Philadelphia Union is headed to the knockout stage of Leagues Cup, and after earning a regulation draw against Cruz Azul on Sunday night at Subaru Park, they’ve finished at the top of their group, securing home field advantage for their upcoming match.
Next, they’ll host C.F. Montreal on Friday night at Subaru Park, narrowly avoiding a trip to Florida to face Orlando City SC, who also topped their group. In the dog days of summer, playing at home in front of Union faithful with a breeze off the riverfront could make all the difference.
“It's a hard competition to get through in this group, and I think it is an achievement. It's not going to get any easier. We'll have to play Montreal, but that's a big goal that we score at the end because now we get a home game,” Head Coach Jim Curtin said in his postgame press conference.
“We were this close to having to go on the road to Orlando in August, which is a whole different animal compared to playing in our own building, sleeping in our own beds, and getting to play a Montreal team here at home, which is a little bit better.”
Daniel Gazdag scored the game-tying goal in the 88th minute, rewarding his team's relentless come-from-behind effort with a score that nullified Cruz Azul's lead. Amidst a physical match against one of the top teams they’d faced so far in 2024, Philadelphia Union kept their cool, finding the late equalizer to keep their campaign in Philly for the Round of 32.
“We talked about it before the game – we didn't want them to get a result here today so that we could stay at home. It turned out well in the end with my goal, so we are happy with that, and now we can play at home. We are a better team when we’re at home in front of our fans,” Gazdag said.
The 28-year-old Hungarian’s goal sent the match into a penalty kick shootout as is custom for Leagues Cup, and although Cruz Azul emerged on top, Head Coach Jim Curtin expressed his pride in his team’s recent form.
“That's a really talented team, and to win this group is something that we can be proud of and build on. Obviously, you want to win in penalty kicks when you get there, but at the same time, we did our job by getting the point and winning the group,” Curtin said.
