Chester, PA
The Philadelphia Union and the New England Revolution were tied up with a goal a piece at the close of the first half of Saturday evening’s game at Talen Energy Park. Defender Jack Elliott started the magic off in the eleventh minute with a goal assisted by Haris Medunjanin, although – truth be told – his scoring moves belied his usual defensive role. The team dedicated the goal to Corey Burke, who returned to Jamaica to address immigration issues. New England countered with a goal in the thirty-fifth minute when Juan Fernando Caicedo, teamed-up with Edgar Castillo, to pull the score even.
Then, against the backdrop of the crowd’s chant “we’re on top of the table,” the fun began. Ilsinho entered the game earlier than usual to replace a dinged-up Brenden Aaronson. Shortly after halftime, Ilsinho completed one of his trademarked zigzags through defenders, popping the shot up and to the right of the paralyzed New England keeper, Cody Cropper. Coach Curtin subbed an “on the mend” Sergio Santos for Fafa Picault in the sixty-fourth minute, and Santos promptly returned the favor with twin goals at the sixty-ninth (assists by Kai Wagner and Medunjanin) and seventy-fourth minutes. That would have been enough, but the crowd demanded five goals, and Kacper Przybylko stepped up after an unselfish pass by the Captain Alejandro Bedoya (also assisted by Ilsinho). With that much offensive power, David Accam was surprised to see his number up to sub for Monteiro in the eight-fifth minute, but nonetheless joined in the festivities with the sixth and final goal just three minutes after he entered the match.
The Union’s first goal by Elliott was dedicated to the striker Corey Burke, with Burke’s shirt elevated over heads
Goal no. 2 by Ilsinho was a soft lift to the right of the keeper.
Santos scoring one of his two, over a defenseless and horizontal Cropper
The Union attack was relentless, with Przybylko adding his talent to the mix
And last, but not least, was David Accam
It definitely was a difficult, if not demoralizing, evening for Cody Cropper.
As usual, it was the Captain’s glue that held it together, seen here with a smiling Wagner
