Game Thread: Philadelphia Union 0 vs Inter Miami CF 2, Final

Post Game Reaction

Join Josh in about 15 minutes for a post match show right here on spaces

— Brotherly Game / Philadelphia Soccer Now (@BrotherlyGame) March 5, 2023

Game Updates

90+8′- Final Whistle. The Union lost after two fantastic goals from Miami.

90+1′ – We will see at least 8 minutes of stoppage time. Meanwhile, Miami is making another change here, bringing Ulloa on for Mota.

90′- Corner for the Union, and the header from Glesnes is on the frame, but Callender gets his hands on the ball.

86′- Union making another change here bringing Perea on for Bedoya.

79′- Bedoya earns a yellow card for a technical foul as he stops the counterattack from Miami.

78′- Union are making a change here, bringing Sullivan on for Martinez.

77′- Taylor with a goal from the left side of the field to the top corner of the far post to put Miami up 2-nil.

75′- The player who was on the ground for an extended period was Jean. Miami is making a double switch here: Jean and Josef Martinez are off and Robert Taylor and Ariel Lassiter are on.

71′- Another good final third play here between Gazdag and Carranza that ends up as a corner kick for the Union. The corner ends after a collision between Miami players, and now one of them is down on the ground. There should be a good chunk of stoppage time added at the end.

69′- Callender makes another good save as Carranza gets the ball in the box off a great pass from Gazdag.

68′- Pray to the crossbar, as it kept Miami from getting another goal when Mota’s shot from distance hit it.

62′- Union are making their first two changes of the night. Flach and Uhre are coming off the field and are replaced by McGlynn and Torres.

59′- Extended stop here as Negri is down on the pitch. Miami has made two substitutions here: Bryce Duke and Ryan Sailor come on for Stefanelli and Negri.

53′- Miami’s goalkeeper catches the Union’s second corner of the night in the center of the box.

47′- Wagner takes a direct shot on goal for the Union, which goes out of play from a free kick earned about 10 yards from the top of the 18.

46′- The game resumes.

Half Time Stats

Philadelphia Union
Shots – 6
Shots on Goal – 2
Possession – 44.3%
Fouls -8
Yellow Cards – 2 (Flach, Martinez)

Inter Miami CF
Shots – 6
Shots on Goal – 1
Possession – 55.7%
Fouls – 8
Yellow Cards – 1 (Yedlin)

HALF

45+1′- Union’s free kick didn’t start well, but the second chance ball found the top of Elliott’s head. But the shot goes over the net. After the ball is put back in play, Penso whistles for halftime.

45′- There will be at least one minute of stoppage time.

35′- Gazdag has a great chance from the center of the box but it is saved by Callender.

34′- Miami’s Callender comes off his line and inside the box and challenges for the ball as Uhre gets flipped over the top of a diving Callendar. No call from the referee.

32′ – Jean gets an excellent long-distance shot off, and it beats Blake to go into the back of the net.

31′- Union earns their first corner of the match, and Miami clears it.

30′- Yedlin is shown a yellow card for bringing his arm up and putting it in the face of Flach.

24′- Martinez receives a yellow card for running off the field, picking up a second ball, and dropping it on the field while Miami was using the original ball.

22′- Flach receives his first yellow of the game for a bad foul.

18′ – Corner is delivered in and handled by the U. Later in the minute, Jean goes down near the end-line after Wagner’s arm crosses his body. Miami is awarded a free kick. That kick is curled toward Blake, who punches it for a corner.  The corner, Miami’s 4th, amounted to nothing.

17′- The corner is played on the ground. Miami’s Jean goes down in the box and then calls for a penalty. Penso says no and calls for another corner. After a quick check, Penso once again points at the corner flag.

16′- Miami has a freekick from the center of the pitch. The kick was an attempted shot that hit one of the Union players and went out for a Miami corner.

13′- The Union takes a free kick, but the ball goes wide of the far post.

9′- Miami takes another long shot that goes high over the net.

7′- Philly picks up a turnover in the midfield and pushes the ball up the right side. Caranza accidentally takes a ball to the face inside the 18 box, but eventually, the U get called for a foul.

1′- The Union’s 2nd game of the season is now underway. The U are attacking from right to left. The boys in blue are dealing with some early pressure here and give up an early corner kick to Miami. The kick reached the boys in blue, who cleared it out of the box.

Starting Lineups

Philadelphia Union

Same lineup, different gameday.

📝👉 https://t.co/JsXap1a7rx#StartingXI | #MIAvPHI | #DOOP | @MLS pic.twitter.com/v3FzS9tKaf

— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) March 4, 2023

Inter Miami CF

Tonight’s Starting XI vs Philadelphia Union 👏#MIAvPHI | 7:30PM pic.twitter.com/p6RmmsoXhu

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) March 4, 2023

All-Time Series History

The Union currently have the upper hand in their all-time series against Miami, with a record of 3-1-2 and an unbeaten streak in their last three matches. In their most recent meeting, the Union secured a win thanks to a penalty kick from midfielder Daniel Gazdag and a game-winning assist from defender Kai Wagner. Looking at their last five meetings in all competitions, the Union have won twice, drawn twice, and lost once.

Last Week’s Performance

Last week’s performance was impressive for the Union, with Daniel Gazdag and Julian Carranza both earning Team of the Matchday honors on Matchday One in MLS. The duo combined for all four goals of the Union’s season-opening 4-1 victory over Columbus, with Gazdag also tallying two assists for a total of four goal involvements. In fact, Gazdag has been a standout player in MLS, as he is the only player to produce seven games with at least one goal and one assist since the start of 2022. He’s also the fourth player in league history to contribute to four goals in his team’s season-opening match, and he’s just two goal contributions shy of tying an MLS record for most in the opening two games, a record currently held by Diego Rossi and Ante Razov.

But Gazdag isn’t the only player to watch out for in the Union’s line-up. Julian Carranza also had an impressive performance against Columbus, recording a brace and closing out the match with an 80th-minute goal. The Union were one of just two teams with multiple players in Week One’s MLS Team of the Matchday XI, and they’ll be looking to build on that success against Miami. With their history of success against Miami and their strong start to the season, the Union will be a team to watch in this upcoming match.

Injuries/Absences

The following is a list of names from the league’s player availability report.

  Philadelphia Union

1. • OUT: None

  Inter Miami CF

• • OUT: Noah Allen (knee)
  • OUT: Ian Fray (knee)
  • OUT: Edison Azcona (hamstring)
  • OUT: Leonardo Campana (calf)
  • QUESTIONABLE: Robbie Robinson (calf)

How to Watch

Where: DRV PNK Stadium; Fort Lauderdale, Florida
When: 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 4, 2023
Streaming: Apple TV – Free
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

Officials

REF: Chris Penso
AR1: Nick Uranga
AR2: Ben Pilgrim
4TH: Kevin Lock
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
AVAR: Cameron Blanchard