Philadelphia Union concluded its preseason slate with a scoreless draw against the New England Revolution on Wednesday afternoon.
Head Coach Jim Curtin sought to use the preseason finale as one final fitness test for his squad as they enter the final stage of preparation for Concacaf Champions Cup action in Costa Rica next week. Damion Lowe paired up with Jack Elliott as defensive anchors while the midfield saw another start for homegrown duo Jack McGlynn and Quinn Sullivan. Mikael Uhre was lined up alongside Chris Donovan with the pair showcasing the Union’s pressing cues quite a bit in the opening half.
That pressure nearly netted a goal early as a back pass to the keeper forced a quick clearance to the top of the box by Sullivan. The homegrown turned defense into offense with a pass to his left for Daniel Gazdag but saw his effort blocked in the box.
Philly continued to dominate possession in the opening half with patient build ups in search of a space near the Revolution net. In the 36th, McGlynn found it about 20 yards from goal with a left-footed blast that forced a punched stop.
The second half saw four changes to the lineup with Olivier Mbaizo, Jakob Glesnes, Alejandro Bedoya and Markus Anderson taking to the pitch for the Boys in Blue. New England went on the attack especially at the new defenders but the group withstood the charge from the opposition. More reinforcements came just past the hour mark with Baribo, Bueno and Torres earning minutes in place of Uhre, Gazdag and Martinez. Torres quickly earned the Union scoring opportunity with some dazzling moves to earn a free kick in a precarious position for the Union. McGlynn and Kai Wagner stood off the ball for the restart with the homegrown rolling a quick pass to the Union left back for a blast that beat the keeper but crashed off the crossbar.
After playing one another three-times late in the season including twice in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the chippiness between the two Eastern Conference foes.
With time winding down the Union nearly bagged the game-winning goal via another set piece chance with Wagner. The left back who went the full 90 floated a cross to the right side of the goal for Jakob Glesnes who quickly headed it to the far post. Union newcomer Markus Anderson smashed it with a header of his own that seemed destined for the back of the net only to be cleared off the line with a strong defensive reaction.
Philly now turns its fully attention to the first leg of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup. Kick off against Deportivo Saprissa is set for 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 20th. The Union then return home to host Chicago Fire FC on February 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET in their 2024 MLS regular season home opener.
