All three of the Philadelphia Union substitutes helped spark a late comeback over FC Dallas with two late goals, including a stoppage-time winner from captain Alejandro Bedoya, to salvage a 2-1 win on Saturday night at Talen Energy Stadium.
The Union out-shot Dallas 18 to three and controlled 56 percent of possession.
While the home side controlled most of the match, clear goal-scoring opportunities were minimal, as the Union appeared too tentative to make the final pass or shot.
By the end of the match, 44 percent of the game was played in the Union’s attacking third.
Head coach Jim Curtin confirmed after the match that the Union had 47 penalty area entries compared to just 13 for Dallas.
“That [the penalty area entries stat]was a tale of the game,” Curtin said. “I think we had control of it but it took us a while to push through and get the first goal.”
While Bedoya was the hero of the match for scoring the winner, Curtin’s three substitutes – Cory Burke, Ilsinho and Jamiro Monteiro – proved to be the difference makers and the ones who earned the breakthrough.
“All three subs were guy who, I can tell you from experience, defenders don’t want to see come on,” Curtin said. “No one wants to defend for 60 minutes and then see Ilsinho come on to the field and run at them for the last 30, no one wants to see Cory Burke come in and bang with the center backs, no one wants to see Monteiro come in because he can impact the game in so many ways – you saw that today.”
The equalizer came when substitute Jamiro Monteiro unleashed a rocket at Jimmy Maurer in the Dallas goal. The keeper was unable to control the shot, and head ref Timothy Ford ruled that Reto Ziegler impeded another Union substitute, Cory Burke as a penalty was awarded.
The Philadelphia Union’s Cory Burke scores the equalizer against FC Dallas late in the match (Photo credit Charlotte Thomas)
“It was desperate times, so we just tried to get our best XI on the field,” Curtin said. “We needed Jamiro’s ball winning as the game got really stretched and open.”
Marco Fabian stepped up, and after a slight delay, had his penalty saved by Maurer, only for Burke to smash the rebound back into the net.
As the match entered stoppage time, a draw seemed destined.
However, late heroics from Ilsinho played Bedoya into the right side of the Dallas box with a chance to shoot or pass.
Bedoya, who was shuffled after Monteiro’s substitution to play as a right back, cut back to his left foot and curled a shot around Maurer to the back post as Talen Stadium erupted.
“I think I did see in the corner of my eye there at the back post I could have passed it over there,” Bedoya said, “but, nah, I’m in the box right there I’m going for it.”
Not a minute later Bedoya was on the other side of the field, winning the ball in his own box and ensuring three points.
“At that point of the game I was so exhausted,” Bedoya said. “I put everything into that goal and with the celebration, I wasted even more energy doing it, but I was just elated.”
An exhausted Bedoya breathes a sigh of relief after scoring the winner against FC Dallas.
Reto Ziegler opened the scoring for Dallas from an almost perfect free kick just ten minutes into the match. Marco Fabian fouled Ryan Hollingshead on the play, tripping up the defender off the ball.
The remainder of the first half was played mostly in the attacking third for the Union. Attack after attack was repelled by Dallas, but the Union continued to press and won the ball back high up the field.
A flurry of rendezvous into the box couldn’t get the Union the ideal shot, and often were just one pass away from a clear chance.
Halftime came and went and the Union still failed to create any clear opportunities as 60 minutes came and Curtin changed his personnel and shape into a 4-2-3-1.
The changes ended up crucial for Curtin: Monteiro hit the shot that led to the penalty, Burke earned the penalty and scored the equalizer, and Ilsinho assisted Bedoya for the winner.
The Union faithful’s patience was paid off, and on the appropriately named “faith night”.
Philadelphia moves into a three-way tie in second place in the east with Toronto FC and D.C. United with 10 points.
Meanwhile Dallas remains in fifth in the west, albeit with the same number of points as the Union.
