Carranza dazzles as Union dominate Montreal to extend unbeaten run in MLS

The red hot Philadelphia Union, despite being forced to make multiple changes to the lineup that they sent out for their midweek fixture against Charlotte, kept their excellent run of form intact with a dominant 3-0 win over a shorthanded CF Montreal side on Saturday night. 

Jim Curtin, faced with his team’s second match in three days, was forced to be creative heading into the match. To maintain fitness, he decided to swap Jose Martinez, Olivier Mbaizo and Damion Lowe for Jesus Bueno, Nathaniel Harriel and Matthew Real. He also moved Kai Wagner to left center back instead of his normal left wing back role, as Curtin decided to maintain the 3-4-1-2 formation that has become a bit of a revelation for this year’s side. 

Meanwhile, Montreal started almost a completely changed side from their dramatic midweek draw against DC United, in which they scored two goals in the match’s final minutes to steal a point on the road. However, unlike the Union who were able to get away with just a few changes, Montreal had the added challenge of another midweek match next week against Vancouver in the Canadian Championship Final. What resulted was, well… a bit of a lopsided affair. 

The Union began the game impressively. Just 12 minutes into the match, Real found Carranza on the edge of the area, before the Argentinian talisman sized up his defender, found a bit of space on his right foot and curled home the opening goal of the match. The classy finish was Carranza’s fifth goal in his last six MLS appearances. Real’s assist was his first of the year, and the beginning of a very strong performance from the talented young left back. 

Just minutes later, Real showed his ability on the other end. Montreal’s Zachary Brault-Guillard found himself in a pocket of space in the middle of the penalty area and looked primed to level the game before Real put in a miraculous last-ditch slide tackle to prevent a certain goal for the Canadian side. 

Then, the Union began to assert their dominance in the match. And after a long period of dangerous counter attacking and several thwarted chances, Mikael Uhre put the boys from Chester ahead 2-0 on a rebound from a Carranza cross that was spilled by Montreal goalkeeper James Pantemis. 

And after another brilliant last-ditch tackle, this time from Jack Elliott in the 45th minute, the Union went into the half with a two goal lead. 

Montreal made three substitutions at halftime, adding Matko Miljevic, Mason Toye and Joel Waterman in an attempt to bolster what was a bit of a weak starting lineup, but manager Hernan Losada couldn’t change his side’s fate. 

Following a brief period of slow, uninspired soccer, Carranza doubled his tally and put the Union into a 3-0 lead after his shot took a massive double deflection and somehow found its way into the back of the net. When you’re in the form that Carranza currently finds himself in, everything seems to go in (except his missed sitter four minutes later… yikes). 

The remainder of the match was a bit choppy, and besides the aforementioned Carranza miss and a Jack Elliott effort that was cleared off the line in the 78th minute, the Union seemed to be content with killing the match off. Fortunately, Montreal seemed to be equally done with the evening, and the Union cruised to a 3-0 win and climbed up to second place in the Eastern Conference. Job done. 

And considering lineup changes and the fact that this was their second match in three days, it was an impressive performance from a surging Union side. They will look to extend their nine-match unbeaten run in MLS on Saturday, June 10 against San Jose Earthquakes in the “Golden State.”