After a 61-minute delay due to severe weather in the area, the Union and Sporting Kansas City kicked off.
Andre Blake returned to the Union lineup from injury, and Daniel Gazdag and Jose Martinez rejoined the first eleven after international duty. Following a messy opening minute, the home side broke down the right channel with Ale Bedoya serving in a lofted ball from the endline that the visitors cleared. Wily Agada then sought to test Andre Blake off a corner with an acrobatic, bicycle kick from the top of the box skipped wide.
Matt Real made sure to announce himself with tone-setting physical challenge in the attacking third as the slick field conditions made clean transitions difficult.
The opening 15 minutes featured a collection of Sporting KC corner kicks, each blocked or cleared by a cohesive Union defensive unit. Philly was dangerous on the counterattack, with Mikael Uhre giving KC’s debutant center back, Dany Rosero, trouble with his speed.
The teams exchanged yellow cards with first Agada – for a challenge on Nathan Harriel – and then Harriel himself cautioned.
In the 21st minute, Martinez was called for a foul 25 yards away from goal in the center of the pitch. Erik Thommy and Johnny Russell stood over it, with Thommy firing a deflected effort wide of frame.
Sporting KC kept their wingers and fullbacks extremely wide in attack to make the Union’s midfield chase and create quick man-advantage scenarios on the wings. Philly’s fullbacks were pinned to the winger, which opened space for right back Graham Zusi to pick his head up and target Agada as he ran against the offsides line.
Sporting spent more time on the ball but continued to struggle for chances. Zusi ripped a forlorn effort from the top of the box that drifted through the tifo beams behind the Sons of Ben, then more combo play on the edge created a corner that KC took short. The resulting ball in was flicked at the front post and nearly touched home by Rosero. Blake was well-positioned to snuggle the ball to his chest without incident.
Gazdag received a yellow card in the 40th minute after chasing down Roger Espinoza, who was a first half substitute for an injured Nemanja Radoja. Russell’s free kick curled past the goal and out of play.
The match continued to be a chippy but stuttering affair as Agada and Carranza chased willingly but rarely with true hope of corralling the hopeful outlet balls coming out of midfield and defense.
As the halftime whistle rang out, the stars of Philly’s 2022 run regrouped knowing opportunities would be available as the match stretched out in the second forty-five minutes. However, they knew an extra level of focus and cohesion was necessary to open the scoring.
The second frame began as the first ended, with KC trying to own the wings and the Unin looking for a spark up front. Bedoya and Carranza miscommunicated before the former’s hard run opened space for the Argentine to twist into the center and pick out Uhre running through. The striker cut through the defense and ended on his left, scooping a tight-angled shot at Tim Melia that the veteran goalkeeper consumed easily.
In the 60th minute, Uhre earned a foul in the right channel and Gazdag floated in a free kick that Matt Real fought to tip on goal. Melia sprung right to close his hands on it and kill the danger.
Jack McGlynn replaced Leon Flach in the 63rd minute and Sporting turned to record-signing Alan Pulido up front, just off long-term injury.
McGlynn looked to pick up the ball deep and move it with speed as both sides fought a fierce wind that ripped the ball out of orbit every time it was sent in the air.
The wind was blowing toward The River End and running away from Uhre as he chased it to the corners. Bedoya and Harriel combined to create a corner that McGlynn speared into the box for Jack Elliott to power just over the bar.
In the 69th minute, Zusi cut onto his left and lamely dumped the ball into Blake’s gloves from distance. The Union countered but once again their strike force failed to link up effectively.
Quinn Sullivan, returning from US U20 National Team duty like McGlynn, replaced Uhre up top in the 72nd minute. Jose Martinez marked the moment with a yellow card for persistent infringement.
McGlynn nearly picked out Carranza two minutes later with a sensational dinked pass behind the back line but after the striker shunted his shot wide of goal, the offsides flag went up.
Carranza’s selfless running produced a deep throw-in in the 78th minute but after a quick throw-in, the Union again couldn’t get behind the defensive line and settled for a long drive by Martinez.
Gazdag was growing in influence as the rest of the participants’ energy waned. He couldn’t find a throughball from the top of box and suddenly drilled a no-look laser across goal that Melia stretched to push out. Before the 80th minute rolled in, Philly was threatening again. McGlynn discovered a hidden angle through the defense and Carranza chested the ball to himself inside the box but saw it poked off his foot as he swung through for the finish.
The 85th minute nearly stood witness to a stunner as Carranza pounced on a loose ball in the box and executed a bicycle kick that shivered around the far post and out for a goal kick.
Olivier Mbaizo and Joaquin Torres replaced Harriel and Martinez for the final stage of the match as Jim Curtin turned to a 4-2-3-1 that sat Bedoya and McGlynn in the center of the park.
Philly was firmly in control of the game but remained unable to threaten the goal. Torres’ touches were uncertain and he couldn’t create penetration.
Instead it was Jakob Glesnes striding forward with casual authority to close off counterattacks and push play forward. The big center back helped reset play as Sullivan found himself in space and tagged the ball across to Bedoya who nearly picked out McGlynn in the middle, with only a last-second toe-poke tackle clearing danger.
The match ended 0-0 as Philly broke their losing streak but remained short of the win they craved.
The Union return to Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League action on Tuesday night as they host Liga MX side Atlas F.C. in the first leg of the Quarterfinal round at Subaru Park. Kick off is set for 8:00 p.m. on April 4th and tickets are going fast so get yours now and add your voice to the DOOP chorus for this big showdown! Fans unable to attend can watch the match on FS1 and TUDN.
