Gallery – Philadelphia Steamrolls Saprissa 4-0 in CONCACAF Home Leg

April 14, 2021

Chester, PA

The home field advantage definitely exists, but particularly advantageous is the Union’s field in Chester. Last year, Philadelphia lost but one game at home, albeit an especially painful playoff loss to New England. But on Wednesday evening, for the second leg of its CONCACAF Champions League match-up, Philadelphia demonstrated underscored superiority over Costa Rica’s Primera Division, Deportiva Saprissa.

The Union won (1-0) the first leg of the match-up against Saprissa on April 7, 2021, which ended with a dirty tackle by Saprissa’s Ricardo Blanco on Kai Wagner and a physical altercation between the teams in the aftermath. In Wednesday’s second leg, Blanco kept his high jinx to a more covert level, although Wagner could be seen informing the referee of a high elbow. The crowd, however, repeatedly reminded Blanco that he should have been shown red in the first game. He was booed on his every possession.

Despite Philadelphia’s early control of the game, because of lost scoring opportunities, the first half ended with no score. In the second half, the Union’s scoring was fast and furious. At the 47th minute, Jamiro Monteiro converted the penalty kick after Saprissa’s penalty on Philadelphia’s Anthony Fontana. Four minutes later, Kacper Pryzbylko ripped a header into the goal off of a Monteiro assist. A mere three minutes later, Fontana scored (see photo below) off of a Monteiro assist. In the waning moments of the game, Monteiro added the bernaise sauce (see photo below) with a fourth goal in the ninetieth minute.