Match Preview: Union face Querétaro for second time in two weeks

Three days after an unconventional victory against rival side New York Red Bulls in penalties, the Philadelphia Union take to the pitch Friday to face Querétaro in the League Cup Quarterfinals.

After thunderstorms pushed the U’s Round of 16 matchup to Tuesday, the Philadelphia faithful were left thinking the storm clouds remained over their heads. The Red Bulls struck early, with forward Elias Manoel slotting home an uncontested service from Omir Fernandez in just the fourth minute of play.

The remainder of the first half was abysmal for the Boys in Blue. A very stagnant attack with poor passing and multiple defensive mistakes left the Union vulnerable, but as the play progressed, the team began to settle in and took a 1-0 deficit to the half.

In the second half, the U’s attack began to threaten the tired Red Bulls side. The 55th minute introduced forward Mikael Uhre to the match, who utilized his speed to stretch the game and create many vital chances. The revitalized attack resulted in eight corners for the Union, including a service from defender Kai Wagner that homegrown Nathan Harriel brilliantly headed away to level the game in the 68th minute.

The Boys in Blue again found themselves deadlocked after 90 minutes, resulting in another set of penalties for the squad. Goalkeeper Andre Blake proved decisive once again, this time, saving Lewis Morgan’s penalty attempt to start the Union off on the right foot. Key conversions by Jack Elliott, Mikael Uhre, Julian Carranza, and Jesus Bueno, along with a Red Bull miss by Daniel Edelman, sent the Boys in Blue past their northern rival and into the Quarterfinals.

However, a point of concern came when midfielder Daniel Gazdag went down in the 55th minute with an apparent knee injury, forcing a swap by the Union to bring in Jesus Bueno. Gazdag has been crucial to the Union attack, but he will be sidelined for the quarterfinal match against Querétaro.

Thankfully, in a press conference Thursday morning, Curtin discussed Gazdag’s injury saying, “Tomorrow will be too quick, but I don’t think Tuesday can be ruled out.” Gazdag suffered a grade 1 knee sprain, and while Curtin claims that there is “no direct swap for Dani,” he is still confident in his squad, reassuring that “we need to step up as a team to ensure his spot is filled.”

The Union’s opponent will not make that any easier for them. Querétaro comes into the City of Underdogs with the biggest Cinderella story of the tournament. A squad that finished only tenth in Liga MX last season has found their footing in this tournament, beating Tijuana, Pumas, and New England while only conceding one goal. Their last defeat came against this Philly side, with a 5-1 loss in Chester less than a month ago.

Curtin proclaimed, “You’re seeing a team that has grown into this tournament. Yes, we did beat them, but beating them twice in this quick amount of time is a very, very hard thing to do…they find ways to manufacture goals, and they’ve been the surprise of the competition.”

But the Union are up for the challenge. Defender Damion Lowe also spoke to the press Thursday, saying, “We have to stick to our play and get the job done… they have good players that we respect, so we have to focus in and win the game.”

This focus will be key for the Boys in Blue to find themselves with a Semifinal match in Subaru Park, as the noise around the game centers around Inter Miami. The newest additions of Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Lionel Messi have been crucial for the bottom-of-the-table squad finding themselves the heavy favorites in every Leagues Cup tie. Inter Miami faces Charlotte FC in the Quarterfinals tonight at 8:30 p.m. where the winning side will play either Philadelphia or Querétaro in the Semifinals.

However, Inter Miami seems to be just noise for the U, as Jim Curtin affirmed, “We don’t say the M word around here; we’re focused on Querétaro.”

You can catch the Boys in Blue in action tonight at 8 p.m. at Subaru Park, on MLS Season Pass, or listen to the incredibly talented Dave Leno and Sheanon Williams call the game from 97.5 The Fanatic.