Philadelphia Union continued their undefeated run since returning to regular season play with a 4-1 win over DC United on Saturday night.
Kacper Przybylko notched two more goals before Sergio Santos and Brenden Aaronson finished things off, lifting the Union into third place in the Eastern Conference ahead of a showdown with second place Columbus Crew on September 2.
Jim Curtin rested Mark McKenzie and Ray Gaddis and lost Kai Wagner early to a minor injury, but the Union were the better team throughout the contest. Przybylko only scored once in the team’s first five matches but has been on fire since the regular season resumed. His seventh minute goal came off a Jamiro Monteiro corner kick. Alejandro Bedoya fought for the near post ball and it flitted across the mouth of the goal to Przybylko at the back post and the striker coolly tucked it home.
Przybylko waited until the 16th minute to score his second. Kai Wagner’s run down the left resulted in a deflected cross that popped out to Przybylko at the top of the box. With DC deep in their own box, the striker cut to his right and sliced the ball into the far corner of the net, leaving Chris Seitz with no chance of a save.
Sergio Santos saw what his striker partner was achieving and wanted in on the action. When El Brujo Martinez released him down the left with a sumptuous ball through midfield, the big Brazilian raced toward goal and, when Donovan Pines didn’t come out to challenge him, unleashed a vicious shot into the near corner.
DC looked defeated and less than half an hour had gone by.
Still, the Union looked to get a fourth before halftime. A giveaway at the top of the defensive third put DC under pressure again and Przybylko led Bedoya up the right channel and into a great position to fire on net. The captain did just that but skimmed the ball into the near side netting.
Brenden Aaronson, who continues to grow in confidence in the center of the park, released Przybylko up the right in the 53rd minute and he unselfishly centered for Santos. Rounding the goalkeeper at a wide angle, Santos pinged the post with his shot.
Aaronson took things into his own hands in the 61st minute, getting on the end of Przybylko’s centering ball and nutmegging Seitz. Olivier Mbaizo released Przybylko with a long ball that caught DC’s high line out and it was a simple task for the striker to find Aaronson streaking down the middle for the finish.
Julian Gressel pulled one back two minutes later after Junior Moreno dispossessed Jamiro Monteiro in the center, but DC was never in the match. After Warren Creavalle created a bouncing ball at the top of DC’s defensive third, Bedoya put Andrew Wooten through with a stunning outside-of-the-foot dink over the defensive line but Seitz was out quickly to cut the angle.
The Union return to action September 2nd when they travel to face Columbus Crew in an Eastern Conference top three showdown live on PHL17 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
