Union come up short in rare loss to New York Red Bulls

For the first time in six years, the New York Red Bulls finally beat the Philadelphia Union, earning a 1-0 win in Harrison. The result came only three days after the Union knocked New York out of the U.S. Open Cup with a 3-2 thriller. This time, though, the Red Bulls took advantage of a rotated Union lineup and made the most of the game’s smallest margins.

Philadelphia left Tai Baribo, Quinn Sullivan, and Bruno Damiani on the bench to start, with the plan being to frustrate New York and keep the game tight. From the opening whistle, the match reflected that approach. Play was constantly broken up by fouls, duels, and misplaced passes. The numbers told the story, with the Red Bulls completing 276 passes at 70 percent accuracy and the Union just 251 at 67 percent. For a team chasing the Supporters’ Shield, those percentages were alarmingly low even for Philly’s standards. 

The Union’s best moment came in the 60th minute. Damiani, after being subbed on, was brought down in the box by former Union goalkeeper Carlos Coronel. Surprisingly, he stepped up to take the penalty instead of Tai Baribo, the team’s top scorer and a far more experienced option. Damiani’s attempt was poor, struck low to Coronel’s left, and easily turned away. That chance alone inflated Philadelphia’s expected goals to 1.24, compared to New York’s 0.33. Without it, there was little threat. 

New York punished the miss not too long after. With the Union defense stretched, Kai Wagner was left covering too much ground, which allowed Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to slip Dylan Nealis through. Nealis drilled his shot low across Andrew Rick, who had replaced the injured Andre Blake earlier in the first half. Rick looked comfortable throughout the match, but he committed too much to his near post and left the back corner open.

One ongoing concern for Philadelphia is its continued reliance on goals that do not come from open-play possession. Too often, they depend on set pieces or turnovers forced from opponents rather than their own ability to create. At this stage of the season, it has become a recurring theme, and it cost them again here.

A player who flew under the radar in the match for the Union was Milan Iloski. Out of their current forward rotation, he looked the sharpest and most inventive. Instead of forcing obvious crosses, Iloski created space with clever chops and looked for the smartest option in the final third. He could become vital in linking play as the season closes. His eventual partnership with Indiana Vassilev will also be worth watching as they both possess a similar skillset in terms of technical ability. Vassilev is not a goals or assists player, but his calm presence and ability to connect midfield to attack give the Union balance when he is available. Milan Illoski could benefit from having a like-minded player on the pitch with him. 

For the Red Bulls, this was a statement win. Sitting on the playoff line, every point matters. With Emil Forsberg and Choupo-Moting driving the attack, New York once again looks like a team that can grind its way into the postseason and make life difficult once they are there. For the Union, the loss means more dropped points and slippage in the Shield race. A return to Subaru Park against the Chicago Fire should provide a chance to bounce back. The goal for Philadelphia has to be to get the goals flowing again. They have their talisman in Tai Baribo, but who else will step up in moments of need?