CHESTER — What looks on paper like the low point in Bruno Damiani’s first season as a member of the Philadelphia Union was just another day in the life of a striker, albeit shaded toward the rough side of the spectrum.
What one could trace as the redemption arc a month later, Damiani waves away as a goal that had he not scored it, Tai Baribo would have from a yard behind him.
Freed of narrative embellishment, here’s what is true:
Damiani, the club’s record signing in February, has seven goals, a general underperformance of strong underlying stats. But in the last four games, Damiani has three goals, all of them game-winners, two in 1-0 decisions, the third arguably against the run of play for the opener to tilt what would become a 6-0 win over D.C. United.
Those nine monumental points have the Union in position to win a trophy for just the second time in club history on Saturday.
“Scoring is a big thing for the strikers,” Damiani said Thursday. “Maybe this year was not the best year about scoring, but it’s good to be in the final matches of the year, knowing I’m in a good moment.”
The Union (19-7-6, 63 points) enter the penultimate weekend four points clear in the Supporters’ Shield race. If the Union defeat New York City FC Saturday night (7:30, Apple TV+), they would hit 66 points and 20 wins (the first tiebreaker), a level no club can reach by winning out. Unlike when they won the Shield in 2020, the trophy is expected to be in the building Saturday, should it need a lifting.
They arrive there with Damiani in fine form, looking like the match winner he was brought here to be.
Things haven’t always gone smoothly for the Uruguayan. He has seven goals and one assist in 1,868 minutes, with an expected goals tally of 11.6. He has six nonpenalty goals on a nonpenalty xG of 9.2. That indicates he is getting into dangerous positions but isn’t finishing chances.
The most lamentable was a missed penalty kick Aug. 16 at New York Red Bulls. The hosts scored less than 10 minutes later for a 1-0 loss. It was the latest worrying sign for a player who does a whole lot of good things but wasn’t doing the thing for which he is specifically paid.
Damiani’s adjustment was … to just keep getting into those positions and seeing what happens.
“I think what I did well is just not stop working,” he said. “It’s not that I’m doing something different now, but sometimes it’s hard when you are not scoring to keep motivated and do the hard work. And I think that was the key to now being in a good moment.”
The commitment from head coach Bradley Carnell never wavered.
Even as Damiani struggled in the measurables, his physical play and defensive work remained central to how Union players scored. At 56 goals in 32 games, the rest of the cast was doing fine. Damiani isn’t the first striker to struggle to adapt to life in MLS, the acclimation cleaving across classes of player value and experience.
Damiani’s first assist of the season came against D.C., and it’s exemplary of what he provides. He received a pass at the top of the box, with a center back draped all over him, and warded off his man long enough to play a simple pass that Milan Iloski blasted into the net from 23 yards.
Carnell has seen that consistency, but also marginal improvements in how Damiani has worked in film study to recognize patterns of play and develop more chemistry with teammates.
“He’s invested in the team, but we’ve invested in him,” Carnell said. “And I think that shows as well.”
Damiani, with a soft-spoken voice and English he has worked assiduously to improve from strong fluency when he arrived, isn’t worried about the numbers. That applies when they flatter and when they tell of struggle.
“All the coaches really value my work, and I really feel that,” Damiani said. “It gives me confidence. I obviously care about the opinion of the fans, but the opinion that I am really curious about is my teammates’ and the coaching staff. They are the one who want the best for me. And the coaching staff believes in my work. That’s why I came here, and that’s why they are playing me that much.”
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The Union may face a midfield patchwork this week. Quinn Sullivan is lost for the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee against D.C. He remains around the group this week.
“It’s tough, no doubt,” Carnell said. “Quinn has been the main driver of positivity, which has been amazing, just to see him bouncing that very next day, all smiles, supportive, walking onto the field, watching the guys train and stuff like that. He’s actually helped us get over that news. But I think it’s also helping him in this situation.”
Indiana Vassilev (knee contusion) and Jeremy Rafanello (hamstring) left the D.C. game early. Vassilev returned to training on a limited basis Thursday. Rafanello will be out Saturday.
Mikael Uhre also came out of the D.C. game with a leg injury. He and Vassilev will be evaluated Friday.
Last week, Carnell went to Ben Bender for a spell. He also has Cavan Sullivan, who recovered from a slight groin injury and doesn’t depart for the Under-17 World Cup until next week.
Using one of the three starting-caliber No. 6s — Jesus Bueno, Jovan Lukic or Danley Jean Jacques — at the 10 is an option.
The Union get Baribo back from suspension this week, though they remain without Frankie Westfield, who is at the Under-20 World Cup.
Source: Berkshire mont
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