Union bounce back with narrow win, keep control of shield race

The Union fought hard for a 1-0 win Saturday, bouncing back from a tough week against Vancouver and Nashville.

The first 45 minutes weren’t their best. The Union had a tough time in the midfield, giving the ball away and struggling to connect in the final third. Their passing was off, which led to broken plays and made it easy for the other team to recover.

The Union created a few half-chances, but the shots were either off target or too weak to bother Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner. The half ended 0-0 with both teams unable to create any significant chances.

“Today, it was a bit of a grind, and good teams learn how to grind and get the results,” Union coach Bradley Carnell said in a post-game press conference. “We had to dig deep. We had to suffer a little bit, but I think we had control of much of the destiny today.”

Whatever was said in the locker room worked because the Union came back from halftime with a lot more energy. The midfield started moving the ball around well, connecting more passes. The team pressed hard when they lost the ball, and kept that pressure all the way to the end of the match.

“The halftime chat was all about showing where space was in the first half,” Carnell said. “It didn’t change, and we felt that we executed that much better in the second half. We gained control of the game and were able to dictate the rhythm of the game.”

The breakthrough happened midway through the second half. A quick build-up led to a low cross from Union forward Milan Iloski, who found Union forward Bruno Damiani. With a quick tap of the ball, he slid the ball past the keeper to give the Union the lead.

“I think if I didn’t score that goal, Tai [Baribo] was there, also. So, I’m very happy to score, but a team effort comes to a win,” Damiani said.

From that point on, the Union controlled the game, looking a lot more confident than in the first half. The defense stayed organized and kept the Revolution’s chances to a minimum.

Union goalkeeper Andre Blake returned to the starting 11 and didn’t have much to do except catch a few crosses. The backline, composed of Frankie Westfield, Nathan Harriel, Jakob Glesnes, and Kai Wagner, did a good job of clearing any danger when the pressure was on.

“I mean, we won 1-0. I don’t think we played our best game attacking-wise. Defensively, I think we kept it pretty solid,” Union midfielder Indiana Vassilev said. “We had a little bit of a rough patch about it now, but that’s what our defense is, to step up and keep clean sheets. That’s what we were able to do today.”

Even though the performance was a bit uneven, what really mattered was the win. The Union showed their fans that the team can step up when it matters. There are some things to clean up offensively, and they have three more games to do so.

“Going forward, I don’t think we played our best game, but it’s getting nitty-gritty at the end of the season where you just win games,” Vassilev said. “You have to find a way to win games, and we’ve won today. So, we have three games left. It’s in our hands.”

The Union find themselves at the top of the Supporters’ Shield by three points, and hope to keep their top spot when they travel to face D.C. United on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.