Philadelphia Union Head Coach Jim Curtin used his first choice midfield and defense, with Ilsinho and Fafa Picault flanking Cory Burke. Coming off a midweek matchup with Seattle Sounders, New York changed shape to use three central defenders, two wingbacks, and Tyler Adams sitting behind Kaku, Derrick Etienne, and Marc Rzatkowski in midfield. Carlos Rivas, all speed and power, led the line alone.
Jesse Marsch made a number of changes after his team’s midweek match against Seattle Sounders, bringing in Carlos Rivas up top with Derrick Etienne and Marc Rzatkowski on the wings. Kaku and Tyler Adams manned the center with Connor Lade and Kemar Lawrence as wingbacks around Hassan Ndam, Arelien Collin, and Tim Parker in back.
First half
New York looked to press high with four players and kept Adams in front of their back five. The near-side fullback would stride forward as well, leaving a back four in place.
In the fourth minute a stray pass from Keegan Rosenberry went directly to Carlos Rivas. He played a give-and-go with Kaku and raced through the left channel, but Mark McKenzie’s speed kept the striker from an open chance and his shot was long and well over the net.
Ndam shoulder barged Burke in the box in the seventh minute after Borek Dockal dinked the ball over the defense, but referee Jon Freemon correctly waved play on.
Burke was a constant thorn in the visitors’ side, and in the 22nd minute he pulled off Collin’s shoulder and was hauled down near midfield, though a card was surprisingly not awarded to the French defender.
In the 28th minute, Bedoya sent Ilsinho in through the right channel, but with Lawrence closing from behind the Brazilian could not put his shot on frame. One of the Union’s best opportunities of the half came three minutes later when Picault got to the endline, beat his man, an dlifted a cross in to Burke sitting on the six yard box. The big striker had a free header but managed to miss the frame entirely.
In the 34th minute, it was Picault’s turn to take a look at net. Medunjanin switched fields to Ray Gaddis and he quickly found Picault. The winger cut away from Lade and drove at goal. From just outside the 18 yard box, he loaded up a low curler that Robles let slip through his hands, but the ball rolled wide of goal.
Burke again looked ready to score in the 35th minute. Picault’s shot from the left was pushed back into play by Robles, and Burke was there on the doorstep, but he lifted his shot over the open goal.
In extra time, New York nearly unded all of Philadelphia’s good work. Kaku and Etienne combined well on the right, and the resulting throughball found Rivas running at an angle toward the left with time to pick his spot. The blast forced Blake to showcase his reactions, and the big Jamaican was up to the task, reaching up to clear the ball for a corner kick.
Second half
The Red Bulls thought they had the opener early in the second half. Carlos Rivas got around Mark McKenzie on the left and sent in a low cross to Etienne. The young winger laid the ball into Kemar Lawrence’s path and the wingback swung through a hard shot that ricocheted off Andre Blake’s legs and hit the underside of the crossbar, bouncing back into play. Marc Rzatkowski followed up with a stinging shot that deflected off Auston Trusty and over the goal.
Moments later, Trusty misplayed a ball in back and Etienne was in alone. Using all his athleticism, Trusty ran Etienne down from behind and poked the ball away before he could get a shot off.
New York rued their missed chances when Haris Medunjanin laced a shot into the right side of Luis Robles’ goal. The Bosnian started a break up the left, and Picault crossed the ball to Ale Bedoya. He found Medunjanin in the center, and after a sweet little move that sent Adams the wrong way, the big midfielder got his left foot into a shot that took a slight deflection and gave the Union the lead.
The Red bulls responded by throwing on Bradley Wright-Phillips and Daniel Royer in the 60th and 61st minutes respectively, but the Union immediately doubled the lead. A wonderful bit of passing on the right ended on Bedoya’s foot, and he used a body feint to beat his man and play a line-breaking pass through the middle to Burke. With Robles coming out, Burke slotted an early shot underneath the goalie and into the net.
In the 65th minute, Royer’s early cross from the left went over Wright-Phillips’ head with Gaddis providing cover. A second cross back in from the left found Royer at a tight angle, but his header hit the post and went out of play.
Wright-Phillips got on the scoresheet in the 77th minute. Kaku collected the ball in the center, quickly turned and zipped a pass that split the Union center backs and sent Wright-Phillips in alone. The veteran goalscorer snuck the ball under Blake to cut the Union lead in half.
New York was back on the front foot in the 80th minute, but Blake was up to the challenge. Wright-Phillips’ cross from the left was deflected but fell to Kaku, and his fiery blast was pushed around the far post by Blake’s outstretched hand.
As the match wore down, Warren Creavalle and David Accam entered for Borek Dockal and Burke. The teams traded blows, with Epps’ shot saved by Robles and Lawrence putting an open shot around the near post. In extra time, Picault blocked Tim Parker’s pass and drove in alone on goal, but he couldn’t get his feet sorted out and ended up holding the ball near the endline.
The win puts the Union into the US Open Cup quarterfinals, and they will host the match against an undetermined opponent on July 18 at Talen Energy Stadium. Philly is back in action next Saturday, June 23, when they host Vancouver Whitecaps -- and honor Sebastien Le Toux -- at 7pm in Talen Energy Stadium.
