Report: LA Galaxy sign Philly native and Union nemesis John McCarthy
McCarthy, 31, went to North Catholic and La Salle and broke Union hearts in MLS Cup 2022.
Philadelphia native and Union nemesis John McCarthy has found a new home.
The veteran MLS goalkeeper has signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy, according to a report from The Athletic. Terms of the deal have not yet been revealed. McCarthy, 31, played the last two seasons with the Galaxy’s city rivals, LAFC, infamously coming off the bench in MLS Cup 2022 to stifle the Union on penalty kicks.
» READ MORE: Even after breaking the Union’s heart, LAFC goalie John McCarthy is the ‘same dude’ from Mayfair
A graduate of North Catholic and later La Salle, the Mayfair native played for the Union from 2015 to 2019 and made 30 appearances as Andre Blake’s backup. Primarily a backup throughout his career, McCarthy exits LAFC with the team closing in on a deal for former World Cup-winning goalkeeper Hugo Lloris from Tottenham Hotspur.
The Galaxy played three goalkeepers in 2023 with Englishman Jonathan Bond (24 starts) and Jonathan Klinsmann (eight starts) leading the way. Meanwhile, McCarthy started 25 league games last season for LAFC while starter Max Crépeau recovered from a broken leg. Crépeau broke his leg and was handed a red card late in MLS Cup 2022 with a game-saving tackle on Cory Burke, which paved the way for McCarthy’s heroics against his hometown team.
In the penalty kick shootout, McCarthy did not allow a goal on three Union spot-kicks and was awarded MLS Cup MVP.