May 15, 2024
Chester, PA
The Philadelphia Union certainly has faced with more than its share of early scoring deficits this year. Usually stingy with opponent wins at home, Philadelphia suffered its fourth consecutive home loss Wednesday evening at the hands of New York City FC. Was the raccoon that stopped the game when it wandered onto the field a harbinger of Philadelphia’s 2024 season?
Philadelphia redefined going down early when its defense again collapsed, this time within the second minute of play. Former Philadelphia Union player Andrés Perea passed to Santiago Rodríguez, who pinpointed a perfect diagonal to NYCFC’s Alonso Martínez. Philadelphia’s keeper Oliver Semmle had no chance for a save.
The teams exited the field at half time with NYCFC in the lead 2-0, when just before the whistle Semmle misjudged a Hannes Wolf free kick from the right wing. The ball curved directly into the Philadelphia goal.
Having missed the Saturday’s game due to yellow card accumulation, Julián Carranza scored at the 47th minute on a push free kick by Jack McGlynn past the reach of the former Union reserve keeper, Matt Freese. With a 2-1 scoreline early in the second half, Philadelphia was in position to draw or possibly win the game.
That did not happen, however. During the 4th minute of stoppage time, Philadelphia’s Jack Elliott did put the ball in the net, but Dániel Gazdag was judged offside for his back-pass to Elliott and the game ended with a score of 2-1.
Photographs of the game appear below:
Both the raccoon and NYCFC exploited holes in Philadelphia’s defense.
Leon Flach in his first start after an injury-laden 2023-24. 
Fans welcomed back Julián Carranza after he missed the Orlando game due to yellow card accumulation.
The Hannes Wolf free kick that found its way into the Philadelphia net.
Semmle stopped Santiago Rodríguez from adding to the NYCFC scoreline.
Dániel Gazdag trying to mount a comeback in the second half.
Nathan Harriel about to receive a pass near the NYCFC goal.
