After helping lead the Philadelphia Union to a victorious start of 2023 against the Columbus Crew, Julian Carranza and Daniel Gazdag have been named to MLSSoccer's Team of the Matchday for the opening weekend.
The Union duo each bagged a pair of goals in front of a roaring Subaru Park to help the club to its 12th consecutive win inside the fortress.
Gazdag netted the equalizer just before halftime with a finish from the penalty spot to send the Union into the locker room full of momentum. That mo didn't stop as the Hungarian picked up a secondary assist on the Union's second goal of the evening with a perfectly weighted ball out wide to team captain Alejandro Bedoya in the 52nd minute. Gazdag was called to the PK spot once more in the 72nd minute where he again sent the Crew's keeper the wrong direction to make it a 3-1 match before setting up another goal in the 80th minute. Gazdag's contribution made him the fourth player in league history and the first since 2006 to contribute to four goals in his team's season opening match.
Carranza made difficult look easy in both of his goals on opening night with a pair of smooth finishes in the second half. The Argentinian netted the game-winning goal in the 52nd minute as he finished off a low cross from Bedoya with an inside-out left footed chip over the keeper. With the result not in doubt, Carranza capped off a remarkable highlight play from Joaquin Torres in the 80th minute with a right-footed finish into the far side of the net.
