CHESTER, Pa. -- Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin talks often about Cameroonian teenager Eric Ayuk being a player with special ability - but also one that has a lot to learn about playing in MLS.
Never was that magnified more than in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with the Montreal Impact.
After scoring a terrific first-half goal, Ayuk dealt his team a big blow when he was sent off following his second yellow card of the second half, spoiling the Union’s own man-advantage and possibly preventing them from getting a full three points in a wild, rain-soaked evening at PPL Park.
“We go up a man and it seems like we have all the momentum in the world,” Curtin said. “Then it was kind of a rollercoaster of a night for Ayuk, a young player who will hopefully learn from this.”
Curtin opted to give Ayuk his first start since May 9 because he liked the matchup against Montreal’s outside backs. And that paid immediate dividends when the 18-year-old winger blasted one into the top corner of the net to give Philly a 1-0 lead within 10 minutes of the opening whistle.
But his night was ruined in the second half when he was shown yellow cards in the 62nd and the 77th minute, the second coming just moments after Union captain Maurice Edu tied the game at 2-2.
“I was so disappointed because of the red card,” Ayuk said. “I let my team down. They worked hard, and [during] the rest of the week we worked so hard to get to that point.”
Although despondent in the locker room, Ayuk said he didn’t think the ejection was entirely “fair” -- a view shared by his coach.
Afterwards, Curtin contended that the first yellow on Ayuk, in which he appeared to beat Dilly Duka to the ball, was not even a foul, let alone a card. But it was the second yellow, in which Ayuk went in too hard on Ignacio Piatti, that showed the youngster’s inexperience.
“He’s got to be smart playing on a yellow card,” Curtin admitted.
Still, the Union coach believes the talented 18-year-old will learn from his up-and-down night. His teammates do, too.
“You grow from it,” Edu said. “It shapes you and it creates character. Obviously he took his goal very well and we were all pleased and happy for him because he’s a guy that works hard in training and he deserves every bit of success that he gets.
“But now he makes a silly mistake there toward the end of the game where we could maybe push on with the man advantage to get the go-ahead goal, Edu continued. “So you help the team but you also hurt the team a little bit.
“It’s one of those games. We’ve all been in those situations before. He’s a young kid, so he’ll learn from it.”
