Philadelphia Union showcased the heart and determination of the city it represents, playing the second half down a man and ultimately prevailing in a penalty kick shootout against Liga MX’s Mazatlán FC.
The Union found themselves down a man just before first half stoppage time when Tai Baribo was shown his second yellow card of the evening. Despite playing with 10, forward Mikael Uhre took the offense into his own hands with a goal just before the halftime whistle. Mazatlán would answer in the 59th minute to send the match to the penalty kick shootout.
In the shootout, Mazatlán would shoot first with Andre Blake sending Subaru Park into a frenzy with a diving save to his left to deny David Colman. Jose Martinez followed up the save with a smooth finish into the upper corner to give the Boys in Blue the advantage after the first round. The Union and their opposition continued to trade conversions in the second round before Blake was once again made a diving stop to his left to deny Alan Torres. Damion Lowe followed up his Jamaican teammate’s success to put the Union ahead 3-1 after three rounds. Mazatlán, the Cinderella story of the 2024 Leagues Cup Tournament wouldn’t go away lightly as they forced a fifth round take after a shot from the Union hit off the post. Jesus Bueno stepped up to the spot and like he had done last year in the tournament, delivered a smooth finish to send the Union in the Leagues Cup Semifinal for the second-straight season.
Head Coach Jim Curtin’s starting crew was a familiar one, featuring Andre Blake in net as expected.
Philadelphia Union lined up in a 4-4-2 diamond, keeping Jack Elliott and Jakob Glesnes paired at center back, while Nate Harriel reclaimed the starting right back spot opposite Kai Wagner. In the midfield, Leon Flach joined homegrowns Jack McGlynn and Quinn Sullivan and designated player Daniel Gazdag. Just like their last match, Mikael Uhre and Tai Baribo were the two up top, starting together again after having both scored against Cincinnati on Tuesday.
There were a few notable names on Curtin’s bench as Danley Jean Jacques made his first matchday roster appearance since signing with the team on August 8th. Alongside him was José Martinez, who’s been the subject of transfer rumors throughout the week. Though nothing had been officially announced by kick off, he was the star of pregame action. The 30-year-old Venezuelan served as the ceremonious drum striker, carrying out the team’s pregame ritual with pride and tear-stained cheeks. Unsurprisingly, Martinez was greeted with emphatic applause from fans throughout the stadium, and Union faithful in the River End even hoisted a tifo depicting one of his infamous celebrations in honoring his four plus years in Philadelphia.
When the match began, though, all focus shifted to the action on the pitch as both team’s began their battle for a spot in the Leagues Cup Semifinals.
Blake made the first big play of the match, jumping to secure a loose ball in dangerous territory. On the other end of the field, it was Sullivan who took the first blast of the match in the 4th minute – he booted the ball toward the top right corner in hopes of an early lead, but his attempt hit the side of the net instead.
In the ninth minute, Wagner whipped in a corner attempt but Glesnes header effort fell flat. Mazatlán had a corner opportunity of their own in the 16th minute, but athletic header clearance from Harriel left the visitors unsuccessful.
Blake starred again in the 22nd minute – stifling a Mazatlán build-up off a corner with an impressive save in traffic. A header into the box sent Brian Rubio airborne in an attempt to connect with it, but he and Blake collided while the Union keeper pulled it out of the air.
He continued to show why he’s earned recognition as the best keeper in the league throughout the second half – in the 30th minute, he put his body on the line to stop a line drive from Alonso Escoboza darting up the sideline, and his effort allowed Flach to recover the ball and clear it out of attacking territory.
After a stretch of Blake holding it down on the defensive end, all the action shifted to the attacking side. Philadelphia Union earned a corner attempt, but it unfolded in lengthy deliberation between the officials on the field, players, and eventually VAR. Contact between Baribo and Roberto Meráz left the Mexican defensive midfielder down in pain in the box, spurring an initial red card. After review, it was ruled a yellow, but because it was the Baribo’s second of the night, he was sent off.
When action resumed, Philadelphia Union played with a vengeance, claiming the lead within two minutes. McGlynn sent a forward pass to Uhre, who used his speed to beat his defender and create enough distance to get Ricardo Gutiérrez 1v1 in net. Despite crashing defenders, he took the shot, and it just barely bounded off Gutiérrez then the post, ricocheting into the opposite corner.
The first half finale was a foul on Gazdag. As he tried to find McGlynn up the sideline, he was taken down by Yoel Bárcenas, who was shown a yellow for the contact. From there, Philadelphia Union headed into the locker room ahead 1-0, while in Columbus, the Crew had secured a semifinal appearance. Entering the second half, all Philadelphia needed to do was hold or extend their lead in order to face off against the defending MLS Cup Champions on Wednesday, August 21st.
It was a slow start to the second half, until Philadelphia Union earned a corner kick that quickly saw the Mexican side attack with a counter that forced a tactical foul from Glesnes. For the third-straight match El Kracken took advantage of their extra man, scoring on the restart. Wagner’s attempt was cleared out of the box, and Rubio was fouled by Glesnes while driving it down the middle. A quick restart following the discipline gave Escoboza a headed chance that made it just past Blake and gave the Cinderella side momentum.
From there, intensity ramped up, and it wasn’t long before Mazatlán’s Brian Rubio earned a yellow card for their side. Moments before, Mazatlán made their first change in the 60th minute, when Omar Moreno replaced Bryan Colula, and Curtin followed suit, instead opting for a triple-swap that saw Alejandro Bedoya, Damion Lowe, and Jesus Bueno replace Quinn Sullivan, Jack McGlynn, and Mikael Uhre in the 66th. Another Mazatlán change in the 69th minute made for five new bodies, a tied scoreboard, and about 30 minutes of regular time to go before Crew’s semifinal opponent was decided. The changes saw the Boys in Blue shift in formation with five at the back as Lowe took anchor between Elliott and Glesnes. Shortly after entering the pitch the Jamaican made a critical stop, stopping a centering pass at the doorstep to deny Mazatlán a second shortly after scoring.
Despite being down a man and under pressure from the Liga MX side, Philly sought to capitalize on set pieces and nearly notched a second goal in the 68th minute. After Wagner’s corner service was halfway cleared, the Union regained possession and quickly got the ball back out wide to the German left back. Wagner’s second attempt went right to the penalty spot, where Gazdag attempted a sliding finish that was turned away with a diving stop. The Union kept putting on the offensive pressure with Wagner attempting a shot a few moments later but again it was collected by Mazatlán’s Ricardo Gutierrez.
With a spot in the Leagues Cup, every dribble and shot took even more meaning and the hearts of every Union fan in Subaru Park nearly skipped a beat in the 86th as Mazatlán’s Alonso Escoboza whipped in a corner kick that connected on a flying header from Facundo Almada. With all the power he could muster, the ball seemed destined for the back of the net but Blake got a glove on the smashing header and pushed it off the crossbar and out. The ball continued to stay in the box with repeated chances by the visitors but strong defense kept it tied at 1-1.
Just before the fourth official announced there would be four minutes, Jose Martinez took to the pitch with a rousing ovation from the crowd. Mazatlán pushed one final time in the stoppage time however the game would be destined for kicks from the penalty spot.
