Brendan McSorley was so excited that he suffered a temporary loss of hearing Wednesday night.
The ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC forward couldn’t decipher what coach Bradley Carnell shouted into his ear during the closing minutes of a 3-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids.
“The adrenaline was crazy, I didn’t hear a thing,†McSorley said. “I’m thinking, ‘How could I miss what he said.’â€
Carnell repeated himself with the words McSorley had been waiting to hear all of his life.
“He said get ready, you’re going in,†McSorley said.
The 22-year old made his Major League Soccer debut in the 82nd minute and turned in a solid performance to close out the contest.
McSorley was still in a mild state of shock after Thursday’s training session.
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“Everything happened so fast,†he said. “It’s still hard to believe.â€
McSorley’s debut was one of City SC’s few highlights of Wednesday’s contest. The three-goal loss was the largest setback of what has been a disappointing season to date.
City SC (3-6-9) will look to rebound when its hosts Atlanta (5-8-5) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at CityPark in the first meeting between the teams.
Carnell is hoping for a bounce-back effort from his squad, which has gone winless over its last seven matches. The 0-5-2 skid is the longest in the short history of the franchise.
A lack of offense has contributed mightily to the rough stretch.
City SC has been shut out in its last three matches and has not scored a goal in its last 292 minutes.
McSorley was chosen by City SC in the third round of the MLS SuperDraft in December and was assigned to the City2 team of the MLS NEXT Pro league.
The former Providence College striker shined for City2 with a pair of nifty goals before signing a short term loan agreement with the big club earlier this week.
“He’s a good a finisher,†Carnell said. “He makes a lot of defensive action against the opponents and then frees himself up in good attacking spots.â€
Carnell is hoping McSorley can provide some much-needed punch to an attack that has gone stagnant over the last month.
McSorley, who scored 23 goals in 62 matches during his four-year college career for the Friars, got over 100 texts from family and friends after the debut. His brother Liam and sister Nora came in from New Jersey in time for the match.
That made the moment extra special for Brendan.
“He was better than me when we younger,†Brendan McSorley said of his brother.
McSorley’s parents, Guy and Tara and, were not able to make the trip to ºüÀêÊÓƵ on short notice but plan to be in attendance for Saturday’s match.
In a post-match press conference on Wednesday, McSorley said he hadn’t yet spoke with his parents, but he felt Tara would likely be in tears when she saw him enter the match.
Actually, Tara kept her emotions in check during the final few minutes of the contest. Then, she finally let the tears flow when she heard Brendan’s comments about her possibly crying as he entered the match.
“Right now, my main feeling is that I’m so proud,†McSorley said.
The team was not able to celebrate McSorley’s debut due to the one-sided loss. But the City SC players were happy to be a part of their teammate’s big moment.
“He’s one of the first guys I met when I came here to ºüÀêÊÓƵ,†City SC midfielder Chris Durkin said. “We went out and had Mexican food and touched base just to get to know each other. He’s got the exact DNA of City, guys that are hungry that go out and work hard.â€
McSorley said he’s ready for the challenge if he’s called upon for Saturday’s game against Atlanta.
“Getting into my first match is great, but it’s time to move on from that and start contributing,†McSorley said.
Durkin back in the fold
Durkin returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing the June 15 game at FC Dallas due to yellow card accumulation.
The Hampton, Virginia, native who was acquired in the offseason from D.C. United has started 15 games this season.
Durkin was not allowed to travel with the team to Texas during his suspension. He watched the 2-0 loss on television.
“My wife and I were on the couch yelling, screaming,†Durkin said. “Tough to watch. But it makes you more grateful and thankful to be back on the field when you have that chance.â€
Scouting Atlanta
Atlanta is coming off a 1-0 win over D.C. United on Wednesday and heads into Saturday’s match with plenty of momentum.
“They have a very strong unit,†Carnell said. “And they have a bit of belief now. They must be feeling pretty good about themselves. We want those feelings back as well.â€
Thiago Almada scored the lone goal in Atlanta’s victory Wednesday to become the second-leading scorer in franchise history, but he’ll miss the trip to ºüÀêÊÓƵ because of yellow card accumulation.
Atlanta is 1-0-1 under interim coach Rob Valentino, who took over when Gonzalo Pineda was fired June 3 after being in charge since 2022.
No matter the foe, Durkin feels City SC needs to pick up the pace at both ends of the pitch.
“I think maybe we’ve spent too much time focusing on why the ball just didn’t go in the back of the net rather than the next play,†Durkin said. “It’s always about the next play. It’s doesn’t matter what happened, it’s a matter of what happens next.â€