Even after breaking the Union’s heart, LAFC goalie John McCarthy is the ‘same dude’ from Mayfair

McCarthy returns to Subaru Park on Wednesday night when the Union host his LAFC soccer team in the first semifinal leg of the CONCACAF Champions League.

John McCarthy helped Los Angeles FC beat the Union in last year's MLS Cup final after entering the game as a late injury substitution.Read moreJose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

by Matt Breen

Published April 25, 2023, 1:20 p.m. ET

Only a few hours had passed since John McCarthy came off the bench to become MLS Cup MVP, so Jerry Brindisi wasn’t expecting his call to be answered. He coached McCarthy years earlier at North Catholic and wanted to leave a message last November for his old goalkeeper, telling him how proud he was after McCarthy stunned the Union — the hometown team he debuted with in 2015 — in penalty kicks.

“He picked up,” Brindisi said. “I never expected him to pick up.”

McCarthy grew up in Mayfair, fell in love with the game at Holy Terrors, went to St. Matt’s, won a Catholic League title at North, played college soccer at La Salle, and bounced around pro soccer before providing the saves LAFC needed last year to topple the Union in the MLS Cup.

Of course, he answered. McCarthy was the game’s MVP but he was still John from St. Vincent Street.

“The whole experience was great,” McCarthy said. “But it definitely didn’t change me. I’m still the same dude from Philly.

“It’s not like I grew up and things were handed to me. I grew up in a blue-collar family with a lot of good people around me and I’m from a hardworking city. I remember where I came from. When you have good people in your corner who believe in you and you believe in yourself, you just have to remember what got you where you are.”

McCarthy returns to Subaru Park on Wednesday night when the Union host his LAFC team in the first semifinal leg of the Concacaf Champions League. He parlayed his MLS Cup surprise — McCarthy entered a tie game in the final minutes when the starter was issued a red card and broke his leg on the same play — into a starting job.

McCarthy has proven to be more than a good story as he’s been one of the league’s best goalies this season. He ranks third in goals against per game (0.86) and has saved 76% of his shots.

McCarthy went undrafted in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft and spent a season with the Rochester Rhinos of the USL, the second-tier of American soccer. The Union signed him in February of 2015 but intended to stash him as a third goalie. When one goalie got hurt and the other underperformed, McCarthy got his chance. The hometown kid started 11 games in 2015 but was back on the bench for three seasons.

He was just 25, but McCarthy’s career seemed to already peak. McCarthy, refusing to believe that, went back to the USL to take a starting job and show MLS what it was missing. He played a season with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, recorded a shutout in a third of his starts, and returned to MLS as a backup with Inter Miami FC. McCarthy’s career kept churning.

“I’m the guy who will always bet on myself. Always,” McCarthy said. “Hard work pays off is one of the things I truly believe in. At the end of the day, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep the dream alive and step on the field and play. I believe in my work. I believe that every single day, I show up to work and put a good shift in. I try to push myself to be better and push the guys around me to be better.”

McCarthy moved to Cinnaminson after his freshman year of high school, but he still came over the bridge every morning. His dad, John, starred at Father Judge and his mom, Liz Anne, went to St. Hubert. Everything he knew was in Northeast Philly. So he stayed at North Catholic, recorded a shutout in the 2008 Catholic League championship, and was the last goalie for one of the region’s all-time soccer powerhouses before North closed in June of 2010.

McCarthy wrapped his infant son last Halloween in a Wawa blanket, wore a Phillies jersey to a press conference when the Phils were in the World Series, and is locked into the Sixers. His career has taken him across the country, but McCarthy is still the same kid who drove to Philly every morning for high school.

“I only hang out with my grade school friends and a couple high school buddies,” McCarthy said. “I’m still the same guy. I’m in the group text with all my friends. You have your group of friends who you always hang out with. Just a bunch of Northeast dudes.”

He signed with LAFC before last season as their backup. Then he got his chance. Brindisi — wearing his Union jersey with McCarthy on the back — was watching with a group of North Catholic guys back at the Port Richmond Pub. He texted McCarthy a picture before the game and McCarthy responded with a picture of himself with Giorgio Chiellini, his LAFC teammate who won the World Cup with Italy. McCarthy wasn’t in Mayfair anymore.

“A World Cup winner,” Brindisi said. “Well, I guess you win John. I’m all Kevin Bacon’d up. Two degrees from a World Cup winner.”

Later, Brindisi could feel the eyes of the bar turn to him once McCarthy entered in the 117th minute and the score tied.

“They’re looking at me like, ‘Yeah, who you rooting for now, Jer?’ Uhh,” Brindisi said. “I just want to see him do good and boy, did he do good.”

The Union and LAFC both scored in extra time, sending the championship to penalty kicks. McCarthy stopped two Union shots and watched another chance sail over the crossbar while his LAFC teammates converted their three.

McCarthy started the day as the backup. He ended it by lifting the trophy and celebrating on the field with his family as the MVP. It was perfect.

“I still smile when people mention it,” McCarthy said. “You dream about lifting trophies and the last time I lifted a trophy was with Jerry at North. You kind of take it for granted as a kid. You play in tournaments every other weekend and have a chance. This was an awesome moment and something you dream about as a player. It’s amazing.”

Before McCarthy celebrated that night with his team, he watched the Phillies lose in the World Series. It was the day Philly became the first city to ever lose two championships in the same day. McCarthy felt the joy of the one defeat before sharing in the agony with the rest of his hometown.

“My buddy, Ry, had 10-15 people at his house and the guys I grew up with were all with him,” McCarthy said. “They went over to watch the final because I was playing in it and the Union were playing in it, but the World Series was like their main thing. They were like, ‘Dude, it was a whirlwind of emotions.’ My friends were pulling for me once I got in the game, but they were pulling for Philly, too. Then, when the Phillies lost, they were at such a high for me and a low for Philly. It was a crazy day.”

The signature moment of McCarthy’s career before last November was his debut in 2015 with the Union. He was 22 years old and pressed into duty on a Saturday afternoon at home. North closed five years earlier but a group of alumni — “We have a pretty thick-as-thieves soccer thing even 13 years after we closed,” Brindisi said — came to the game with McCarthy shirts.

The hometown kid got his chance and delivered as the Union edged NYCFC, 2-1. He found the North supporters after the game and waved a Falcons flag on the field.

“He comes back over and says ‘What are you guys doing now?” Brindisi said. “I said, ‘John, I think we’re going to Byrne’s.’ This is a pro soccer player and he turns around and says ‘Can I come?’ ‘Yeah, you can come John.’”

McCarthy celebrated his first MLS win by eating wings with a bunch of neighborhood guys in Port Richmond.

“After a while, he says, ‘You mind if I get going. I’m going to go meet a couple guys on the corner,’” Brindisi said. “I don’t think you see that a lot in pro sports anymore. He just remembers where he came from. He doesn’t forget anyone who was involved with his career growing up.”

Years later, the guy who asked if he could go to Byrne’s was the same guy who answered his phone on the biggest night of his career. Of course, he did.

“We talked for 10 or 15 minutes,” Brindisi said. “He goes, ‘You mind if I get going? We’re probably going to meet the team for a little bit.’ ‘You’re probably going to meet the team? I can’t believe you even picked this phone up for me.’ He’s such a good person. You can’t be happier for him. I’m sure he’s gotten discouraged here and there like everyone. But I’ll tell you, he’s never going to quit.”

“Nothing is easy,” McCarthy said. “Especially when you’re trying to make it as a professional. Then when you make it, you never take a day for granted. At the end of the day, I never know how long I’m going to be playing this game for. Whether it’s people don’t think I’m good enough anymore or an injury or something else happens. It’s always been my dream to be a professional soccer player. I don’t take it for granted and it’s been a great ride.”