Kacper Przybylko scored on either side of halftime after Romell Quioto scored and was ejected inside the first 20 minutes as the Union won their third straight match and returned to second place in the Eastern Conference.
Ray Gaddis was rested as he recovers from a minor injury and Jose Martinez was suspended for yellow card accumulation. Matt Real and Warren Creavalle came into the starting lineup as Jim Curtin sought to maintain a solid defense despite missing both starting fullbacks.
The Impact dealt Philly an early blow from a well-placed set piece. Quioto spun a low shot through a hole in the Union wall and past Andre Blake in the fifth minute. Eleven minutes later, he was gone.
The impetus for Quioto’s actions are unclear, but he delivered an elbow to the back of Mark McKenzie’s head after the players competed for the ball. Initially, a yellow card was awarded to the Impact’s leading scorer, but after video review it was changed to red.
The Union were up a man but down a goal, and Montreal was hardly content to sit deep. It took quick thinking from Philly’s captain to even the scoreline in the 22nd minute. Matt Real floated a cross to the back post where Andrew Wooten brought it down. Bedoya took the ball off a bounce and sent a half-volley screaming past Clemente Diop from close range.
After skying an effort in the 18th minute, Przybylko struggled to get service. Then Real stepped up. Monteiro pulled out to the left wing and the homegrown left back ran an overlap into space. He picked his head up and spotted bodies at the back post. The ball was high and accurate, giving Przybylko time to make a run across the box and knock home the go-ahead goal.
Curtin decided to push for more and switched Creavalle for Anthony Fontana, the hero of last weekend’s win over New England. Fontana’s time would come again, but first two other homegrowns combined to set up Przybylko’s second of the night.
McKenzie skimmed the ball through the defense to Aaronson running in behind. He drew in the defense and played across the box to Przybylko, who took a touch and slotted home the Union’s third.
McKenzie was involved again when Fontana got his third in two games. A short corner to Ilsinho led to a lofted cross from Mbaizo. McKenzie knocked it down and it bounced back to Fontana at the top of the box. Firing a low laser past Diop, Fontana wheeled off to celebrate putting the match to bed.
Sergio Santos returned from injury and Philly continued to press forward, with both Fontana and Monteiro nearly adding another before the final whistle.
The second place Union now travel to Cincinnati to face Haris Medunjanin’s new squad on Wednesday, September 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET on PHL17.
