When he scored a penalty kick against Richmond Kickers in the US Open Cup, David Accam was happy to get on the scoresheet and relieved to finally open his Philadelphia Union account. But when he scored last Wednesday night against Chicago Fire, his former club, he was ecstatic, sprinting away with his shirt off, eyes shining with joy.
It was a special moment for a player that has worked hard to find his way into the Philadelphia Union’s system after a big transfer in the offseason, and it could not have come at a more consequential time for Philly’s playoff hopes.
After outplaying Chicago on the road, the Union had just given up a heartbreaking third goal to the Fire on a set piece. Bastian Schweinsteiger wriggled free in the box and nodded home a corner kick to even the match at three and leave the Union, in all likelihood, with only one point when they felt three were deserved. It was already extra time of the second half; the result seemed set. Whereas the Union were nearly certain of moving into a tie with Montreal for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference moments earlier, now they were looking up at the Impact and wondering what it would take to get a second road win.
But Accam was not ready to leave. As the final seconds of the match ticked away, he maneuvered through two defenders using the pure force of his will. And the shot he released had no destination but the net, dizzily spinning inside the far post after evading bodies and the outstretched form of goalie Richard Sanchez. It would have been a sensational goal at any moment of the match, but hit as it was, in the final seconds of a must-win game, it became miraculous.
Accam had entered the match in the first half for the injured Ilsinho, and he may need to take on a starting role if the Brazilian winger remains sidelined. If so, he certainly looks ready for the responsibility.
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