Keeper Jones to start for Union against Columbus
It's been an eventful few days for Union keeper Matt Jones. On Thursday, his son, Jackson, was born. Then, on Tuesday, he was told he will be making his first Major League Soccer start when the Union host the Columbus Crew on Wednesday at Talen Energy Stadium.
It's been an eventful few days for Union keeper Matt Jones. On Thursday, his son, Jackson, was born. Then, on Tuesday, he was told he will be making his first Major League Soccer start when the Union host the Columbus Crew on Wednesday at Talen Energy Stadium.
Jones will be replacing Andre Blake, who left to train with the Jamaican national team in preparation for the Copa America tournament.
Blake had played every game for the 5-3-5 Union, who are in first place in the Eastern Conference with 20 points. He is third in MLS with a 1.08 goals-against average.
The 30-year-old Jones is on loan from CF Belenenes of Portugal's first division. Over the last four years, he has appeared in 99 games in Portugal.
"He has played a lot of big games in the top league in Portugal," Union coach Jim Curtin said during a news conference Tuesday.
John McCarthy, a product of North Catholic High School and La Salle University, will be the backup. McCarthy appeared in 11 MLS games last season for the Union.
Curtin said he leaned heavily on Union goalkeeping coach Oka Nikolov to make the decision.
"We expect Matt to have a strong performance," Curtin said. "He has been excellent in training and has a lot of confidence."
Jones said he won't be awed at making his first MLS start.
"I played a lot of games in my career, so it won't be a new thing," he said. "I will be fully ready."
Jones got to play one game for the Union's USL affiliate, the Bethlehem Steel. He played the entire game May 15, a 2-1 win over Montreal.
He said that not playing to this point for the Union has been difficult but not totally unexpected.
"Whenever I played in my career I have been the No. 1, but I knew the situation before I came here," he said. "The club was very open with me when I agreed to sign, and they said [Blake] would get the first shot, and that was fine by me. It was a decision I made, and it's been my job to push him every day."
As for the birth of his son, Jones said, "It's an amazing feeling for me and my wife."
The Union are 2-0-5 in their last seven games and will be off from MLS action for the Copa America break, returning June 18 at NYC FC.
Columbus is 3-4-5, but the Crew are 3-1-3 in their last seven games.
@sjnard