Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union

The Philadelphia Union let a shot at 1st place in the Eastern Conference slip through their fingers Saturday evening.

Although Philly surrendered a 90 + 3’ minute equalizer against the Columbus Crew,  the Union turned in a good showing against one of the best teams in the league – scoring some wonderful goals along the way. Ultimately, the team and fans may feel let down by how it ended, but let’s get into the ratings. 

Player Ratings:

Andrew Rick – 8

Stellar save in the first half to deny AZ Jackson, which looked a certain goal. Great free kick to start the attack that led to the Union’s opener. Became the youngest goalie in MLS history to record an assist, at just 19 years (and 100 days) of age. 

Kai Wagner – 5

Besides a rifling shot from outside the 18, the German Fullback was noticeably less involved in the attack than usual. Active on defense, Kai won 2/3 tackles and made 3 interceptions, but got caught ball watching a couple times, most notably on the Crew’s last minute equalizer which lead to their goal.

Nathan Harriel – 6

Solid defensive shift from Harriel after logging 75 midweek minutes. A step slow to contest with Rossi, who’s flicked header set-up the Crew’s late equalizer. Led team in clearances with 7.

Jakob Glesnes – 5

Steady showing from the Norwegian, his passing was more like his older self and he put in some crunching tackles, even leaving Daniel Gazdag on the ground. Could have positioned himself better during the 2nd half, which led to some open shots for the Crew.

Frankie Westfield – 7

Scored an absolute screamer for his first MLS goal. That was great. What wasn’t great, was the number of times he got burned on the dribble, or otherwise taken out of the play defensively. Is it asking too much for him to spot Arfsten on that first Crew goal?

Danley Jean-Jacuqes – 7

Relentless pressing, a number of good carries and forward passing. Credited with the Second Assist on Westfield’s goal to see his scoring contribution streak continue. 

Jovan Lukić – 6

Gutsy game from the Serbian star, nearly going a full 90 after playing all 120 minutes on Wednesday. Led team in tackles with 6, several of which were key in regaining possession. However, some careless passes resulted in turnovers.

Quinn Sullivan – 7

Excellent work on the opener, not only beating the Crew’s offside trap, but also hitting a pin-point cross to Baribo. While his aggressive nature is an asset, he sometimes makes the wrong decision – such as trying to lob Schulte from 60 yards instead of playing an open teammate through on net. 

Indiana Vassilev – 5

Played with his usual fiery brand of defensive pressing. He was good at retaining possession under pressure and short passing, but lacked a killer instinct. Skied his lone shot in the 49th minute. Work on that left foot Indy! 

Tai Baribo – 8

Although his touch and decision making let him down a few times, Baribo’s goal and assist were a big reason why the Union walked away with any points from this game. 

Bruno Damiani – 5

Demonstrated the ability to set up his teammates with scoring chances, although he could have been more involved in this contest. Good to see him take on the shot himself in the 53rd minute.

Substitutes:

Olwethu Makhanya – 5

Carnell instituted a switch to a 5-man backline to help shore up the defense. Makhanya came in and did his part, helping clean it up on defense without making any spectacularly good or bad plays. 

Mikael Uhre – 2

Couldn’t replicate his late game heroics from last week’s match at Montreal. Whiffed one of the best chances of the game from about 10 yards out. 

Chris Donovan – 4

Brought on to fill the ‘Target Player’ role, Donovan went 4/5 on aerial duels, won two tackles, and even set Uhre up with a tap-in – although perhaps he should have taken the shot himself. Lost possession once or twice.  

Jesus Bueno – 6

Showed his usual aggression and energy by putting in some good tackles, fed Donovan through on the late breakaway chance. 

Jeremy Rafanello – N/a

Brought on late after Lukić indicated for a sub.

Geiger Counter

Malik Badawi – 6

Not much to say about the officiating crew, which is always a good thing. Maybe some of the offside calls could’ve gone either way, but Malik got all the big decisions right. His yellow cards seemed to calm the chippiness that had started to creep in.

Player of the Match – Tai Baribo

Had an early goal chalked off due to offside, but rebounded with a finish from a strikingly similar position. Great work from the ground to find that pass to Westfield. Baribo remains tied atop the MLS Golden Boot race with his 8th goal of the season. With the Union, across all competitions, he has: 44 games, 24 goals, and 3 assists in just 2,908 minutes. Truly a remarkable strike rate.

What’s Next

The Union will host reigning champs, and league cellar-dwellers, LA Galaxy on Wednesday May 14th, at 7:30 PM. The Galaxy are coming off a 7-0 trouncing at the hands of NYRB, and are still without a win on the season. The Union head into the match riding a four game unbeaten streak in league play, looking to make it five .