Photo: Ron Soliman

The Philadelphia Union drew 1-1 with Atlanta United on Saturday evening at Subaru Park – marking the team’s 3rd consecutive unbeaten match.

Jim Curtin opted to roll out his first choice XI in the good old Union diamond – his second consecutive game rolling out the same XI.

The Union thought they may have been off and running 18 minutes into the match, when Uhre back-heeled home a broken down set-piece. However, Daniel Gazdag was determined to be in an offside position in the lead-up to the goal.

Through a half an hour of play, Philly were in complete control – dominating possession and logging 5 shots and conceding 0. Atlanta’s press struggled to earn possession back for the side, as the Union’s center backs, especially Glesnes, were able to progress the ball with the Union successfully working the space behind Atlanta’s pressing midfield.

Much of the same continued for the remainder of the first half, with Atlanta able to register their first couple shots on target in the final fifteen minutes of the first forty-five.

Ten minutes into the second frame, the Union, again, thought they may have found the break-through. Gazdag slid another broken down set-piece into the feet of Baribo who tucked it home. But it was called back for offiside in the build-up to the play.

As the tilt remained scoreless through 55 minutes, Atlanta settled into a low block and the pressure became even more tangible for the Union to try to rally to go ahead.

Five minutes later, the Union would find twine. Wagner snuck a quick ball into Nathan Harriel at the top of the box, who smacked home home his first goal of the MLS season with an inside of the foot finish that had Guzan frozen.

Philly made their first substitutions int he 71st minute – taking off Jack McGlynn and Mikael Uhre in favor of Danley Jean-Jacques and Alejandro Bedoya. And in the first bit of action after the substitutes, the Union conceded their first goal. Saba Lobzhanidze headed home a chance to set the score level at 1-1.

The Union were a different team after Curtin made the aforementioned subs, as the team’s midfield was almost entirely and unnecessarily revamped out of the blue. This was displayed in the team’s struggles to generate many quality chances until the very dying moments of the match. Gazdag was the benefactor of the Union’s best opportunity in the dying minutes, firing a shot low and at Guzan’s feet.

Outside of a few chances that Guzan was able to handle, the Union just couldn’t find a way to adequately respond to Atlanta’s equalizer. The match would end 1-1 with a frustrated Union side stuck in 9th place in the east for the time being, level with Montreal on points, but ahead on goal differential.

With now just three regular season matches remaining, the Boys in Blue head to the Sunshine State to face 5th place Orlando City SC on Wednesday. The last time the Union defeated Orlando was in September of 2022.

Three Points

• Curtin’s lack of finger on the pulse –  The Union were in virtually full control and up 1-0 in the 71st minute when Jim Curtin opted to sub off Jack McGlynn and Mikael Uhre in favor of Danley Jean-Jacque and Alehandro Bedoya. As soon as the subs entered, the Union conceded the equalizer and the subs also initiated Atlanta to begin to find their footing in a match that had them previously looking like the lesser side. This is just the most recent occasion in a long history of Curtin’s in-game adjustments that had a negative effect on his side.
• Lapses in concentration – The Union conceded the equalizer on a poor lapse in concentration, yet again. Both Nathan Harriel and Alejandro Bedoya are at fault, as there was a clear lack of communication in the box as to whose man Saba was.
• This feels familiar – The Union really could have used a win to continue their run of good form and also to make up for their poor form to begin the MLS campaign. Yes, the Union earned one point in the standings, but it’s these types of draws that exhibit the same lack of character that the team struggled with throughout the season where they threw away points like hot potatoes.

Lineups

Philadelphia Union 

Andre Blake, Kai Wagner, Jakob Glesnes, Jack Elliott, Nathan Harriel, Quinn Sullivan, Leon Flach (Sam Adeniran — 77′), Jack McGlynn (Alejandro Bedoya — 71′), Daniel Gazdag, Tai Baribo, Mikael Uhre (Danley Jean-Jacques — 71′)

Unused subs: Oliver Semmle, Olivier Mbaizo, Jesus Bueno, Jeremy Rafanello, Cavan Sullivan, Chris Donovan

Atlanta United

Brad Guzan, Derrick Williams, Stian Rode Gregersen, Bartosz Slisz (Dax McCarty — 88′), Saba Lobzhanidze, Brooks Lennon, Pedro Amador, Daniel Rios (Edwin Mosquera — 81′), Tyler Wolff (Tristan Muyumba — 63′), Ajani Fortune, Aleksei Miranchuk

Unused subs: Josh Cohen, Luis Abram, Luke Brennan, Noah Cobb, Matthew Edwards, Ronald Hernandez

Scoring Summary

PHI: Nathan Harriel —  61′

ATL: Saba Lobzhanidze — 72′

Discipline Summary

ATL: Brooks Lennon — Yellow card 52′ (foul)

PHI: Mikael Uhre — Yellow card 68′ (foul)

PHI: Nathan Harriel — Yellow card 77′ (foul)