Philadelphia Union super-sub Joaquin Torres makes immediate impact

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Union
Mandatory Credit: El Parcero Philly

It did not take long for Joaquin Torres to show the impact he will have on this Philadelphia Union squad for the upcoming season. In fact, it only took the Argentine midfielder one minute to do so. Torres was substituted on the pitch in the 79th minute for striker Mikael Uhre, and with his first touch of the ball, he caused everyone at Subaru Park to freak out.

Union
Mandatory Credit: El Parcero Philly

Torres’ impact for Philly cannot be understated

Fans were jumping up and down in excitement while oohing and aahing throughout the entire River End. He received a pass from Daniel Gazdag and then proceeded to get by both Darlington Nagbe and Philip Quinton with two fantastic spins, leading to a wonderful pass to Julian Carranza for his second goal of the night. The 80th-minute goal gave the Union a 4-1 lead over Columbus, confirming the three points and completing the dominant performance by the Boys in Blue.

High praise from the manager

This dominant cameo by Torres is exactly what Jim Curtin and the Philadelphia Union wanted to see out of their new signing. In his post-match press conference, Jim Curtin praised Torres saying:

“Joaquin is going to help this team a ton. I think he is going to contribute a lot. Great kid. He works so hard. I’m glad that the fans got to see, almost instantly, just how special he is going to be.”

Union Head Coach, Jim Curtin

The praise by Jim Curtin is good to hear for both Torres and Union supporters, as the club will look to utilize the midfielder a lot this season, due to the large number of games being played.

The Union will be participating in four different competitions this season, and they are the following: the MLS Cup, the Concacaf Champions League, the US Open Cup, and the new Leagues Cup that was announced this past offseason. Torres will be used both off the bench and in the starting lineup, so this type of performance he had was a good outlook for the upcoming season.

The next game-changing sub

The type of impact that Torres had on the match was similar to a player who used to play for the Union, and he was one that all supporters should remember. His name was Ilsinho, or Skillsinho, as others may have known him. Ilsinho was a super sub during his time with the Union, who was able to use his phenomenal on-the-ball skills to help him out on the pitch. With the small cameo that Torres showed against Columbus, I could see some similarities between the two players.

They both are absolutely phenomenal on the ball, which Torres will definitely use to his advantage throughout the 2023 season. If he keeps coming on in the 60th minute or later during matches, Torres would be able to use his skills to get by the tired defenders and help produce some offensive chances for the Union. Having the ability to do this will be a blessing for Jim Curtin, as he will have the chance to put a phenomenal offensive threat on the pitch if he needs to. 

All in all, the debut of Joaquin Torres was one that Philadelphia Union supporters will love to see, and will hope to see more of in the future. Torres will hope to be a vital piece of a Union squad that will be looking to bring more trophies back to Subaru Park, as the club looks to improve on an impressive 2022 season.

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Mandatory Credit: El Parcero Philly