Philadelphia Union picked up their third road win of the season by dropping a trio of goals on short-handed Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium Wednesday evening in Houston. Mauro Manotas opened the scoring for the home side, but Ale Bedoya and Cory Burke scored on either side of halftime to put Philly ahead before Fafa Picault finished the match with a well-taken penalty.
First half
Houston had the upper hand early and they were threatening off Union turnovers. Boniek Garcia was spreading the ball around well from midfield and Philly struggled to get past the organized pressure of Houston’s front four.
In the 10th minute, neat combination play up the left freed Tomas Martinez in the channel. He centered for Mauro Manotas who dropped the ball to Boniek Garcia in the center. Mark McKenzie had stepped to Manotas and, when Auston Trusty was caught forward as well, Manotas slid through the center backs and finished Boniek Garcia’s return pass with ease. The goal was far too easy for the home side, but the Union did not fold once they went behind. Philly had a penalty shout in the 23rd when McKenzie was dragged down chasing a corner kick, but referee Joseph Dickerson was unmoved.
Houston nearly had a second four minutes later when they moved the ball from right to left across the Union box to Romell Quioto and the winger played overlapping left back Adam Lundqvist behind the back line. A sharp cross found Manotas in the center but Trusty stood tall in front of the net and cleared the ball as it bounced three yards from goal.
But, quite suddenly, the Union were level through Ale Bedoya. Borek Dockal turned toward goal amidst defenders but his touch was too far ahead. He lunges for it and touches to Bedoya running in front of Jared Watts. The captain scooped the ball over Joe Willis with a cool confidence. The Video Assistant Referee called for a review of the goal to make sure Bedoya was onside and Dickerson upheld the play after visiting the VAR booth.
Dockal was looking for his own in the 38th minute when he took the ball off Tomas Martinez at the top of the final third on the left and took a few quick strides toward goal. Seeing no pressure, he wound up and drove a rising shot on frame that Willis punched clear.
Second half
In an auspicious start to the second half, Tomas Martinez took advantage of a defensive miscommunication to free himself at the top of the box for a left-footed shot. The attacker curled his strike over Blake’s outstretched hand but could not tuck it under the crossbar, watching in vain as it bounced off the frame and over the goal.
In the 53rd minute, McKenzie got himself into trouble but was bailed out by Blake and Dockal. After his pass into the center was intercepted, the young centerback stepped forward and was beaten by a pass. This sent Elis in on goal. Blake was out quickly to deflect the shot as Dockal worked back defensively to press Alberth Elis.
The match turned on a 59th minute VAR-assisted decision. Quioto collected the ball deep on the left and looked to play Martinez running toward front post. The midfield creator missed the ball but stepped high on Trusty’s ankle, and after the play was reviewed Martinez was sent off for his dangerous tackle.
The match began heating up and both sides were physical in the air. A loose arm from substitute CJ Sapong opened a cut above Quioto’s eye, and on the ensuing free kick Elis nearly redirected the ball into the net, only for Blake to respond in a flash and shoot out an arm to push the ball away.
The Union took the lead ten minutes after going up a man. Once again it was Dockal providing the key pass as he snuck behind the Dynamo midfield on the left. The Czech playmaker took a touch inside as if to shoot but instead nudged the ball into Cory Burke’s path behind the defense. Burke waited for Willis to come out and tucked the ball between the keeper’s legs for the go-ahead goal.
Fabian Herbers, seeing his first minutes since the end of March, was caught in the head and stayed down recovering, much to the consternation of Houston’s fans. The Dynamo faithful had little to complain about when eight minutes of extra time were announced, but Herbers would make good use of the additional time created by his injury. Corralling the ball just inside the center circle, Herbers ghosted past something like a tackle from Machado and was flattened in the box by a desperate Fuenmayor.
Fafa Picault stepped forward to convert the penalty and give the Union a huge 3-1 win to pull them within one point of the playoff line in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia is back in action after the MLS All-Star break when they travel to Portland to face the Timbers on August 4th at 11PM EST.
