Bedoya’s Stoppage-Time Heroics Secure Draw for Union Against Sporting KC

The Philadelphia Union secured a dramatic 1-1 draw on Saturday night, thanks to a last-second strike from captain Ale Bedoya. Demonstrating his critical value to the team, Bedoya’s top-left corner goal in the dying moments of the match ensured the Union left with a point.

The leadup to the equalizer will surely be debated this week, stemming from a referee decision that seemed to have gone the Unions way. Before the corner kick that served as the set piece for Bedoya, a thrown-in was awarded to the boys in blue near midfield. However, on replay it suggests the refs got the call wrong and it should have been given to Sporting KC.

With an eye on the upcoming CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Pachuca, Curtin opted to give some rest to the usual started. As it would have been the 4^th game in 10 days his players were in. This meant granting the younger players some valuable time, including a fresh front three with Donovan, Sullivan and Rafanello getting the nod.

The Union struggled to find their footing, spending much of the game on the defensive and allowing Sporting KC to exploit their vulnerabilities. As the match unfolded, Sporting KC’s dominance seemed likely to prevail, particularly after the Union failed to capitalize on the very few opportunities that they had.

It all changed when Curtin made a rare triple switch during halftime, where he brought on Bedoya, Gazdag and Wagner. Immediately you could tell the impact the three normal starters had, as they were creating more chances and getting balls into the box.

The game’s intensity peaked in stoppage time, with the Union desperately pushing for an equalizer. A penalty shout by Gazdag in the 90+2nd minute was waved off by the referee, heightening the sense of urgency. However, it wasn’t until Bedoya’s last-minute heroics that the Union found their reward, leaving Kansas City with a hard-earned point.

The Union will next play Tuesday night in the first leg of the round of 16 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. That game kicks off at 7 pm.