Nathan Harriel leads a noble defensive effort in Union’s scoreless draw with Pachuca

Scoreless draws are soccer’s favorite kind of Rorschach test, especially for newer fans to the sport.

How would Tuesday’s game vs. Mexico’s Pachuca become the Union’s best performance this year, especially in a first half that was a terrific tactical chess match?

Well, start with the easy part: It was the Union’s first shutout of the year. A team down two starting-caliber centerbacks ended Pachuca’s 11-game streak with at least one goal.

The visitors in the Concacaf Champions Cup game certainly had chances, blazing many of their 18 shots into the stands. But the Union’s defense did its part, from Andre Blake’s return to the makeshift unit in front of him: 16 interceptions, 10 clearances, and seven blocks. Blake only had to make three saves, and none of them proved too difficult.

José Andrés Martínez was all over the field: 54-of-59 passing, four tackles, eight defensive recoveries, and a staggering 18 duels won out of 25 contested. He also was impressively controlled, committing just one foul.

Pachuca star Salomon Rondón, a fellow Venezuela national team stalwart who formerly played for England’s Newcastle United and Everton, was surely as impressed as anyone.

» READ MORE: Shorthanded Union battle Mexico’s Pachuca to scoreless tie in Concacaf Champions Cup

And in the kind of game that usually requires veteran savvy, the Union’s young players stood up. Jack McGlynn completed 57 of 66 passes, including some beautiful long balls and 10 passes into the attacking third of the field. Quinn Sullivan adapted seamlessly to Union manager Jim Curtin’s tactical tweak to a 4-3-2-1, lining up next to Dániel Gazdag in a dual playmaker role behind Mikael Uhre.

Then there’s the player who was under the most pressure of anyone on the night, Nathan Harriel. He had to step in at centerback with Damion Lowe and Jack Elliott suspended. While Harriel had played centerback before, he’d never done so against a team like this.

If this was your first time watching him, you wouldn’t have noticed. Harriel had four clearances, five recoveries, two interceptions, and one block, and won five of the eight duels he contested. He didn’t stray far from the back line unless the game gave him room to, a smart willingness to keep things simple.

“I didn’t try to overcomplicate anything — I tried to play things safe, and just importantly do my job,” Harriel said afterward. “The biggest thing that Jim stressed to me yesterday leading up to the game — the whole staff, actually — just do your job, play it safe, no need to overcomplicate it. And I’m pretty sure I executed that tonight.”

He also got lucky late in the first half when he committed a clear handball that gave Pachuca a penalty kick, but it was waved off because a video review caught a handball by Pachuca’s Pedro Pedraza in the buildup.

» READ MORE: Nathan Harriel has earned a reputation as a 'Swiss Army knife' of the Union's defense

With that in the rearview mirror, it was easy for Harriel’s teammates to praise his performance.

“I’m proud of Nate, the way he stepped up tonight,” Blake said. “He played it seamlessly, and thumbs up to him. He was willing to listen. I tried to guide him where necessary, and he did an amazing job.”

Then came McGlynn, whose view was a bit farther away but still close enough.

“To jump in at centerback against a guy who’s played in ‘the Prem’ [the English Premier League] before, he did a fantastic job,” he said. “He was calm on the ball and won all of his duels. I think he had a great game for us and he was solid back there.”

One might wonder if the TV audience included U.S. men’s Olympic team coach Marko Mitrović. McGlynn has long been a near-lock to go to Paris this summer, but Harriel has made an impressive late run to try to earn a spot on the notoriously tight 18-player squad. A right back who can also play left back or centerback in a pinch, and who can jump high to meet free kicks, can be a real asset.

“I think it shows his versatility, which is key in those short rosters,” McGlynn said. “The coach can trust him at different positions. I think he’s been playing really well and has a really good chance.”

» READ MORE: The Union finally signed marquee academy prospect David Vazquez

Harriel said he’s trying to not think about it too much since there’s a lot to do before then — including a home game vs. always-mighty Seattle on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV, paywalled) before next Tuesday’s series finale at Pachuca (8:15 p.m., FS1).

“Right now, I’m just really focused on advancing to the next round, and I’m getting ready for the weekend against Seattle here,” he said. “But I mean, whatever I’m asked to do with them, hopefully, I’ll be on that roster.”

If the Union can get a win or tie in Mexico, it will be one of their all-time feats. They pulled off a 2-2 tie at Atlas last year, but Pachuca is a better team — and the Estadio Hidalgo is a staggering 7,843 feet above sea level, over 2,500 feet higher than Atlas’ home in Guadalajara.

There are no moral victories, but a hard-fought loss should be noble enough for the Union to head back north with their heads held high. Tuesday night offered much proof of the Union’s quality and their potential for the long year to come.