumphed 2-0 over MLS expansion team Charlotte FC with head coach Jim Curtin labelling Julian Carranza’s fourth minute goal 'perfect'.
The Union forward kicked off the scoring with an immediate left-footed shot from the center of the box to reach the top left corner. He’s become a key figure for the Philadelphia side as they lead the Eastern Conference table undefeated with a record of 4-1-0.
Saturday’s strike stands as his first of the 2022 campaign, though he had worked thoroughly behind the scenes prior with two assists through four matches.
"I said it at the beginning of the year, I don't like to compare players in-league, but his ability and what he should try to aspire to be is Taty Castellanos from New York City," Curtin said of Carranza.
"He has that in him. They're similar body types, they're similar in the way they move in the box, they're similar in the way they can hold the ball up. He's that good.
"And I'm talking about a Golden Boot winner. So that's as high of praise I can give. He is really special. Really happy with him. He's a good kid, he works hard and people forget how young he is and how much talent and potential is there."
Carrenza joined the Union during the offseason on loan from Inter Miami. He spent two seasons with the Major League Soccer expansion team, where he managed three goals in 41 appearances.
The forward currently occupies a Young Designated Player spot on Jim Curtin's roster, as the Union hold an option to sign Carranza permanently. In exchange, Miami received a second-round selection in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft.
His addition to the Eastern Conference side gave Curtin four options on the attack.
"It's great, it's a great thing to have. We have four great strikers so whatever the pairing is, if you can have guys run at a backline for 60 minutes at their very, very maximum, you can tire out a backline and then bring two fresh guys where there's no drop-off, you have guys that can hurt the opponent in a different way.
"But when they come in fresh with 30 minutes to go, you'll see like tonight you'll get some breakaways and you'll get some really good actions to goal. That could be a real weapon if we keep all four healthy. This is the first time we've had that luxury."
The Union stands as one of only three teams to remain unbeaten so far in the 2022 MLS campaign. The team returns to the pitch on Saturday when they host the Columbus Crew.