Union take first game of playoff series over Fire in penalties

Jesus Bueno calmly converted from the spot to win a penalty shootout and give the Philadelphia Union a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three series with Chicago Fire after a drama-filled ending to the first playoff match at Subaru Park since 2023.

Goals from Indiana Vassilev and Milan Iloski five minutes apart had the Supporters’ Shield winners comfortably in front with a 2-0 lead in the 75th minute. But the Fire – brimming with confidence after a late season surge and a wild card win over Orlando City – refused to go quietly and pulled a goal back in the 85th minute through Jonathan Bamba and a stoppage time equalizer from Jack Elliott.

Elliott, the former Union stalwart, connected from distance three minutes into stoppage time with low strike off a redirected free kick from Bamba. The Fire captain had a chance to put his team in front in the penalty shootout after a Mikael Uhre miss but his attempt was saved by Andre Blake and Joel Waterman’s attempt denied by the crossbar set Bueno up for the decisive kick. Frankie Westfield, Iloski and Tai Baribo also converted in the 4-2 shootout win.

It wasn’t the first time Bueno has played the role of penalty shootout hero: the Venezuelan sealed shootout victories over New York Red Bulls and Mazatlán FC in the 2023 and 2024 Leagues Cup.

The Union will head to Chicago for game two with a chance to advance on Saturday.

Though it was overshadowed by the late drama, the Gregg Berhalter-led Fire were able to keep the sellout crowd at Subaru Park restless through long stretches of the game. Though Jovan Lukic had a promising rocketed shot go wide of the target in the 8th minute, Andrew Gutman had a big chance to grab the lead on a headed attempt off a Maren Haile-Selassie cross on a recycled corner in the 16th minute that missed the target and a back-peddling Blake was able to deny Bamba in the box on a counter in the 39th minute.

Blake came up with a big stop on Haile-Selassie from close range at the hour mark with the game still scoreless for the most impressive of his three saves on the night during regulation.

The Fire defense, led by Elliott, was able to limit the Union’s looks and blocked 7 shots on the night but it was Uhre, shortly after subbing into the game, who was able to find the breakthrough with Elliott defending him 1v1 on the right flank when he cut the ball back and curled a pass to the far post to Vassilev on the run. Vassilev chested the ball down to himself and was able to finish off the play with a strong left-footed finish past Chris Brady.

Five minutes later, Danley Jean Jacques and Lukic defending in the middle of the park produced a turnover and a quick pass to Baribo, who found Iloski streaking down the right flank. Iloski pulled up in the box, cut to his left and fired a shot past Brady to make it 2-0.

The Fire illustrated why the 2-0 score line is considered dangerous when they pulled back a goal off a corner kick that Elliott initially headed off the post in the 85th minute. The ball fell to Bamba in the box and he put it in through traffic to make it 2-1.

Following an eventful stoppage time period that included both an Elliott equalizer and a straight red card shown to Sergio Oregel, who flew in after a confrontation between Brian Gutiérrez and Kai Wagner and knocked Wagner on the ground, the game went straight to penalties.