Playoff chances slip with 3-2 loss in Columbus

The Philadelphia Union will need a win on Decision Day at home against FC Cincinnati and some help after being dealt another blow to their playoff chances with a loss in Columbus on Saturday night.

Prior to kickoff, the Union got an assist from Inter Miami beating Toronto FC but they fell behind early and were unable to stage a second half comeback against a Cucho Hernandez-led Crew team that wrapped up second place in the Eastern Conference with a 3-2 win and made it three wins out of three in all competitions against the Union this season.

Now the Union face a must-win on the final day of the season at home and will need DC United or CF Montreal to lose in order to grab the 9th playoff spot.

Getting a result at Lower.com Field was always going to be a tough task but the Union dug themselves an early hole when Cucho Hernandez connected on a header off a corner kick and put the ball past Andre Blake in the 4th minute. Cucho had a bid to double the lead soon after but Blake was there to make one of a couple key stops on the night for the boys in blue.

The Union answered on a set piece of their own when Jack Elliott’s driven free kick created a long rebound that Nathan Harriel was able to hit in across the goal mouth in the 25th minute to restore hope but Mohamed Farsi splashed some cold water on that feeling when he set up and finished a chance with a put back on a Blake rebound in the 41st.

Cucho went back to work on the corner kick to find the Crew a third goal in the 76th minute with a headed ball past Blake that seemed to seal the result. But moments after taking the 3-1 lead the Crew had a rare moment of sloppy play in the back that led to a Jack McGlynn chance inside the D he was able to strike clean to make it 3-2 with 12 minutes to go.

With the momentum of scoring off the bench driving him, McGlynn nearly connected on another shot in a similar location off a feed from Quinn Sullivan but his shot went wide of the mark. McGlynn would also have a late crack at the goal on a dangerous free kick but it was a chance he and Kai Wagner created for Daniel Gazdag that was the most haunting chance of the night. Gazdag was in on goal in a good spot but his attempt went high of the mark.

The Gazdag chance was a kind of summary of the Union’s season, where the downs have outnumbered the ups and the one thing that felt like a sure thing every year – making the playoffs – feels like anything but. Yes, there is a benefit to having 9 teams make the playoffs in the conference because there is something still to play for for teams in the Union’s predicament but the Union’s loss coupled with a DC United win on Saturday means there will be some intense scoreboard watching for Union fans to do at Subaru Park on Decision Day October 19.