CHESTER, Pa. – Last August, forward Steven Lenhart came off the bench for Columbus and netted two second-half goals on well-executed headers to lead the Crew past the Philadelphia Union, 2-1, at PPL Park.
For Philly, it was another frustrating loss in a season filled with them. And following the game, Union defender Danny Califf, who was right around Lenhart on both goals, took responsibility for the result, saying, “I should have been able to prevent it – that’s my job.”
Lenhart will return to the scene of the crime Saturday with a new club as the Earthquakes take on the Union at PPL Park (4 pm ET, MatchDay Live).
The striker may be surprised to know that Califf is not taking the one-on-one matchup too personally.
“Certainly, I need to respect the fact that he’s a big guy and makes good runs and he uses his body well,” Califf told MLSsoccer.com. “But it’s not anything that I’ll be focusing extra on or that I want to get revenge or anything like that. It’s going to be a battle.”
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Just like he did at PPL Park last year, Lenhart will likely come off the bench Saturday. The 24-year-old striker, one of San Jose’s top offseason acquisitions, missed the club’s first five matches due to arthroscopic knee surgery and the death of his father. He made his debut in the 80th minute last weekend vs. Chivas USA.
Between Lenhart’s presence, the playmaking ability of Philly native Bobby Convey and the goal-scoring prowess of reigning Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski, the Earthquakes will bring a deep and strong attacking corps with them to Chester.
But with Califf leading the way, the Union defense has made great strides compared to last year’s leaky unit. So far, they’ve given up as many goals through five games (two) as Lenhart scored in one game against them last season.
However, just as he refuses to let those two Lenhart goals stick in his craw, Califf also rejects the idea that he is a better player this year than he was last year.
“Whenever the defense is better, you look at the guys in the back four and say they’re playing better,” Califf said. “Last year, we weren’t putting ourselves in a position where any of the back four could look good. Now that we’re not giving up goals, it’s like, ‘Oh, everyone’s better.’ I think it’s been a collective effort.”
Still, it’s hard to deny how instrumental Califf has been for Philly this season. One of the top defenders in MLS, the 31-year-old veteran has blocked a league-leading eight shots, including one right off the backline in the club’s last game, a 1-1 draw with Seattle two weeks ago.
He plans to keep that up this weekend when Lenhart and the Quakes come to town.
“Whenever you’re in the right spot at the right time, that’s a good thing,” Califf said. “I hope to continue to do that.”
