Game Thread: Philadelphia Union 1 vs Chicago Fire FC 0, Final

Game Updates

90+7′- Final whistle! Union escape with a Win!

90+6′- Chicago spends way more time with the ball than the Union.

90+3′- Kamara kicks Carranza in the head during a 50/50 ball. He is shown a yellow, which is his second of the night, earning a red card. Chicago is now playing down nine men.

90+1′- The fourth official shows at least 6 minutes of stoppage time.

90′- TORRES GOAL! No one tried to close him down, and he got a clear shot from outside on goal. The shot goes off the gk hands and into the net.

88′- The second corner’s service goes to the back of the net and eventually out for a goal kick. During the set-piece Kamara goes down on the ground and spends a few extra seconds to slow the game.

87′- Union corner after a shot from Gazdag goes wide. The service goes off a Chicago player for another corner.

83′- The Union are making their final sub bring Sullivan on for Mbaizo. Bedoya drops back to play RB.

80′-Mbaizon crosses it into the box, which finds Torres’ head, the 5 foot 5 guy sends it wide of the net.

76′- Corner amounted to nothing. Before the service, Chicago made their final change of the night. Casas replaced Shaqiri.

75′- No one wants to shoot on goal this night. Gazdag gets a header across the goal. No one can get on the other end, and it goes out for a corner.

74′- Bedoya comes together with a Chicago player and earns a yellow for his actions. I guess the player did have a scoring opportunity around the middle of the field even though it was 1 vs 4.

72′- Torres gets tripped by Navarro, giving the U a free kick from the right side. The service is sent towards the penalty spot but is defended by Chicago.

71′- Mbaizo and Navarro go after a ball, and then Navarro goes hard into the ad board on the sideline. He slows the play down by holding his wrist.

64′- A good service from Bedoya crosses it into Carranza, who heads it over the net. Also, a Chicago player is down on the ground and is slow to get up, and now Pineda is coming on to replace that player, Gimenez.

61′- Jack Elliott is shown a yellow card for a tackle he committed on Kamara. At the same time, the Union makes two substitutions. McGlynn and Torres come on for Flach and Uhre.

55′- Fire is making two subs here. Mueller and Souquet replace Przybylko and Dean.

52′- Union has their third corner of the night. Wagner delivers it past everyone, and the Chicago gk gets the ball. Also, after a player gets knocked down from a shoulder by Elliott, he spends some extra time on the ground.

50′- A late tackle by Herbers, who doesn’t even attempt to get the ball and is shown, rightfully so, a yellow card. That is his second of the night, and so he is shown the Red card.

46′- Teams are back on the field, and there were no changes to start the second half.

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 Time Stats

Philadelphia Union
Shots – 4
Shots on Goal – 1
Possession – 43.9%
Fouls -11
Yellow Cards – 1 (Martinez)

Inter Miami CF
Shots – 10
Shots on Goal – 2
Possession – 56.1%
Fouls – 6
Yellow Cards – 4 (Teran, Kamara, Navarro, Herbers)

45+10′ – The whistle is blown, and the teams head to the dressing room.

45+5′- Mbaiso is back and handles the throw-in from the sideline. Wagner shows up late to Przybylko, who gets studs on the top of the foot. There is some complaints from Chicago to show Wagner a card, but no card has been shown. The free kick ended with a goal kick for Bendik.

45+2- Martinez and Herbers get into each other’s face after Mbaizo goes down, and Chicago doesn’t put the ball out of play. The two were shown a yellow card. Meanwhile, Mbaizo is still down, and the training staff is again on the field. It’s been a busy night for the staff.

45+1′- The fourth official shows 9 minutes of stoppage time.

40′- Przybylko returns to the field.

38′- While the play is stopped, there is a little dust-up with Kamara and Glesnes. It ended with Kamara being shown a yellow card.

36′- Glesnes, who was in the air, and Przybylko then get an elbow into the side of the face. Play is immediately stopped as the team doc walks Przybylko through a concussion protocol on the pitch.

33′- Bendik is checking in for Blake, who gets fist pumps from the other Union players. Blake walks behind the net and straight into the dressing room.

32′- Now he is down on the ground after the U regained possession, beating the ground with his fists. Meanwhile, Bendik is taking the warmup off and is on the sideline waiting to check into the game.

30′- Blake, who seems to be dealing with a groin injury, made an incredible diving save.

27′-Przybylko header saved by Blake.  Blake has shaken up again, and doesn’t look like he will be able to finish the game.

24′- Wagner’s service is towards Glesnes, but it gets knocked down. Bedoya gets on top of the second chance shot and sends it toward the net. But his shot goes wide of the net.

23′- Martinez is up and walking to the sideline. Meanwhile the Union are getting set up for a set piece from center of the field.

22′- Martinez goes down after taking an elbow to the throat by Chicago’s Gimenez. Training staff is on the field taking a look at him.

16′- Union killer Kamara gets into the penalty box, and between him and Przybylko, they get a ball pass Blake. However, Chicago is ruled for offsides.

15′- Blake gets up from the ground and limps around after an on-field collision.

13′- From the corner kick, the ball gets volleyed inside the box, and Carranza’s left-footed shot gets cleared by a defender at the line.

12′- Eliott from the left side, and his shot goes off a Chicago defender for a corner.

12′- The match’s first booking goes to Chicago’s CB Teran, who pulled Uhre down a few yards outside of the box.

8′- Wasted opportunity after a beautiful run by Mbaizo down the right side. He dribbles it into the box and then sends it to the top, where Carranza sends it over the crossbar.

6′- Chicago’s second set piece ends with contact inside the box, giving the U a free kick.

2′- Union now with an early set piece of their own from the left side of the box. The ball is curled into the box and then sent out. The second ball is sent back into the box, and the boys in blue are called for a handball to end the threat.

1′- Week 3 is underway for the Union. The U are in the dark blue and are attacking from right to left. We also have a set piece for Chicago right outside the top right corner of the box. The delivery is into the 6-yard box, but the shot goes wide of the net.

Starting Lineups

Philadelphia Union

Starting XI is locked in🔒

📝👉 https://t.co/yBkO8vqWmn#StartingXI | #PHIvCHI | #DOOP | @MLS pic.twitter.com/RiAbWO2ByH

— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) March 11, 2023

Chicago Fire FC

Tonight's #cf97 starting XI vs Philly. @Hyundai | #PHIvCHI

— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) March 11, 2023

VS CHICAGO

With a series lead of 13-10-7, the Philadelphia Union have a strong history against Chicago Fire FC. In their last encounter, the Union dominated, scoring four goals and clinching a 4-1 victory at home. This impressive performance showcased the Union’s depth of talent with four different players finding the back of the net.

Building on their success, the Union are confident as they enter their next match against the Fire. They have an unbeaten record in their last eleven home games against Chicago, dating back to August 2013. With the home-field advantage and a passionate fan base cheering them on, the Union are looking to continue their winning streak.

HOME FORTRESS

Subaru Park has become a fortress for the Philadelphia Union, and they’re determined to maintain their unbeatable home record. Currently on a 24-game MLS home unbeaten streak, dating back to September 3, 2021, the Union are on par with Sporting Kansas City as the third-longest unbeaten streak in MLS history. With only Real Salt Lake and Houston recording longer unbeaten streaks, the Union are hungry to make history.

Playing at home is where the Union excel. They have a dedicated fan base that creates a unique and electrifying atmosphere, and their players thrive in that environment. As they gear up to face Chicago Fire FC, the Union are looking to continue their impressive home record and solidify their place as one of the best teams in MLS.

Injuries/Absences

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

  Philadelphia Union

• OUT: None

  Chicago Fire FC logo

• OUT: Justin Reynolds (left ankle)
• OUT: Jairo Torres (right upper leg)
• OUT: Federico Navarro (left upper leg)/li>

How to Watch

Where: Subaru Park, Chester PA
When: 7:39 p.m.; Saturday, March 11, 2023
Streaming: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass
Announcers: Jenn Hildreth, Lori Lindsey
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

Officials

REF: Guido Gonzales Jr
AR1: Kathryn Nesbitt
AR2: Matthew Nelson
4TH: Logan Brown
VAR: Kevin Terry Jr
AVAR: Gjovalin Bori