With Andre Blake out due to injury, the Philadelphia Union needed a hero. Enter Andrew Rick.
The 18-year-old goalkeeper stepped up Wednesday evening, helping secure a 5-1 win at New York City FC. Rick made seven saves as Jim Curtin’s team moved into ninth place, above the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs cutoff line.
With Philadelphia leading 3-1 in the 66th minute, Rick produced a fantastic stop that claimed Energy Moment of the Matchday presented by Celsius honors for Matchday 33.
The young homegrown, known as "Pickle Rick," sprinted back to his goalline to dive and clear a looped ball over his head, preserving the two-goal lead and allowing the Union to forge on.
The 66th-minute stop earned Rick a spot on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10.
“I’m really proud of the group; I think they’ve shown a playoff intensity because we’ve put ourselves in a situation where we have had to,” Curtin said post-match. “The players deserve all the credit, and we got some timely big saves from Andrew Rick, which you need to win games.”
The victory leaves Philly three points behind Toronto FC for a chance to host the Wild Card game.
“We know this is the standard Andrew has, so he’s capable of that,” Curtin added. “That’s what he has in his skillset, and he made some big saves tonight when we needed them most, and he’s going to get better and better... he’s only 18.”
