Photo: Paul Rudderow
After a dreadful first half, goals from Alejandro Bedoya and Kacper Przybylko – plus a little help from VAR — fired Philadelphia Union to a 2-1 victory over San Jose Earthquakes in a late-night match on the West Coast.
With Atlanta United’s loss to NYCFC earlier in the evening, the Union knew that picking up all three points would allow them to leapfrog the defending champions into the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
Jim Curtin made three changes from the side that lost in Harrison, N.J. on Sunday evening. With Mark McKenzie picking up a minor hamstring strain, Aurelien Collin came in at centerback, while Marco Fabian and Andrew Wooten replaced Brenden Aaronson and Fafa Picault in the attack. Curtin also changed the formation back to a diamond 4-4-2, with Wooten joining Kacper Przybylko as strikers and Jamiro Monteiro sliding back into central midfield.
The first half, kicking off at 11 p.m. Philadelphia time, was far from pretty as Philadelphia looked disjointed all over the pitch. Fabian, Wooten, and Przybylko seemed out of sync, the midfield couldn’t seize control from the energetic hosts, and San Jose found success looking to play behind Philly’s aggressive fullbacks.
It would be recent USMNT debutant Jackson Yueill who opened the scoring in the 35th minute. Striker Danny Hoesen, starting in place of the suspended Chris Wondolowski, received a pass in the box, fended off both Collin and Jack Elliott, and rifled a low bass back toward the penalty spot. Yueill, making a savvy run, got to the ball just ahead of Alejandro Bedoya and made no mistake with the finish.
By the end of six minutes of stoppage time, the Union looked ready for the halftime break. Haris Medunjanin picked up a yellow card for expressing his displeasure with a foul call, and more than one Union player threw their hands up after watching a teammate miss a run, touch, or pass.
San Jose looked to put the match away right off the second-half kickoff, as a well-worked move saw Magnus Eriksson put the ball in the back of the net off the rebound from another Yueill shot. As the home crowd celebrated, referee Baldomero Toledo made his way over to video review, which revealed that Hoesen was just barely offside in the buildup. It was a big break for the Union, who avoided staring a two-goal deficit in the face.
Ilsinho replaced an ineffective Wooten in the 53rd minute, as the Union switched to the 4-2-3-1 and looked to get back in the match. Ten minutes later, Picault replaced the similarly ineffective Fabian.
Out of nowhere, the Union got back on level terms through Bedoya. Ray Gaddis made a strong run all the way to the end line and hit a pass that found the Union captain near the top of the box. Bedoya took a touch and fired low into the far corner for his fourth goal of the season.
The goal seemed to spark the Union to life, and they took the lead just a few moments later. Given all the time in the world on the left wing, Monteiro lofted a perfect cross to the center of the box, where Przybylko was waiting. Striker Muffin made no mistake, with a quality header right at keeper Daniel Vega’s feet. Przybylko’s 77th minute goal gave the Union, somehow, the inside track on all three points.
Just a few minutes later, the Union got an undeniable gift from the VAR gods. With the ball dribbling out of bounds, Collin dragged down substitute Andres Rios, and Toledo pointed to the spot. But a look at the video monitor convinced the referee that it was clearly and obviously not a penalty. It was a stone-cold penalty — to this reporter’s eyes — and Toledo’s decision sent waves of disbelief around Avaya Stadium.
The decision seemed to break San Jose’s spirits; save for a late miss by Hoesen, the hosts didn’t seriously threaten for the remainder of the match.
With the win, the Union vaulted over Atlanta, taking a one-point lead in the race for the second side in the East with two matches left to play. The Union also prevented NYCFC from clinching first place, although it will take two City losses and two Union wins for the Union to take first.
The Union’s brutal stretch of three games in eight days comes to an end on Sunday in Columbus, with Philadelphia facing the eleventh-placed Crew in their second-to-last match of the regular season. Kickoff from MAPFRE Stadium is at 5:00 p.m. Eastern.
Three points
- Scoreboard watch. With the win, the Union are in pole position for second place. Avoiding a second-round trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium would be huge.
- Doing enough to win. It was far from pretty, as Marco Fabian and Andrew Wooten showed why they haven’t been starters in recent weeks. But the goals came when they needed them, and the three points are what matters.
- VAR. It giveth and it taketh away, and tonight it giveth for the Union. The offside call was right on San Jose’s second goal, but the decision to rescind what looked to be a surefire penalty on Aurelien Collin was a shocking one.
Lineups
Philadelphia Union
Andre Blake; Ray Gaddis, Aurelien Collin, Jack Elliott, Kai Wagner; Alejandro Bedoya, Haris Medunjanin, Jamiro Monteiro (Warren Creavalle 88′), Marco Fabian (Fafa Picault 63′); Kacper Przybylko, Andrew Wooten (Ilsinho 53′)
Substitutes: Joe Bendik, RJ Allen, Auston Trusty, Brenden Aaronson
San Jose Earthquakes
Daniel Vega; Tommy Thompson (Shea Salinas 68′), Guram Kashia, Florian Jungwirth, Nick Lima; Jackson Yueill, Judson (Andres Rios 79′), Carlos Fierro (Paul Marie 68′), Magnus Eriksson, Valeri Qazaishvili; Danny Hoesen
Substitutes: Andrew Tarbell, Harold Cummings, Anibal Godoy, Eric Calvillo,
Scoring Summary
SJ: Jackson Yueill — 35′ (Danny Hoesen, Magnus Erikkson)
PHI: Alejandro Bedoya — 70′ (Ray Gaddis)
PHI: Kacper Przybylko — 76′ (Jamiro Monteiro)
Discipline Summary
PHI: Kai Wagner — 7′ (unsporting behavior)
SJ: Judson — 23′ (unsporting behavior)
PHI: Haris Medunjanin — 45+1′ (dissent)
PHI: Kacper Przybylko — 57′ (unsporting behavior)
Being a Union fan is most satisfying when the team rewards us for staying up so late. 13 minutes of added time! All in all, it wasn’t pretty but we went West with a mission and we accomplished that mission. On to Columbus. Here’s to hoping the NYC game matters in 10 or so days.
Lived it to the painstaking conclusion too. Now lying in bed staring at ceiling fan trying to wind down.
ITWT: “Here’s to hoping the NYC game matters in 10 or so days.”
The already likely good news is that it won’t matter to NYCFC by locking first so they very well might rest their best on what’s a dead rubber for them insofar as playoff seeding and CCL contention. If so that improves our odds for placing 2nd place playoff seeding and CCL contention.
NYCFC has not locked up first (despite the e-mail I received and JP’s comments last night that the Union’s first playoff game will be Oct 19 or 20). The Union need to win Sunday and get some big help from New England in the Bronx, but if New England and the Union win on Sunday, then a home win for the Union gets first place.
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New England is my second favorite team for the rest of the regular season since their other game is in Atlanta.
Read my mind Andy. It’s ironic that NE would be our first game if we get the 2, which is our most likely seed right now.
Just realized I was wrong about one thing. New England – NYCFC game is in a lousy football stadium with artificial turf rather than on a 90 foot by 90 foot baseball diamond.
Man that was all sorts of ugly. So much bickering and pissing and moaning amongst themselves. So much to nit pick I don’t even know where to start… but if Collin is valued more than Trusty right now, holy hell what’s that say about Trusty cause Collin, is so slow he’s a PK / Red Card waiting to happen…
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….nonetheless- huge win.. The Atlanta loss adds value as well. I’d like 7 points over these last 3 games to head into playoffs in tune with the band.
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Best part of the evening? Knowing Wondolowski had to put a shirt on to cover his beer belly on way out to car after taking it off for first goal and celebrating like a wild man in the stands.. Go home Chris. You lost.
It was quite humorous to hear Tommy rant about Wondo. I’ve always heard Wondo is a class act, but he was irritating tonight. SJ in general was unbearable, as you pointed out.
I was expecting very little from this match. The calls that made the difference: Wagner gets to stay, Collin didn’t foul, and the offsides. We somehow walk away with a win. Just stunned and not really happy. Ugly match. Goals for were pretty though.
I think the offsides was a black and white call and the Wagner call was correct because the ball was too far in front of the players for it to be a clear goal scoring opportunity.
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I agree with Peter that the PK should have stood. While there was shoulder to shoulder contact, it also looked like Collin’s arm played a part in taking him down.
I disagree. It was not a PK. Colin sheilded/was sheilding the player from the ball to let it go out of bounds. This is not a foul. IF he would have tripped him or elbowed etc thats a foul. Shielding is not a foul.
A VARy VARy big win.
True enough, but, Ouch!
VARy as it was… and it was… I would say both calls that were corrected were changed to be accurate by VAR. Sometimes you need a little luck. And credit to Toledo (the ref) for taking the time to look at the plays and make the calls.
I could be wrong about this, but isn’t the first tiebreaker the number of wins, rather than goal differential? If that’s the case, then 2 Union wins coupled with 2 NYC losses would put the Union in first, with 18 wins to NYC’s 17, right? Meaning if the Union can beat Columbus, and the Revs can somehow beat NYC, then the Union have it all to play for on October 6.
You are correct.
Well done Andy on the actual tiebreaker rule here. Would be sweet too if we pulled that off at home against them too.
Good catch — I forgot that the first tiebreaker is wins. Have updated the post accordingly, thanks!
Peter – can you illuminate us on qualification rules for CCL? Everything I have read seems contradictory and I would love a clear explanation on what we would have to do to get in. Thanks!
Micah — I think this is a pretty good summary: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/08/27/how-mls-teams-could-qualify-2020-concacaf-champions-league.
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Basically, the Union qualify in one of three scenarios: (1) they win MLS Cup, (2) they finish in first place in the Eastern Conference, (3) Atlanta, LAFC, or NYCFC wins MLS Cup AND the Union are the next-highest-ranked team to those three sides in the final Supporter’s Shield table (which they are right now).
Almost right. Add Toronto to that list.
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The Union make it to Champions League if they
1) Win the East (8% chance per 538)
2) Win MLS Cup (7% chance)
3) Stay ahead of LAG, SEA, and MIN (no odds on this but looks quite likely) AND MLS Cup is won by LAFC, NYCFC, ATL, or TOR (79% chance).
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Put that all together, and we probably have ~80% chance for our first CONCACAF Champions League spot.
Anyone else wondering what Trusty has or hasn’t done to piss off Curtin? So much so that Collin is 3rd choice CB?!? Seems like Union has up-and -coming USMNT players that Curtin beats down until they’re scrubs and can’t get a pick-up game anymore. Rosenberry, Real, Trusty, Fontana. Curtin will lose confidence in McKenzie and Aaronson next year I suspect. Sucks for the organization and the players.
It’s pretty amazing that there is still criticism of Curtin. 3 out of 4 yrs in the playoffs with a bottom 5 payroll (transfer fees and salaries combined). 2 biggest offseason signings totaling have given little to nothing, yet here we sit with the league’s 3rd highest point total. He’s clearly 1 of the league’s best coaches, yet we in Philadelphia find things to bitch about and never praise the guy. Complain, complain, complain. Even more remarkable that he’s one of us.
Curtin has done better these past few years but he’s not Mourinho, relax. Curtin still has a track record of sending young players to the dog house and keeping them there way too long.
At this point there is 0 reason to ever play Collin above Trusty ever again.
Curtin doesn’t become immune to criticism because he’s doing well. More importantly Ben was spot on about Curtin’s doghouse. He buries kids for entire seasons sometimes. The decision to have Collin in the lineup at this point is not a good one. People overrated his first couple of games because he was rusty and they had low expectations. But now we know what to expect. He’s painfully slow and a red card or penalty kick waiting to happen. If Trusty literally brought nothing else to the table, at least he’s relatively fast and can make up for some positioning mistakes. Collin can provide his veteran presence from the bunch like Fabinho does.
“Collins in the line-up is not a good decision”.
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Union 2 San Jose 1
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Facts lie?
“Union 2 San Jose 1
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Facts lie?”
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Of course facts don’t lie. They just get misrepresented by people like what you just did.
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We have no idea how Trusty would have played. All we know is that Collin played like garbage in this game. There’s certainly not some direct causation between Curtin’s decision to start a player who played poorly and the team winning, which I guess is what you’re trying to imply. If Bedoya and Kacpr on the opposite end of the field from Collin hit their shots into the stands instead of the back of the net, does starting Collin magically become a bad decision in your eyes? Even if he played exactly the same?
Collin was garbage last night. Anyone trying to legitmately argue he wasn’t didn’t watch or is trolling.
I think Collin made more sense as the backup on the 18 when McKenzie was starting since being able to come in as a midgame injury or red card replacement can take a veteran mindset but unless there is some injury to Trusty we are not aware of, I think Trusty should be the one to start Sunday.
Gentleman,
If you know anything about defensive positioning and player marking you would see Colin has trusty beat in those categories ….trusty continuously gets beat in the air in the box and also cannot distribute. He really put a lot of work on Elliot most of this season. I have always liked Mackenzie and as seen, you can tell he positions himself and overall is more solid than trusty, hopefully he’ll return soon. Overall, Curtin has been making good decisions but not great ones, aaronson should be at the number ten with picault out wide. The negative impact of Fabian in this midfield is astonishing. In the game of soccer chemistry is everything and once Fabian touches the pitch this is lost! If curtin makes this move, i feel we fare well in the playoffs. Fabian Wooten start be San Jose ….Fabian and Wooten get subbed and union take home 3 pts with a higher producing offense once these two take their seats on the bench that simple.
Whoever the VAR ref was, he/she must have had a silver tongue to talk Toledo out of the penalty. It was a shoulder charge which is legal if the force is not excessive. Collin was already falling because he slipped on the turf so intent was not necessarily voluntary. And the play occurred almost out of bounds.
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Toledo is old enough and well enough established that swallowing his ego should have been easier, but his standing in the eyes of the VAR ref and of the evaluators at PRO clearly mattered to him.
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The VAR ref was our guardian angel.
Agree. That should NOT have been a PK. It was shoulder-to-shoulder, and even insofar as he really applied hard force, they were already at the endline. It think Peter Andrews is wrong on this one, and it took guts for Toledo to take his call back. This is just how VAR is supposed to work.
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Meanwhile he gave back to SJ with the copious stoppage time. Which was reasonable. But in the Union’s matches, when stuff like this has happened, they get like 3-4 minutes.
The thing that caught my eye was Collin’s arm on the PK call. I didn’t think it was clear whether or not he was using it to pull the player down or not. Therefore, not a clear and obvious error and PK stands in my mind.
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Stoppage time made sense since there were two VAR’s, 6 subs, and at least one injury stoppage when two Union players ran into each other by the sideline during the second half. I think that stoppage time is usually pretty accurate. I try and predict it and am rarely off by more than a minute (I was guessing 6 last night).
So, who better helps Jack Elliott control Gyasi Zardes? Aurelien Collin or Auston Trusty?
Is this a real question?
Just saw the highlights. VAR was man of the match for me. Great win fellas, didn’t think you had it in y’all.
Rough game but good win. That was a crappy stream in the first half and I’ve had it with Tommy Smyth. He is the most annoying combination of Captain Obvious and Debbie Downer…
+1 That dude drives me nuts. Presumably he is afforded leeway because he has a scottish accent…”dip in the old onion bag” Ugh. Just wish he didn’t miss half the nuances of the game and be biased on a level with a high school webcast.
He’s Irish. Indeed, he grew up and played with the long ball game of his time and place when young and it reflects in how he envisions matches vis-a-vis finesse styles.
The upside is that it makes him Master of the Obvious too when it comes to remembering the whole point of the game–shoot the ball and score more than your opponent–rather than dribbling and passing too much and especially in the box, showboating, failing to perform clearances and counterstrikes, etc, and overall forgetting the value of long ball plays.
Long ball isn’t pretty but it’s effective when applied correctly and should be incorporated where effective and not seen as outdated and primitive but a valid tactical choice where sensible.
love that you used “valid tactical choice.”
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absolutley erudite.
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as a philosohy of play, I detest it. as a solution to a problem… one can only stipulate.
Also going on highlights — it looked like a peak MLS/PRO extravaganza. I want to say something positive: Philly’s goals were well taken. Love Przbylko’s header.
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And Collin… Look, I think PRO was right to reverse that pen. I think Rios went down on his own, but I would not have complained if it was given. Why Collin thought that bulldozing his man off the ball there was the right play is beyond me. He’s the worst. How on Earth is Trusty behind him?
I haven’t seen highlights, but I’m sure they made the Union look better than they actually played.
If Collin had made the same play in any other part of the field for when a ball was heading out of bounds, last touched by an opponent, there would *not* have been a foul. When there is a race to a ball that is heading out of bounds, I see players shielding the ball violently all the time, game after game. So, it it’s not a foul anywhere else.. why is it a foul in the penalty area? THAT’s why it wasn’t a penalty. Show me the foul call anywhere in MLS where the ball is headed out, last touched by the attacking team, and a defender shoulders the opponent off the ball, and the official gives the offense a set piece because the “way he shouldered the opponent wasn’t very nice.” Has it happened .. ever?
Bingo, good veteran play and once the ref watched from the opposite angle he realizes how easily the offensive player went down out of bounds.
I hear that Steven, and tend to agree, but in the box…. We’ve all seen penalties called for WAY less. Like I said, I think it was the right call, but good lord, it was a risky play given the way officiating is these days, especially in MLS.
This is EXACTLY right.
Chris Gibbons called it- Ray Gaddis assisted on the game-tying goal!
First half was absolutely awful by the Union. When I was in third grade I could trap the ball better than they were doing. Giveaway after giveaway. And when a “good” pass was made to space, no one was bothering to make the run. Gaddis was especially bad. I think the assist brings his player rating up to a 1 or 2.
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Good news is that Columbus was eliminated so they have nothing to play for Sunday. Hopefully the Union will do to them what NJPC did to the Union last Sunday…play a midweek game across the country and then beat a team who hasn’t played in a week.
100% with you here
Haven’t watched a game in a while where I was so convinced they’d lose or maybe lucky to get a draw… that then end up winning. They were so SO bad in the 1st half. Sloppy as hell. Field was a mess… guys falling down everywhere, NON-STOP giveaways. I don’t think Gaddis or Collin passed the ball to a teammate the entire 1st half. Then they start the 2nd half by giving up a goal… only to be bailed out by the (correct but lucky) offside call. Then later, and again it was the correct call, the PK was overturned. Gotta have some luck I guess. Overall, 2nd half was way better than the 1st, and both goals were well taken. LOVE THE 3 POINTS.
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Loved seeing the 4-4-2 but I am pretty certain Fabian is just not the #10 this team needs. Feel a little bad for Wooten, as he was thrown in there after not playing for a while, but he’s being paid to be better. I really feel next year he’ll make an impact.
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I love Gaddis as a person and the way he represents the team, etc. BUT man do we need an upgrade at RB. Another note: that field was absolutely terrible.
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Go get three points in Columbus (and get a little help from NE too) and then let’s have an even bigger game than Atlanta and LAFC combined vs NYC in the finale at home.
Agree on just about everything. I’m a bit frustrated with Wooten, but like you said he needs time. Fabian has 2 games to change my mind, but no matter what if you truly believe in Aaronson’s development, you don’t need him. We’ll see.
Wooten looked absolutely awful. So slow, no anticipation, and no holdup play. I would be shocked if he makes another appearance this season.
Kacper has been getting feisty in a somewhat over the top way. I liked him better when he was surprised by his own success. He needs to conserve his energy a little, he always looks gassed by the end of halves and stops following up runs and loose balls.
Ilsinho was straight up playing RB for the last 15 minutes because Ray was so out of place.
Monteiro is acting like its the training ground taking on players instead of simple passes. Midfield seems unable to make any combination play, let alone hold possession and kill off the game. Fafa’s pace and workrate make him an essential starter for me.
Incredibly lucky win which will hopefully add some cohesion to the play moving foward
Interesting. The end of first half cross on the ground Ray Gaddis somehow managed to thread to the back post that Kacper could have gotten on the ground and headed over the line like the insult its meant to be…is a telling example- but he was on his heals and not reading the play.
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Speaking of Ray.
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He was bad in the first half.
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Course THE ENTIRE team was bad in the first half and I find it funny how some are putting him under the microscope as though hes the reason the team sucked. The guy had an assist, should have had a second assist and generally (though too much for my likening) was a threat up the right side depsite it being all elbows, knees and lose associations. He made some stellar 1v1 plays defensively I recall witnessing through the at times terrible Live Stream feed.
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Whatever. Ray Ray…. Limited— but Untouchable in my opinion.
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As for Montiero… in my opinion again, this is a guy who just isn’t on the ball enough… and I’m unconvicned that is his fault.
As someone who criticized Gaddis last night, my thought is that it was his personal worst half in a Union uniform. He was making unforced error after unforced error. It wasn’t the usual issue where he was slowing things down and giving the defense a chance to catch up, it was a lack of concentration and taking his eye off the ball to mishandle the ball when he received it with no one on him.
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There were several others playing like this but he was the most glaring.
My observations:
1. Colin started off the season playing well — he deputized in a few matches and did a fine job — but his last 2 have been just awful. If Mackenzie can’t go for a little while, it’s time to give Trusty another chance.
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2. The Union looked not-sharp for most of the match — especially in the first half — which I suspect has a lot to do with fatigue. Curtin has made some great decisions this year, but he still just stubbornly disbelieves in squad rotation, and I consider it a problem. (At least, until he tries it and it doesn’t work.) He should consider resting Medunjanin, Gaddis, or both against Columbus.
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3. That match should be all the convincing anybody needs that the team should play a 4-2-3-1 (almost) all the time. We are not getting sufficient production from the second striker position, and leaving Medunjanin at the back corner of a diamond leaves us far too vulnerable to late runners in the box. If he REALLY wants to go back to the 4-4-2 Diamond, he should put Monteiro in that spot and move Medunjanin out to the left.
You rest nobody with first place still insight. If the Revs beat NYCFC on Saturday and the Union win….game on. The only way you rest anybody is if their position in the playoff seating can’t change.
Kind of agree with you John. After the loss on the weekend, there was no way Curtin was rolling out wholesale changes. As much as I’ve hated the lack of squad rotation in the past, I truly think he did the right thing here.
It’s not rest for the hell of it. It’s rest because you think they’ll probably play like shit after a game 3 days ago and flying across the continent.
Why do people keep questioning whether Curtin knows what he’s doing by not playing Trusty, instead of questioning why Trusty hasn’t impressed anyone enough to be Curtin’s choice in front of Collin?
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How can anyone imply that Curtin is “mad” at Trusty? That Trusty is “in the dog house”? You sitting in at training and meetings? This isn’t “The Kardashians”. If Curtin isn’t playing a guy, he’s got a rational, team oriented reason for it.
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The hard fact is Trusty was making multiple, glaring mistakes each game he played. It was also getting worse, instead of better, the more he played.
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It’s completely on Trusty to show Curtin something solid and play his ass back in. Question Trusty, not Curtin.
*Starts a slow clap..
Because Curtin has a history of burying players in the doghouse + giving players too long a leash…?
Doghouse Participants:
Keegan
Fontana
Trusty
Long rope:
Wenger
– other players I forget from his dark first few years here-
Craevelle
Now Collin
Again “doghouse”?
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Keegan and Trusty played themselves off the field, pure and simple. Played like crap. Play better and earn your way back on.
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Fontana. I love him, but maybe he’s just not that good in comparison. It’s not a “punishment”.
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Wenger was a the best of NO OTHER CHOICES. Creavelle and Collin the same.
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C’mon man, are you even trying?
DaveR, you’re right on !! I’ve been preaching this for months now. Trusty has so many flaws, he’s bad in the air , always out of position, distribution is horrible and he’s just weak one V one.
I love you VAR.
St. VARentines day anyone?
Went to sleep with little expectations of a win. Wow; so nice to wake up and see they won 2-1 and then to watch the highlights on the MLS app. Kasper is my man!!! Heading that ball is not easy as Kevin Kinhead mentioned.
Heck, I watched the whole game and when I went to sleep I still had little expectation of a win despite having already seen it with my own eyes!
I have to disagree with everyone. And I apologize.
I’m going to blame the field. Everyone was sliding everywhere. That’s the blame for the Collin possible penalty. That’s also the reason we got our tying goal.
I thought the Union played faster and better in the first half. They had more energy and won more balls. Yes, they played some wrong balls and made (or didn’t make) good runs. The second half they were sluggish and slow. We were really lucky with a (correct) VAR call to remove the second SJ goal. The chance was there. I’m beyond thrilled they came back and won. But the first half is what convinced me they would.
This comment is underrated, but I respectfully disagree with a few things. 1) Collin gave up the near penalty because he panicked after slipping, a rookie mistake. 2) I’m not exactly certain about the defensive structure of the 2nd goal, but it was scored because Monteiro is almost always the best player in any MLS game in which he participates. As for the tying goal, Bedoya still needed a perfect placement into the corner with 3 defenders around him in the box. In other words, I think the 2nd half was much better. I think you’re definitely on to something, but don’t overthink it. We earned the win in the 2nd half.
All things being equal the Union “should” take 3 on Sunday, although we seem to tank games we should win easily. That being said, we will know how well we are playing against NYFC when we see how active Señor Simulation (Maxi Moralez) is trying to get fouls called his way. (I think Maxi inherited his designation from Signore Giovinco after Giovinco left for Saudi Arabia.)
All I can hope for is that the ref is “on to” his antics.
I’m confident that if we can relax and play as we did against Atlanta and LAFC we will end well.