Photo: Rob Simmons

Philadelphia Union’s cracking comeback against New York Red Bulls Saturday night earned perhaps the most crucial three points that the Union have earned so far this season, fortifying their first-place spot and fending off one of the East’s stronger contenders, all in front of a sellout crowd at home.

In addition to the electric atmosphere and enticing football that characterized the clash, the gameplay itself was immensely revealing in regards to the Union’s strengths and weaknesses. Just as scientists use heat, radiation, and pressure to test different substances and discover their inherent qualities, the Red Bulls played a phenomenal game that put the Union’s flaws on full display while also forcing them to showcase the strengths that brought them to the top of the East in the first place.

A night of New York Red Bulls vs. Ilsinho and Co. 

The star of the night was unquestionably Ilsinho, who rallied a probing Philadelphia team and spurred them into the goal three times in under thirty minutes. After the match, head coach Jim Curtin lauded him as being on a different level of play, and he truly did seem to bring another dimension to the Union attack once he came on. The night ended up looking like a Tale of Two Cities, where it was the worst of times and it was the best of times, and the difference between the two was Ilsinho.

While Ilsinho was able to create opportunities and beat defenders with his dissecting dribbles and fancy footwork, the strength that he brought to the Philadelphia side was not just a physical or skills-based one. More importantly, it was clear that he brought a different mentality to the team’s offensive approach altogether. While the first-half attacking machinery of Santos, Przybylko, Aaronson, and Monteiro looked like it expected deliberate passing and cautious buildup play to create opportunities, Ilsinho showed that the only way to get the ball into the goal was to pass and dribble the ball towards the goal itself. Rather than pass the ball back to Gaddis and surrender offensive responsibility to the defense, Ilsinho showed that a Union offense that is hungry to score and attacks directly is one of the best teams in Major League Soccer.

What to do with Kryptonite?

The Union’s struggles in the first half highlighted the vulnerabilities that have bit at the ankles of the team since matchday one. While the Philadelphia defense and midfield have come a long way in maturing their approach and adapting to a new system, those vulnerabilities still remain to some degree and were on full display within the Red Bulls’ two goals.

The Union’s major defensive weakness is that they are prone to losing marks at the edge of the box, particularly when the opposing team brings the ball down the flanks and slicks the ball into the middle. That ball usually finds an open player that is able to slam it into the back of the net. Kaku’s goal was an archetype of this kind of goal, and it was clear that the New York Red Bulls knew that this was a Union vulnerability and were specifically targeting it by playing the ball down the right side and trying to pass it into the center.

In the Union’s loss against Toronto at the beginning of the season, it was Medunjanin who failed to track back with Michael Bradley who scored, and on Saturday night against the New York Red Bulls, it was Monteiro who should have covered Kaku tightly before the Red Bulls’ first goal. At the end of the day, the Union players need to instill in their minds that when defending their third, they can never assume someone else is responsible for the opposing player running past them. If Curtin and the team can solidify this key tenet into their DNA, it will go a long way towards covering the Union’s Achilles heel and protect them going forward.

Winter is coming

While it’s important to acknowledge weaknesses and strengths, it should be repeated that the Union accomplished a great feat in their victory against the New York Red Bulls, securing first place and showing the rest of the MLS that they can win when it comes down to the wire. Fans that were at the match on Saturday can testify that the stadium was brimming with supporters, the stands were shaking under the weight of goal celebrations, and atmosphere was electrified beyond what its been in a long time. This is great for Philadelphia as a team and as an organization, and it should only grow if the Union can continue producing results on the field.

Looking forward to the next few fixtures after the Gold Cup break, the Union will have a key part of their schedule coming up. They have a series of matches throughout the summer that should serve to bolster their standing before they close out their season with the most challenging fixtures possible. Except for an important U.S. Open Cup match against rivals D.C. United and a difficult game against New York City FC, the Union will play teams like New England, Orlando, Salt Lake, Chicago, and Montreal throughout the rest of June and July. These matchups will be instrumental in showing that Philadelphia can regularly produce points when expected. Those points will be crucial to have in the bag when the Union face off against Atlanta United, Los Angelos FC, New York Red Bulls, and New York City FC at the end of the season.

Winter is coming, and the Union have to spend the summer preparing if they hope to be serious playoff contenders and seize their first ever playoff victory. If Saturday’s win against New York was any indication, the Philadelphia Union can certainly reach that goal this season, if they take their opportunities.