Photo courtesy Philadelphia Union
Cavan Sullivan’s first Major League Soccer start headlined the Union’s 1-0 loss in Nashville on Saturday evening. The Union homegrown is 15 years, 9 months, and 8 days old, making him the youngest starter in club history and the second youngest in MLS history.
A late VAR decision awarded the game-winning penalty to Nashville despite the home side going down to ten men in the 63rd minute.
First Half
Andre Blake came up big in the 15th minute to deny Hany Mukhtar, whose shot on the rebound bounced off the post. The Union was saved from the onslaught of attacking pressure thanks to an off-ball foul on Olivier Mbaizo by Nashville’s Sam Surridge. The Jamaican international continued to come up big throughout the half.
Later, a Bruno Damiani volley was cleared off the line by Jeisson Palacios. The ensuing corner gave chances to Jovan Lukic and Jakob Glesnes, but both of their long-range shots were blocked. Philadelphia failed to be a threat on its set-piece chances during the first 45 minutes.
On a stoppage-time corner for Nashville, Palacios dove low to try and win a header in front of Glesnes, whose boot caught him in the head. Appeals for a penalty went without a reward, as the Norwegian’s boot was not exactly “high”.
Philadelphia survived a physical first half with just 37% possession.
Second Half
Immediately following the restart, Cavan Sullivan earned a yellow card for a challenge on Daniel Lovitz. The youngster spent much of the first half going at it with him, and a card was coming to one of them eventually.
Nashville continued to threaten in the final third, but Andre Blake stood tall in the goal.
Things finally began to click for the Union after the 50th minute, when attacking chances for both Chris Donovan and Bruno Damiani were saved by Joe Willis.
Cavan Sullivan’s night came to an end in the 61st minute. The teenager did not look out of place in the midfield and was replaced by Ben Bender.
Tai Baribo, immediately after being subbed on for the first time in over a month, took a high boot to the head from Jonathan Perez, who saw an immediate red card. Baribo’s scream was audible on the Apple TV stream. Philadelphia looked to be playing for a draw until the ejection, but the match became a must-win contest. Philadelphia’s temper flared, and Wagner, Glesnes, and Bender earned yellow cards.
The away side woke up at the end of regulation to push for the game-winning goal, and were grateful for 8 minutes of stoppage time from the fourth official.
Nashville had two chances at the end of stoppage time. The first was a possible penalty by Olwethu Makhanya on Hany Mukhtar, and the second was parried away by Andre Blake. Play was halted for a VAR review, where Rubiel Vazquez chose to award a penalty to Nashville. Teal Bunburry stepped up to the spot to waste time before giving the ball to Hany Mukhtar, who converted the penalty at the death.
For the second time this season, VAR decisions have awarded wins to Nashville SC over Philadelphia. Despite missing multiple key players, the Union, for the most part, was able to keep up with a top team in the Eastern Conference.
Three Points:
- Tai Baribo entered the match in the 61st minute and drew multiple fouls. For a player who was questionable going into the match, he looked solid.
- Olwethu Makhanya, while on a very impressive run this season, has yet to fully mature as a defender. When he is “locked in”, the Union defense is solid, but his small lapses throughout the season have cost the Union points.
- Returning faces: With the US Men’s National Team playing in the Gold Cup final tomorrow evening, Quinn Sullivan and Nathan Harriel will rejoin the Union sometime next week. While it is possible that they could feature in the Union’s Open Cup match on Wednesday, it is more likely that they will be given time to acclimate for the second match against the Red Bulls on Saturday.
Lineups
Philadelphia
Andre Blake; Jakob Glesnes, Olivier Mbaizo, Kai Wagner, Olwethu Makhanya, Jovan Lukic, Cavan Sullivan (Ben Bender– 61’), Indiana Vassilev (Alejandro Bedoya– 72’), Danley Jean Jacques, Bruno Damiani, Chris Donovan (Tai Baribo– 61’)
Unused subs: Andrew Rick; Neil Pierre, Jeremy Rafanello, David Vazquez, Markus Anderson, Sal Olivas
Nashville
Joe Willis; Daniel Lovitz, Jeisson Palacios, Jack Maher, Andy Najar (Josh Bauer– 82’), Patrick Yazbek (Bryan Acosta– 89’), Hany Mukhtar, Alex Muyl (Ahmed Qasem– 80’), Edvard Tagseth, Jonathan Perez, Sam Surridge (Teal Bunbury– 89’)
Unused Subs: Brian Schwake;, Gaston Brugman, Matthew Corcoran, Julian Gaines, Chris Applewhite
Scoring Summary:
NSC: H. Muhktar– 90+9’ (Penalty)
Discipline Summary:
PHI: C. Sullivan– 46’ (Caution)
NSC: J. Perez– 63’ (Ejection)
PHI: K. Wagner– 71’ (Caution)
PHI: J. Glesnes– 73’ (Caution)
PHI: B. Bender– 79’ (Caution)
NSC: E. Tagseth– 89’ (Caution)
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez
Not a PK….nothing more to say (other than Damiani continues to be a waste of money)
Hard disagree.
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It was a pk and it was a pk made possible primarily because the RB does some of the dumbest shit I’ve ever seen in almost 15 years of Union soccer.
I remember when people used to say he was an upgrade from Ray Gaddis. Also some of the dumbest shit I’ve seen said in almost 15 years if Union soccer.
Mbaizo is funny because sometimes you watch him and think ok this guy is pretty good… then his brain completely shuts off and you remember why he’s fighting to start in MLS.
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His play in the ECF covid game against NYCFC comes to mind.
When I saw Mbaizo head the ball back toward the Union goal, you knew things would not end well.
Sorry but no matter how many times I see it, I cannot be convinced that Makahnya misses the ball. I see him touch the ball and the ball change direction. And the contact on Mukhtar is there, and probably enough to bring him down. But for me, no PK. I even watched Instant Replay and they can’t convince me to see something else. No angle shows me different.
I have a new strategy for the Union when they go up a man on the opposing team. Carnell should tell someone to go down injured and don’t substitute anyone in. Just play 10 vs. 10 because they haven’t a clue what to do with the advantage.
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Also it is time to sit Damaini as he’s playing no better than Donovan. He has zero thump in his shot and keeping it on goal is another struggle.
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Can someone ask Kai Wagner when they go up a man, why he’s arguing with the other team and letting them get in his head?
It is a curse. If we don’t have the lead when the other team goes down a man, we have no hope of winning.
In all of my years, I’ve have never seen a club play as consistently ineffectively being a man up than the Union.
For the U, having a man “advantage” somehow always becomes a disadvantage.
I’m challenged to recall one match… in the history of the club… where they’ve dominated and earned a convincing result after an opponent’s red card.
Anyway, I’d like to see Cavan being more active, pesky and impactful on the high press.
His lack of size makes him a defensive liability, so he needs to take a page out of the Brendan Aaronson… hustling his neck off on the press… book.
Hopefully the U can be back to form a week from tonight.
I can actually think of one. During the magic summer of 2022 I believe they scored three goals against Colorado after a red card late in the first half. Of course, the fact that they were already up 3-0 at the time means that the red may not have been the decisive factor.
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And this team is NOT the 2022 team.
Good times, Andy!
Thanks for the reminder… 😉
100% a penalty. It was a bone headed play from the beginning made worse when OM let Hany get inside him then made doubly worse with the foul on an extreme angle the goalie had covered. Bonehead play. 100% a PK in my opinion.
There is so much to nit pick right now … and I’m going to high road it mostly… two good teams they got zero points from in the last 2 games. Need to finish the chances. Simple as.
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Thought Cavan looked over his head a bit tonight then made a few bad turnovers. He had chances to pound space on the ball which is what his skill set should be and he wound up harmlessly releasing it too soon …to no avail. Just not enough touches with 31-39% possession. At one point he had one touch after almost 25 min.
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I’ve learned to keep Union at arms length the last few years. I still care. Just not as much. Their style is like doctor’s office art to me.
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In the American Civil war when union armies operating in the western theater received newl recruited units of whatever size, those new units had to be “seasoned,”
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Seasoned meant the had to get used to the heat, especially to the fact that it never gets cool. The Israeli Army has proven that hydration is a key requirement for operation in extreme heat.
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Cavan Sullivan is being pushed into tough situations, faster than the Union have pushed other prize prospects. Who’ doing the pushing and why?
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Columbus and Nashville are not confidence building initial success candidates. Who is being impatient? He himself? His family? The Union? Manchester City?
A lot probably has to do with the combination of his brother being away and the general lack of quality among other attacking midfielders (plus father time catching up with Bedoya). They are in a mini-May with 5 games in 2 weeks so why not try something different when the offense has been so ineffective for the previous few (2 goals from the run of play in the last 4 games before Saturday).
Amen.
Clearly, Carnell has been forced to adjust for the absence of normal starters.
Times are truly desperate when Ale must volunteer as a Back.
The results from these past two matches has been dissapointing, but the context of player absences is important.
Hopefully they get back healthy and re-coordinated down the stretch and for the playoffs.
Dissapointing yes.
But not time to
panic.
Nor in the case of Cavan.
He needs to learn and can only truly advance on the field.
Mistakes will occur, but he will improve.
I just want to see a better ‘motor’ from him on the press at this point, while he learns the speed, pace, and other nuances at
this level.
They need a playmaker like the one they sold. Someone who can orchestrate an offense, not just run hard and defend. Someone not like Vassilev or Donovan or even Damiani. Young Sullivan isn’t quite there yet. Older Sullivan closer. Geez Union, just fill the gap this summer please. It would be nice to think you really aspire to win the cup not just be another also ran.
Union need a real playmaking #10, but I doubt they sign one. And not because they are cheap (they are), but because doing so does not fit their system.
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In his first press conference in Chester, Carnell said he believed in 60/30/10 – 60% of goals from transition, 30% from set pieces and 10% from possession. It should not surprise anyone that the attacking mids on the roster are better at causing turnovers to support the 60% than making plays to generate offense for the 10%. Quinn Sullivan succeeds in this system because he has the defensive skills like Vassilev but is better once he wins the ball. He has never shown the skills to be the lone #10 that can break down a defense.
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I’ll defer to others who know the world football market better than I do, but are there AM out there who – 1. press for 90 minutes, 2. become Acosta or Rossi when they win the ball, and 3. are in Union’s price range? If not, Union will finish fourth or fifth in the East and lose in first round of the playoffs because the system will beat the mediocre/bad teams, but the team does not have the player with the skills to create something in a one game knockout situation.
By a playmaker maybe I mean someone who is really good with the ball at his feet, can complete the large majority of his passes, can think and has some defensive chops. Surely that person exists and currently anonymous
As much as I love this team, the overall product from the 2010 season to now, they are frustrating!! I really can’t believe how bad they are up a man!! Almost like there’s no plan. Every iteration of the team! Wow!! Just…wow! The pace of the game was crazy. Our defenders fumbled the game at the end! Put themselves in trouble and then made decisions. Terrible tackle on the penalty. No question! Well on to the Open Cup!
They have no established, quality wide attackers or forwards, short of Baribo. They have no consistent way of getting him the ball. Bucket – 4 doesn’t rely on a playmaker, the press is designed to break up play-and catch opponents in quick transition-like a breakout in hockey.
They can handle the first part, but not the second. The quality on the ball is simply not there. Ditto the lack of pace. They have become completely unwatchable again.
Baribo is coming back from injury, and Q Sullivan and Harriel are on intl duty. Uhre and Westwood are injured.
Yes, remove 3 of the best players and 5 starters total from any team and you will see a let down.
Amen.
Love your handle.
This is the second loss in a row, and the second where I thought the Union played well enough to win or tie. Without our best 11, they’ve still managed a decent series since end of May. Two results that hopefully get put to rest with folks coming back. It’s annoying because I definitely don’t think Nashville did enough to deserve a win. Funny how when your best are away the ball stops bouncing your way as often.