CHESTER, Pa. — The second Matt Freese was taken out of the Philadelphia Union’s Wednesday game with an injury, the club had to find a backup goalkeeper to Carlos Miguel Coronel.
That meant sporting director Ernst Tanner had to be briefed on another unique element of Major League Soccer: the pool goalkeeper.
“When I heard about the rule, it was pretty new to me,” Tanner said on Friday. “I immediately needed to ask what kind of rule it is. I certainly did not expect that we are taking use of it so soon.”
Pool goalkeeper Charlie Lyon will backup Coronel for Saturday’s game at Talen Energy Stadium against the New England Revolution.
Lyon received the call that he would join up with the Union on Wednesday night and flew from his base in Portland on Thursday morning.
“I found out on Wednesday night, probably 6-7 pm Pacific Time and then was on a plane at 11 am the next morning,” Lyon said on Friday.
“It’s a unique position,” Lyon said. “Basically I’m housed in Portland for the year and I’m ready for any kind of situation like this. I didn’t know it was still in existence at the start of the season with the USL partnerships. Once I got that opportunity, I was really excited about it.”
During his time in Europe, Tanner would have been able to call upon a young goalkeeper in the club’s system to fill the backup role, but signing one of the Union’s academy goalkeepers to a MLS deal would affect their NCAA eligibility.
“That is exactly the reason why we didn’t (sign an academy player),” Tanner said. “It’s a short term period probably and that’s exactly why this rule is good and we are in favor of it.”
Lyon has been getting up to speed with the club in training, while Coronel is working on preparations to make his second start on Saturday night.
“Ultimately, it’s the same game played everywhere so there’s a little bit of this common language even if I don’t know names and personalities and personnel just yet,” Lyon said.
“It’s not a situation I’ve personally been in, but obviously I’m familiar with it happening on other teams,” Coronel said. “This is why we keep three goalkeepers in case of an emergency situation like this. I’m ready to take this opportunity.”
Coronel made one start for the Union when Andre Blake was away on international duty and he has received minutes for the club’s USL Championship affiliate Bethlehem Steel.
“Those appearances have definitely helped,” Coronel said. “I’m happy that I’m not going in with not having played this season. Despite the timing of the events on Wednesday, I’m glad that I’ve had a couple training sessions now and I’m ready for Saturday.”
Coronel and Lyon are expected to be the top two goalkeepers on the Union depth chart for at least another week.
Blake could be back in training as soon as next week and the target for his return is the May 18 home game against the Seattle Sounders.
Freese is out 4-6 weeks and should be back in time to backup Coronel or start while Blake is off with Jamaica at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup.