"Play with attitude, play brave, be aggressive, get the next clean sheet!"
That was Head Coach Bradley Carnell’s encouragement for his team in the locker room before Saturday's match against D.C. United, and that’s exactly what they did.
For a second straight week, Philadelphia Union secured all three points and a shutout in front of an energetic crowd of Union faithful at Subaru Park, and the pair of results have elevated them to third place in the Eastern Conference with 19 total points.
“Today was massive. We want to win our home games and get points on the road. I think that's the key to success, and the key to make a good start, an excellent start, in the season,” Carnell said in his postgame press conference.
“I think we're on the right track. I think there's still things that we showed in the first half that we can do better. It's by no means a polished final product and we're working every day on it.”
A Glesnes golazo opens the scoring
Both of the team’s recent matches finished 3-0, putting them back on the right track before they enter their busiest month of the year so far with eight games on the calendar for May.
While the pair of results boasted the same scoreline, five different players contributed goals, and against D.C. United occasion, it was centerback Jakob Glesnes who opened the scoring.
Every time Glesnes gets possession of the ball while his team is attacking, it’s tradition for Philadelphia Union fans to yell, “shoooooooot,' but on Saturday, before those in the stands even had the chance to start the chant, he hit the back of the net, capitalizing on a perfect pass from Homegrown defender Frankie Westfield for a powerful one-touch finish.
With the goal, Glesnes adds to his long list of center back 'bangers' that he’s built a reputation for scoring with nine total goals since 2020.
“I dont have words for it – it was amazing to see that one go in,” Glesnes said on the field after his most recent stunner.
“When I saw the ball was coming from Frankie, I was thinking Quinny was gonna take it all the way, but I was screaming as much as I could saying, ‘Leave it, leave it!’ I’m happy he left it because that was one hell of a touch.”
His goal was Phily's first of the night, helping settle his team 15 minutes in to what Carnell described as a ‘choppy’ and ‘scrappy’ first half.
When describing his team's performance, Carnell said the 'icing on the cake' was the clean sheet, and the 'cherry on top' is now having five clean sheets in 10 games. Glesnes has been an integral part of making that happen, playing in every minute of every game so far for the Union this year, all the while adjusting to three different centerback partners in Olwethu Makhanya, Ian Glavinovich, and Nathan Harriel.
“It was huge. We know in our team we can do it because we have showed it now since we started up in [February] that we have it in us. It’s nice to get the result, and now we just have to build on what we have been doing in the last couple of games, keep a clean sheet again, so it’s huge,” Glesnes said.
While his goal was special, for Glesnes, one of the most rewarding parts of the day was celebrating with his loved ones. His kids, Emilian and Tristan, and his wife, Linn, were part of the contingent of Union family members who made an appearance on the field pregame to participate in the club's drum-striking ritual. After the final whistle, they got to be part of the fanfare again, helping their father strike the drum when he was deemed Sons’ of Ben’s man of the match.
“It’s beautiful. The kids are starting already to ask more when we are coming back here again, so it’s been fun for them with two home games in a row. We enjoy to come down here every time, and to see them down here [on the field] before the game, that was the little extra that we needed today.”
Damiani ensures another 3-0 final score
While Glesnes' golazo was a highlight in the first half, the team's following two goal came after they emerged from the locker room at halftime. Danley Jean Jacques and Bruno Damiani, each scored their second-ever in Blue and Gold, finding the back of the net in the 52nd and 77th minutes.
Damiani, the club’s record signing striker, had been itching to score since he found his first in the team’s 4-1 home opener against FC Cincinnati on March 1st, and in the locker room after the match, he expressed how much finally getting another meant to him.
“I needed this so bad, actually, for my mental, for my confidence, but I'm very happy about me and about all the team. We are doing really good. We need these two wins after some games we didn't win. I'm very happy about the team. We think we are creating a really good group," Damiani said.
“We went three matches without getting all three points, and we said we need this, these last six points of the month to come back up in the table.”
Just like his first goal, Damiani scored off the bench, this time replacing Tai Baribo in the 62nd minute. Similarly, last week, Tai Baribo scored after subbing in for Damiani in the 74th minute. With multiple productive strikers in the rotation, competition is abundant, and Damiani assured it’s helped sharpen the attacking corps.
“I think the four of us, Chris [Donovan], Tai [Baribo], Mika [Uhre], and me, we're working really hard, and all the team is working really hard. We run a lot, and when you're winning and finish the game, it’s what we need to do when we are on the bench and we go in. So I'm happy for Mika that he did the assist also,” Damiani said.
“Back in my country, we always say competition in a good way, something positive for the team. We all push each other up. So last time Tai went into the bench and then scored. This time it was me. So we are doing good.”
The move to MLS was a big one for the 23-year-old Uruguayan, who signed with the club in late February after spending his entire career playing in his home country prior to the transfer. Despite the changes he's experienced, he says he feels adjusted, in part due to the connections he’s made with his teammates on and off the pitch.
“Yes. I actually got into a really good group. I'm very happy, very thankful to all of my teammates, because they give me all the confidence, and I feel really, really good with them” Damiani said.
“I'm very thankful, and that's it,” Damiani said.
