Homegrown goalkeeper Andrew Rick made five saves as he helped Philadelphia Union pick up a shutout draw against rivals New York Red Bull on Saturday night.
The 18-year-old shot stopper became the youngest keeper in club histlory to earn a clean sheet. With the performance, Rick helped extend the Union's unbeaten streak against the club's biggest rival to 13 matches dating back to 2019.
Philadelphia Union turned to a 5-3-2 for Saturday’s rivalry match up, calling on Damion Lowe to join the starting group for his first game back with the squad since Copa America. The Jamaican joined Jack Elliott and Jakob Glesnes on the backline while Nate Harriel and Kai Wagner held down the left and right side as usual. The five made up the last line of defense in front of 18-year-old Homegrown Andrew Rick, who was given the goalkeeping spot over rookie Oliver Semmle.
Jesus Bueno was missing from the matchday roster due to an ankle injury picked up in Chicago, and without him, the midfield featuring Leon Flach, Jack McGlynn, and Daniel Gazdag. Tai Baribo returned to the starting crew after missing the team’s last matchup due to back spasms Chris Donovan up top.
As is typical for a match between the rivals, Subaru Park fostered a packed playoff-esque environment for the team’s first home game in two weeks.
Minutes after being honored for his call-up to the United States Men’s Olympic roster, Jack McGlynn took the first Union shot of the match, settling then shooting from his favorite spot in an effort to earn an early lead. An intuitive pass from Gazdag inside the box in the seventh minute set the Homegrown midfielder up for a line drive with his left from distance, but Red Bulls keeper Carlos Coronel dove to get a hand on it, diverting it’s path.
Another Homegrown shined early – in his third start for the first team, Rick made a massive save in the 22nd minute, stopping Dante Vanzeir 1v1 with the help of Lowe’s swift tracking.
McGlynn facilitated another promising chance in the 33rd minute, booting a pinpoint across the field and to the right side of the box, finding Flach for a header to Gazdag, who volleyed it with force toward the goal, but it ultimately landed in the River End.
Chris Donovan had a pair of close calls near the end of the second half, first running onto a pass from Gazdag in the 43nd minute. Locked down defense from the visitors stifled his effort but he got another opportunity one minute later, heading the ball toward Coronel but it went just barely over the cross bar, landing on top of the goal instead.
Philadelphia Union battled through the final minutes of the second half, which featured five minutes of added time. In that span, Donovan was a key part of another play, bringing the ball up the left then passing it into Baribo, who was blocked twice by John Tolkin and Noah Eile.
Despite relentless fight from both sides, neither team left the first half with a lead.
The intensity didn’t falter after half time, the game stayed physical and the fans stayed loud as both teams fought to find the first goal of the match. Philadelphia Union finished the first half with eight shots to New Yorks seven, and they similarly match efforts in the second.
Early in the second half Rick made another momentous stop, stopping another close-range shot, this time from Cameron Harper by way of a Daniel Edelman pass into the box in the 53rd minute to give the Union defense a boost.Shortly after the save, Head Coach Jim Curtin made his first change of the match in the 56th minute, replacing Chris Donovan with Homegrown Quinn Sullivan.
Moments after he entered the match, his fellow Homegrown in McGlynn darted down the middle of the field with the ball, finding Gazdag for a blast into Coronel. Baribo was attentive and found the rebound, powering it back in the keeper’s direction, but unfavorably for the Union it hit Coronel’s foot for the save.
Philly kept fighting in search of the opening goal as Elliott used his height in an attempt to make the most of a Wagner cross, heading it toward the net with no luckin the 58th minute.
Team captain Alejandro Bedoya was met with an eruption of applause in the 79th minute, making his triumphant return from injury as a midfield sub for Leon Flach.
Red Bulls turned to speed off the bench with Elias Manoel nearly breaking the streak for the New Jersey side in the 86th minute. The forward battled down the near the endline and send a soft touch into the six where Dennis Gjengaar made a run to the near post and ripped a shot that crashed off the young Union shot stopper.
Philadelphia Union is back in action next week as they hit the road for an Eastern Conference clash with Toronto FC. Kick off from Canada is set for 7:30PM with the action free to all on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
