Philadelphia Union
Union make it four straight with another comeback win
Two goals down barely phases the Philadelphia Union these days.
For the second straight game, the Union were able to erase a 2-0 deficit built on two penalty kicks and take advantage of suspect defending to grab their fourth straight win and first road win since a 2-1 come-from-behind victory in Montreal in April.
Playing on the Yankee Stadium baseball diamond for potentially the last time (the two teams will meet once during the sprint season prior to Etihad Park’s opening), the Union conceded an early penalty on a mistake by teenage center back Neil Pierre, who headed a long ball backward and then dragged down a defender in the box fighting for the ball. A handball whistled in the box against Indiana Vassilev set up a second penalty and a 2-0 lead going into the locker room.
As they’ve shown during their resurgence under interim head coach Ryan Richter, the Union didn’t give up down a pair of goals and instead grabbed their first lifeline the way they have so often off a set piece that bounced around in the box and ended up in the back of the net past Matt Freese. Kai Wagner started the play with a curling free kick and after a glancing header from Cavan Sullivan sent the ball initially off Danley Jean Jacques’ leg, the Union midfielder was able to track the ball with NYC defender Max Murray in between him and the goal and knock it in.
It was the kind of scrappy goal that’s become the norm of the Richter era with Sullivan fighting to get a piece of the kick and Jean Jacques refusing to give up on the ball. The equalizer came in the 69th minute after some sloppy play by both teams trading turnovers led to a break for the visitors going the other way and Cavan Sullivan with space and time in the box simply squaring it to Bruno Damiani for a clean finish.
Whether it’s set pieces or quick transitions off poor giveaways, the Union recipe for goals was on full display against a NYC team all too willing to take the bait and not protect the ball. The winner was set up by Quinn Sullivan to Damiani off an even worse pass in the middle of the park picked off by Jesus Bueno and a lunging tackle attempt by James Sands that gave Quinn plenty of time to either take the shot himself or set up Damiani. Quinn’s first assist of the season was his 24th career MLS assist and handed Damiani the first non-Defence Force brace of his Union career.
With the win, the Union are suddenly just five points out of a playoff spot and head back home against an Inter Miami team that despite being second in the Supporters’ Shield standings conceded four to Nashville in a loss on Saturday night.
