Julián Carranza, the 23-year-old Argentinian who came to the MLS in 2019 via Inter Miami CF has found a home – and a place to grow – in the City of Brotherly Love.
His first goal of the night, a 12th minute low curler from the top corner of the box, came after a quick getaway from his marker. All Montréal keeper James Pantemis could do was watch it roll into the back of the net as it barely beat his outstretched body.
It's the kind of footballing intelligence that must have the Union home office fielding queries regarding the young forward's future.
"He's getting better and better. It's always a dangerous thing because you know what happens next," Philly gaffer Jim Curtin told reporters after the match. "He's a striker that can score. He's a striker that presses, so if you're a team that likes to press, he's a dream for a coach.
"And again, he has that South American kind of savviness in front of goal where he has a knack for running hard in the box. He's not afraid to put his body on the line to get a goal. So really proud of the season Julián's had, it gets better and better."
Carranza's nine goals and three assists this season is making a case for his inclusion in the upcoming 2023 MLS All-Star Game and is closing in on the pace for a Golden Boot award this season. And that's not even taking into consideration his great defensive work - something Curtin noted.
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"The best strikers in the world are ruthless, and I think Julián has that. I guarantee if you asked every center back that he banged into tonight they feel him, you know what I mean? He's very, very physical. The way he pressed, and defensively, the amount of tackles that he wins. The work rate. He was relentless for the 90 minutes," said Curtin of Carranza's three recoveries, two interceptions, a won tackle and the 20 duels he was involved in during the match.
"There's still a lot to play for, a lot of season left, but we're in a good spot and it's the same group of guys. We're still really, really good," said Curtin. "It's a solid group and I'll go to battle with them any day of the week."
This article was originally published on 90min as Julián Carranza is a growing threat in Philly's already dangerous arsenal.