Is It Any Wondo The Union Dropped Points In The Final Minute: San Jose Earthquakes 2-2 Philadelphia Union

It seemed like the Union had this match in the bag, until they didn’t anymore. When all they needed was to run out the match, Josh Yaro committed a completely unnecessary penalty in the final minute of stoppage time, allowing Chris Wondolowski to tie the match at 2 with the final kick of the evening, depriving the Union of all three points they appeared set to earn.

Things got off to a rather rotten start for the Union. In the first five minutes of the match, Valeri “Vako” Qazaishvili received a seemingly harmless ball at the top of the box. The Union appeared to have the play covered, but Vako got past Alejandro Bedoya and Roland Alberg rather easily. With the Union defenders ball-watching in the box, Vako surprised John McCarthy with a shot that got past him and into the back of the net to put the Earthquakes up 1-0. Given the rotten way the Union ended their last match against Montreal Impact, it appeared the Union were going to be on their way to a dreadful road blow-out.

But that was not to be, though. Though the Union never really controlled the first half, they at least managed to get their feet back under them. And in the 35th minute, the Union managed to get themselves back in the match with a goal. Haris Medunjanin crossed the ball into the box, but instead of someone instantly being on the receiving end, the ball bounced off several bodies landing on the pitch before rolling around some more. Eventually, Jack Elliott found it and struck it past San Jose Earthquakes keeper Andrew Tarbell to even the match at 1. Despite being outplayed for most of the half, the Union entered the locker room at half time even at 1.

Ten minutes after the second half began, the Union excitedly took the lead in the match despite their rather porous start. A long Chris Pontius throw-in found Elliott. Elliott, who had a monster match for the Union as he makes his push into rookie of the year contention, flicked the ball back to Alberg and Alberg scorched it past Tarbell to put the Union up 2-1.

The Earthquakes pressured heavily in the final minutes but each time they were unable to convert or the Union defense was up to the challenge. But with literally a minute left in 2nd half stoppage time, Josh Yaro made an incredible mistake. With Shea Salinas inside the box but in an unenviable position near the end line, instead of just guiding him around, Yaro went for an aggressive play and chopped Salinas down, drawing the attention of the referee and a penalty. Chris Wondolowski stepped up to the spot for the final kick of the match, sent McCarthy the wrong way and the ball into the net to even the match at 2 as the referee blew for full time before the match could be restarted again.

Instead of three points, the Union leave San Jose with only one point and a whole host of regrets. Up next for the Union is another road match. They will travel cross-continent to Toronto this Wednesday to take on first place and red-hot Toronto FC.