It took nine games but the Philadelphia Union have finally won in 2017.
In an emphatic manner on Saturday night the Union posted a 3-0 win over rivals New York Red Bulls. CJ Sapong lit up the night with his first career hat-trick. Sapong also jumped to seven goals on the year, tying his total for 2016, and tying for first in the MLS golden boot race. On the other end of the pitch Andre Blake shined bright making several all-important saves to give his side a shut out. One more than one occasion the Jamaican keeper denied what seemed to be a clear cut goal, making the save right on the goal-line. The Red Bulls had its share of chances, and on another night the score-line could easily have flipped. Chances went wasted in the box as Red Bull players failed to hit the target in some golden opportunities.
The Red Bulls will feel hard-done by the first goal, gifting the ball to CJ Sapong in the defensive third. Then Sapong’s shot, deflected by Damian Perrinelle, lifted over Luis Robles and into the net. The ensuing minutes saw 2 great chances go wanting, and the Union capitalized, as Sapong notched his two more in a span of 12 minutes.
Two major events seemed to turn the match around for the Union. Roland Alberg and Ray Gaddis had to come off after sustaining injuries concurrently, and were replaced by Derrick Jones and Keegan Rosenberry respectively. Jones brought energy into the midfield, and allowed Alejandro Bedoya to surge forward and complement the attack. Meanwhile Rosenberry didn’t get many touches on the ball, but brought some energy to the defense to shore up the shut-out in the final minutes. Hopefully neither Alberg or Gaddis will be out long, as both help protect the 0-0 scoreline going into the final half-hour and were crucial in the past several games for the Union.
This win doesn’t do much for the Union, however, as the team still sits in last place. But it is a sign of better days. After leaking goals in the first 7 matches, the Union have kept a shut-out in the last two matches, showing that Coach Jim Curtin has made the necessary changes to shore up the defense. Now it is just a matter of riding the table and earning each result as it comes.
Summary:
The first chance of the game went the Union’s way. Alejandro Bedoya played Chris Pontius in the channel, where the winger was able to play a cut-back cross for Roland Alberg. Alberg had a difficult task to find the net from an area outside the goalmouth, and tried to curl his shot near post. Luis Robles was positioned well and parried the shot wide easily.
The Union came close a second time off a free kick 19 yards out. The shot had too much curve, however, and curled past the near post from Medunjanin’s left footed shot.
Andre Blake cleared the first chance for the red Bull’s beautifully off the line. Daniel Royer put a great cross in the Union box, fizzing by the goalmouth for the oncoming Bradley Wright-Phillips. The striker couldn’t get enough on the shot to power it past Blake, with Gaddis defending him tightly and making the job difficult for the attacker. Blake went down to his right to bat away the ball before it could cross the goal line and kept the game scoreless.
The Red Bulls came close again in the 42nd minute, but Bradley Wright-Phillips was unable to hit the target from a tough angle. Kemar Lawrence made the cross, getting to the endline in a wide area, but Wright-Phillips couldn’t hook his finish. He did well to get past the near post on his run, but from that area it would have taken a perfect touch to redirect the ball on target.
At the half the score was 0-0. The Union looked slightly stronger, but it was anyone’s game at this point, as neither team took control in the attacking third.
A spectacular effort in the 60th minute was the first chance for either team of the second half. A deflected cross flew high in the air, and Alex Muyl found enough space for an acrobatic overhead kick. He got power on his shot, but couldn’t find placement, and skipped his shot into Blake’s arms.
The Red Bulls let another chance go wanting in the 69th minute, and will be disappointed they didn’t open teh scoring. Daniel Royer got goal-side on Keegan Rosenberry at the back post, but sliced his shot from 4 yards wide across the goal.
The Union struck back with a great chance of their own a minute later through CJ Sapong. Chris Pontius floated a great cross in the box and Sapong rose uncontested. His header was destined for the corner but Robles had other thoughts. The keeper flew through the air, palming away the ball just before the goal-line. This was, despite some of Blake’s heroics, possibly one of the saves of the game; in which both keepers had to be flawless.
The scoring was opened in the 72nd minute by CJ Sapong with a deflected effort that swerved over Robles. Aaron Long was at fault for the goal, mishitting his clearance and sending Sapong in a 1v1 with Damien Perrinelle. Sapong took on the shot just outside the box and was fortunate that the defender could only tip the ball backwards, giving Robles no chance.
The Red Bulls missed wide yet again in the 78th minute, but just so. Aaron Long had a chance to make up for his error earlier, and dove low to head from 8 yards. The deliver from Lawrence was a thing of beauty, but Long’s glancing header gave the ball enough spin to curl away from the net.
Again and again the Red Bulls attack connected in the box, but this time Andre Blake reacted quickly to save a shot from 6 yards out. Wright-Phillips did well to put his first-timed shot low from a cross, but Blake did better, making a world class save, diving to his right and keeping the lead.
The Union doubled the lead in the 81st minute through a headed goal by CJ Sapong. Herbers put the initial ball in the box, finding Chris Pontius at the back post. Pontius’s header was put back across the net, leaving Robles stranded as Sapong was able to head into an empty net.
CJ Sapong completed his hat-trick in the 84th minute, all in the span of 12 minutes. Chris Pontius tried to cross the ball, but was rejected by the outstretched hand of Michael Amir Murillo. The ref took a second, then pointed to the spot. Sapong grabbed the ball with no hesitation, and sent Robles the wrong way, sealing 3 points, and the Union’s first win since 2016.
Thoughts:
The Union has played around the Red Bull press well in the first half. Passes in the back aren’t going to the closest defender, instead skipping one or two to find the gaps in the press. The team needs to take advantage of this, and get the ball forward directly afterwards. Instead they play a side-ways pass and allow Red Bull forwards to slide back into position.
Delivery on free-kicks are right on top of Robles. It seems Curtin wants to exploit the keeper’s height, and put the ball right in front of the goal, hoping his big players can get a touch before the keeper.
Slow start to the second half. Both teams aren’t sending many men forward. As the half wore on the Red Bulls grew into the game, and began sending men forward, as the Union looked to counter through Sapong or Picault.
After the first 15 minutes of the second half the game started getting stretched. Great chances came at both ends but it wasn’t until a defensive miscue that either team could find the net.
It took a bit of luck, and two deflections for the Union to take the lead, but it was a huge pick-me-up for a struggling Union as they went on to score 3 and take 3 points.
The rest of the game was like a deck of cards crumbling to the floor. The Red Bulls saw several chance flash before their eyes, each a chance to tie the game from good positions. The score-line doesn’t say it all, as the Red Bulls were wasteful and on another night the score could have flipped either way.
Box Score and Line-ups:
Andre Blake (18)
Raymond Gaddis (28), Jack Elliott (3), Oguchi Onyewu (5), Fabinho (33)
Alejandro Bedoya (11), Haris Medunjanin (6)
Fafa Picault (22), Roland Alberg (10), Chris Pontius (13)
CJ Sapong (17)
Bradley Wright-Phillips (99)
Daniel Royer (77), Sacha Kljestan (16), Alex Muyl (19)
Felipe (8), Tyler Adams (4)
Kemar Lawrene (92), Damien Perrinelle (55), Aaron Long (33), Michael Murillo (62)
Luis Robles (31)
Yellow NYRB: Aaron Long 8’
Yellow PHL: Fafa Picault 25’
Yellow PHL: Haris Medunjanin 26’
Sub PHL: Keegan Rosenberry (12) for Ray Gaddis 62’
Sub PHL: Derrick Jones (21) for Roland Alberg 62’
Yellow PHL: Jack Elliott 66’
Sub NYRB: Frederik Gulbrandsen for Alex Muyl 70’
Goal PHL: Sapong 72’
Sub NYRB: Mike Grella (13) for Daniel Royer 76’
Sub PHL: Fabian Herbers (14) for Fafa Picault 78’
Goal PHL: Sapong (assist Pontius) 82’
Sub NYRB: Derrick Etienne (7) for Felipe 82’
Goal PHL: CJ Sapong (Pen) 85’
Yellow PHL: Andre Blake 87’
New York Red Bulls
Philadelphia Union
