Low Five: Philadelphia Union blow second half lead in fifth straight tie

Andre Blake stood on his head in the first half and Nathan Harriel nodded home a corner kick just after halftime to improbably put the Philadelphia Union in front but Columbus Crew leveled on a penalty kick to hand the Union their fifth straight tie Saturday night in Columbus.

Union head coach Jim Curtin rolled out an experimental lineup with three at the back and Chris Donovan and Quinn Sullivan starting up top, giving Daniel Gazdag, Mikael Uhre and Julian Carranza the first half off. Thanks to the usual Blake heroics, the Union were able to get to halftime with the game scoreless against a fully rested Crew team with its sights set on leapfrogging the Union in the standings.

Curtin subbed in Gazdag, Uhre and Carranza after the break but it was a pair of starting defenders who put the visitors in front when  Harriel was able to slide inside the six unmarked and redirect a Kai Wagner corner kick into the back of the net in the 50th minute.

Carranza, who cleared concussion protocol after missing last game, was instrumental in two would-be game winners after coming on to start the second half. The first was a goal called back for offside he was able to finish after a scramble in the box and the second was a bizarre sequence that could’ve ended with a Crew player being sent off.

Carranza was able to draw a clear DOGSO in the 66th minute on Malte Amundsen but because Uhre continued the advantage play and hit the crossbar with his shot attempt Amundsen only went in the book for a yellow. Amundsen would later come dangerously close to being sent off again on another foul on Carranza.

After somehow still being only a goal down after all of that, the Crew were finally able to get on the scoresheet when Jack Elliott’s chicken wing made contact with the ball in the box on a free kick attempt. The handball call – which earned Wagner and Jesus Bueno yellow cards for dissent – followed a play reviewed for a handball that didn’t go the Union’s way in the first half and two goals the Union scored off handball penalties in the first meeting between the two teams on opening day back in February.

Cucho Hernandez was able to convert the penalty, getting Blake to dive the wrong way, and level things up at 1-1 in the 72nd minute. The Colombian international would have another penalty shout against Elliott when he went down in the box but the video review didn’t warrant another look for center referee Jon Freemon.

The Union, which played their 45th game in all competitions of the 2023 campaign, suffered another potential injury setback when Wagner limped off in the 75th minute and was replaced by Matt Real. Blake was also visibly in pain from an apparent groin injury and had Elliott taking goal kicks. Both Jose Martinez and Jakob Glesnes were not in the squad again due to injury.

Though a fifth straight draw isn’t ideal, the Union wrapped up a six-game month of September unbeaten with a win and five draws and one point behind third place with a game in hand and three points behind second place with three games left to play.

They aren’t flying high but they aren’t down and out either. Bring on Atlanta United back in Chester on Wednesday night.