Game Thread: Philadelphia Union 3 New York City FC 1, Final

Game Updates

Final

92 ‘ – Jim Curtin yells “No yellow card Jose!” Exactly what everyone else was thinking.

83 ‘ – Jesus Bueno adds his mark on the game, an errant tackle earning him a yellow card.

80 ‘ – Great play from Olivier Mbaizo down the right wing who rifles in a great ball to Julian Carranza. Carranza nearly has his hat trick but is denied by the keeper.

73 ‘ – First change of the night for Jim Curtain as Jesus Bueno comes on for Mikael Uhre.

71 ‘ – Who else but Gabi Pereira threatening down the right-hand side? His shot is saved by Blake and goes out for a corner,

67 ‘ – Mikael Uhre is the latest to have his name added to the book, given a yellow card for a late challenge.

66 ‘ – Gabi Pereira having an electric game, and has a chance but a bit too tough of a ball to fully connect on. Still 3-1 Union.

53 ‘ – Daniel Gazdag from the penalty spot makes it 3-1!  That’s his sixth penalty of the year!

HALF

45+3 ‘ – AND JUST LIKE THAT the Union grab a 2-1 lead! New York City FC were threatening to score before the end of the half. They launched a corner kick right into the arms of Andre Blake, and the Union bolted down the field on the counter. Gazdag to Uhre and then to Carranza for his second goal of the night!

45+1 ‘ – UNION GOAL! And what a goal it was!! Carranza chests down a long ball from Jack Elliott in the box and just absolutely smashes one past the keeper. Pure class from Carranza to steal one before the end of the half.

42 ‘ – Pereira almost adds another one from the right side for New York City. Hammered one off the cross-bar.

38 ‘ – Now THIS is the game we were expecting. The fouls are flying, bodies on the pitch, and Tayvon Gray has picked up the second yellow card of the game!

35 ‘ – Almost a Union goal but they are denied by the offsides flag. Good bit of play between Daniel Gazdag and Julian Carranza who provided a fantastic strike. Union still down by one.

30 ‘ – A disastrous turnover in the Union’s end opens them up. Some nice passing and a great shot into the bottom left corner by Pereira give the hosts the first lead of the night.

29′ – It took 29 minutes for us to get our first card of the night as a tactical foul leaves Jakob Glesnes’ name in the book.

22 ‘ – Dangerous ball in from New York City Fc finds Jasson. Jasson collides with Blake hard. Blake seems alright but a scary moment for Union fans.

18 ‘ – Union still on the attack, now has a free-kick and Kai Wagner very nearly catches Barraza off guard from distance. The shot results in a corner for the Union and that chance is thwarted.

11 ‘ – Corner kick for the Union. Kai Wagner whips in a dangerous ball towards Jack Elliott but the chance is missed. Back-and-forth action early in this one.

9 ‘ – Daniel Gazdag tries from distance, but it did not yield a magical result this time as the shot goes wide to the goalie’s left.

6 ‘ – A bit of a chance for New York City in the box leads to their first corner of the night. A low-hit ball finds Gabi Pereira who swiftly shoots into Andre Blake’s arms. Big missed opportunity for the hosts.

3 ‘ – New York City goalkeeper Luis Barraza’s mistake gives the Union their first corner of the night. The chance turns into nothing due to a foul in the box by a Union player.

1 ‘ – We are underway at Citi Field, and no, there is not a baseball game tonight! Philadelphia dons the dark blues and starts out defending the right side of the field.

Starting Lineups

Play ball!!! #DOOP pic.twitter.com/V6SKCFAlVu

— Philadelphia Soccer Now (@phlsoccernow) May 27, 2023

The Starting XI for the Kings of Queens 📋 pic.twitter.com/g291s2HeED

— New York City Football Club (@NYCFC) May 27, 2023

Stories to check out

Philadelphia Union vs. New York City FC: The Rivalry Continues
There are always fireworks every time these teams play. While a lot of “rivalries” in Major League Soccer can feel slightly forced, there is true animosity when these two get together. These are two highly competitive teams and they do not like each other. The feeling is mutual between the two sides in the stands. The last time these two sides played was in the Eastern Conference Finals, which saw the Union secure their first trip to the MLS Cup Finals.

Philadelphia Flying High
Philadelphia is on fire at the moment, roaring after their 3-0 victory over the New England Revolution. The Boys in Blue (the good shade of blue in this case) have racked up 13 out of a possible 15 points in league play over their last five MLS matches. With their focus shifted solely on the league, Philadelphia is now just four points 0ut of second place in the East.

That Dang Home Field Advantage
The advantage New York City FC has in their home field is just comical at this point. We’ve all made the jokes about them playing in a baseball stadium, and they’ve actually played in both New York stadiums this year, with a combined 4-0-1 record in both Citi Field and Yankee Stadium. NYCFC’s home-field advantage comes less from a fan guarded fortress, and more from the tricky dimensions of the baseball-specific venue.

New York City is Rested and Looking to Change Fortunes
New York City enters this game with plenty of rest, their last match coming on May 17th. They hope to have found the reset button during that extended vacation to reverse their bad form of late. NYCFC has not won a match since April, and have shown a great struggling putting the ball in the back of the net. If only they had a top level striker. They will try to return to form tonight.

Injuries/Absences

  Philadelphia Union

OUT: Alejandro Bedoya

New York City FC

OUT: None

How to Watch

Where: Citi Field Stadium, New York, NY
When: 7:39 p.m.; Saturday, May 27, 2023
Streaming: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass
English Announcers: Tyler Terens, Devon Kerr
Spanish Announcers: Juan Arango, Carlos Suárez
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic (Dave Leno, Sheanon Williams)
How to listen to home radio broadcast on MLS Season Pass

Officials

REF: Guido Gonzales Jr
Ast. Referee 1: Jose Da Silva
Ast. Referee 2: Gianni Facchini
Fourth Official: Adam Kilpatrick
VAR: Kevin Stott
Ast. VAR: Tom Supple