Jack McInerney made a tremendous statement in his first appearance at MAPFRE Stadium for Columbus Crew SC. In front of a sellout crowd Saturday night, with the Black & Gold trailing Sporting Kansas City 2-1, McInerney stepped onto the field in the 64th minute with his teammates and supporters longing to see the young forward change the game.
“I know they had a lot of faith in me, putting me in when we were down, and I had to go out there and score,” McInerney says. “They were depending on me and I just got one shot and took the opportunity."
One shot is all he needed.
“It was exciting," McInerney says. "Unfortunately, we were down at the time and we needed some goals, so I had to be put to work right away. But it was exciting to get my first touches and play in front of the home crowd and eventually get the goal.”
“The goal” wasn’t just any goal; it was the game-winner after Crew SC and Sporting KC had exchanged two goals each before the 81st minute. With just two minutes left in the match, McInerney anticipated Federico Higuain’s torpedo of a volley and positioned himself to finish the rebound off Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia’s gloves.
“My first touch of the game, I played him [Higuain] in, when he was on the right side, and he hit it first time and he tried to go back post,” McInerney says. “So I knew when he got in that time, I just had to be there for the rebound. He’d probably take that shot again, and fortunately, it fell right to me.”
Crew SC Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter credits his player’s goal scoring instinct.
“Jack is a guy that can score goals. He’s proven it in this League,” Berhalter says. “It’s just about getting his opportunities and then finishing his opportunities. I think this was just an example of his movement and how clever he was to follow the play up, where the goalie could potentially drop the ball.”
Calling himself a “poacher,” McInerney thrives on his determination to find the back of the net and specializes in second-chance opportunities.
“So many times, the ball ends up right on top of the box, and no one’s there,” McInerney says. “You can obviously score a lot of goals that way, so I’ve kind of just made it my thing to be in those spots. You never know where the ball can pop out. Somebody can make a mistake or anything could happen.”
He says being in the right place at the right time is all about preparing yourself to be in those positions.
“It’s one of those things, when you grow up playing, coaches tell you not to ball watch. It happens even at the highest level, and that’s one of the things I’ve changed about my game to put myself ahead of others,” McInerney says. “I’ve made a living off of it so far, so I just have to keep doing it."
McInerney tends to sit high on the opponent’s defensive line, even sneaking behind the defenders to keep them guessing if he’s going to check to the ball or make a run in. His movements distract defenders and make Crew SC’s already potent attack even more dangerous, as he adds to the speed and talent of Cedrick Mabwati and Ethan Finlay on the wings.
“Those guys are going to create chances and get in behind, and they’re going to look for me in front of the goal, so it just makes my job easier,” McInerney says. “I think when everyone does their job on the team, the team gets results.”
The Black & Gold got a big result on Saturday thanks to McInerney who says he felt relieved after his first goal for Crew SC.
“Anytime a substitute comes into the game, they have to affect the game somehow, and being a forward, you have to create those opportunities and score,” McInerney says. “I think coming on, you just need to be that plug, that energy that the team needs, because the last 30 minutes of the game are always pretty wide open, and teams are going back and forth. You just have to go in and affect the game in a positive way for your team.”
McInerney couldn't have done that any better on Saturday night.