Philadelphia Union hosted St. Louis CITY SC for the first match ever between the two clubs Saturday night at Subaru Park. With seven national team call-ups and Olwethu Makhanya suspended due to a red card in last week’s match, the Boys in Blue utilized their never-before-seen roster depth to clinch the three points and the second clean sheet of the 2025 campaign.
Starting XI:
Andrew Rick – 7.5
Rick stepped up in his first MLS start this season with Andre Blake out for international duty with Jamaica. He showcased some fantastic instincts en route to a clean sheet, including a quick pivot and full stretch to stop the first real CITY attempt in the 33′.
Kai Wagner – 8
Wagner continued proving just how valuable he is on both sides of the ball for this Union side, recording his 5th assist of the season (an MLS best) on Glavinovich’s goal in the 8′.
Ian Glavinovich – 8.5
The Argentine defender made his MLS debut, starting alongside Glesnes on the backline. With only eight minutes under his belt, he sent Subaru Park into a frenzy as he smashed a corner kick from Kai Wagner into the back of the net for his first MLS goal.
Jakob Glesnes – 8
Say what you will, but the version of Jakob Glesnes that laced up against CITY sparked memories of the Glesnes of old with some perfectly timed tackles, quick saves, and even a diving header.
Olivier Mbaizo – 6.5
We haven’t seen much this season of the Cameroonian defender this season, but with Frankie Westfield out, Mbaizo quickly fell back into place among his teammates. A couple of bad decisions, but nothing worth noting.
Nathan Harriel – 6
In his first start for the Union this season, Harriel played out of his usual position, and you can tell he tried the best he could. A couple of attempts in the 36′ that should have been passes may have cost the Union a second goal.
Jovan Lukic – 8
The Serbian midfielder continues to be a pleasant surprise week in and week out with his excellent defensive recovery and presence all over the field on both sides of the ball.
Quinn Sullivan – 7
Sullivan continues his streak of ‘almosts’ when it comes to goal attempts, including an attempt from outside the box after a foul on Uhre that saw the shot clip the top crossbar. Keep an ear out for the sigh of relief that will come from Subaru Park when the oldest Sullivan finally finds the back of the net.
Indiana Vassilev – 7
A pretty silent night against his former team, but while he may not have been scoring goals or making saves, Indy was putting in the hustle, running up and down the pitch, recovering lost balls. He even attempted a belter off the aftermath of a corner kick in the 42′.
Mikael Uhre – 6.5
Uhre started the game off in the 6th minute with an attempt that found its way straight into CITY GK Benjamin Lundt’s hands; that, coupled with a near post run in 37′ were the ‘highlights’ of Uhre’s offensive play. While he might not be making much progress on the offensive side, it is worth noting that he seems to finally be playing better defense and breaking up plays.
Bruno Damiani – 8
The Uruguayan forward earned his first start for the Union, looking to add to his goal tally with attempts in the 36′ and 38′ that forced saves by Lundt. Overall, excellent touches, quick forward passes, and some great play from Damiani so far this season.
Substitutes:
(70′) Jeremy Rafanello – N/A
(82′) Chris Donovan – N/A
Geiger Counter
Ricardo Fierro – 5
In no way was Fierro as aggravating as Pierre-Luc Lauzière, but there were definitely calls made against both teams that had me giving a questioning side-eye. Looks like the talent search for Unkel’s replacement continues.
Player of the Match – Ian Glavinovich
First start, first goal….worth celebrating. While other accolades could be argued, the truth is that even up a man, this Union squad didn’t do much to impress.
What’s Next…
The Union travel to Fort Lauderdale to take on Inter Miami on Saturday, March 29. Inter Miami are currently 3-1-0 after their win against Atlanta United on March 16.
Anyone know where bedoya was?
Family commitment per Bradley Carnell in the post game press conference.
was unable to watch this one but happy to see the reserves did what was needed. still collecting points. lovely