Photo courtesy Philadelphia Union Communications
A highly rotated Union squad took the field tonight, hoping to ride a two-game winning streak into tonight’s match against Houston. A win would have kept the Union on top of the Eastern Conference, but they will have to be content with one point, and sharing the second place with Nashville. It was the Union’s third game in a week and–with 12 minutes of added time in the first half and 11 minutes in the second–it is one of the longest matches of the season. For any team. There were exciting passages of play, a goal by Alejandro Bedoya, some good goalkeeping from Andrew Rick, and the first time Jack McGlynn played against his former club. It was also at times a sloppy, chippy, start-and-stop affair, which ended with a sending off, for Frankie Westfield in the dying moments of the game. In the end, Bradley Carnell seemed content with the week’s results, if not happy, to have taken two of three games, and to remain unbeaten.
First Half
The match got off to a very chippy start, with Houston content to slow down the game by fouling. During the first ten minutes, neither team was able to establish any kind of rhythm. At one point, referee Rosendo Mendoza could be seen gesturing with his hands, telling both sides to calm down before things got out of hand. It didn’t help. Thereafter, the Union did begin to put some passes together and to get behind the Dynamo defense. In the 15th minute, Mbaizo took a quick throw-in from near the right corner flag, which found Jakob Glesnes who guided a superb, bending cross into the six yard box. Dorsey, the Houston defender, mishandled it and tried to chest it back to the goalkeeper. Alejandro Bedoya pounced on the opportunity, slamming it home for the first goal of the game. Officially, the goal is registered as “unassisted,” but Glesnes served the ball up on a plate.
The physical play continued and the yellow cards accumulated. Mbaizo got a yellow in the 17th minute, and Harriel saw yellow in the 26th. Houston began putting passes together that opened up chances. One Houston strike hit the post, and in the 30th minute, Andrew Rick came up big with an inspiring double save that was chalked off for offside. In the 33rd minute Mickael Uhre collected a yellow card, and in the 39th minute Franco Escobar received a yellow, Houston’s first. Just before first half stoppage time, the call on the field Rafanello was judged to have committed a foul just outside the box in a dangerous area. VAR annulled the foul, and therefore the free kick that Jack McGlynn was lining up, was annulled.
But in the 9th minute of first half stoppage time, Jesus Bueno was judged to have committed a handball in the box on a free kick. Jack McGlynn took the penalty kick, sending Rick the wrong way and leveling the score at 1-1.
Second Half
Olwethu Makhanya, Danley Jean Jacques, and Tai Baribo were all subbed in to begin the second half. Kai Wagner came in for Mbaizo in the 58th minute, and Indiana Vassilev substituted for the goalscorer Bedoya in the 73rd. The chances came, particularly through Danley’s runs, and precise passes. When Wagner came on, it looked like the Union would get the go-ahead goal and take all three points. But on two separate scoring opportunities, two Union players got in each other’s way and the chances were lost. The Union looked to have a penalty kick given in the dying minutes, but VAR annulled the call due to a foul in the earlier stage of play. Frankie Westfield retaliated after a foul and was sent off. The Union hung on for their share points.
Three Points
- Converting chances. The Union had a number of chances, but could not put the game out of reach. Damiani is really struggling, and it’s difficult to see who his best strike partnership is, and twice in this match our own players proved to be effective defenders. Inadvertently.
- Concentration for 90 minutes. Not conceding goals late in games, holding onto leads, pressing advantage when a man up, and not committing red card offenses. It might be the relative, overall youth of the club.
- Alejandro Bedoya. He continues to lead by example and to provide energy and experience to the team. Apple TV called Jack McGlynn the Man of the Match, but Bedoya’s goal was scored in open play.
Lineups
Philadelphia Union: Andrew Rick; Jakob Glesnes (Olwethu Makhanya 45’), Nathan Harriel, Olivier Mbaizo (Kai Wagner 58’), Alejandro Bedoya (Indiana Vassilev 73’), Jesus Bueno, Jovan Lukic (Danley Jean Jacques 45’), Jeremy Rafanello (Quinn Sullivan 90’), Bruno Damiani, Mikael Uhre (Tai Baribo 45’).
Substitutes not used: Andre Blake; Cavan Sullivan, Chris Donovan.
Houston Dynamo FC: Jonathan Bond ; Ethan Bartlow , Pablo Ortíz, Franco Escobar ( Felipe Andrade 69’), Griffin Dorsey (Erik Dueña 90+10’), Artur , Jack McGlynn, Júnior Urso, Ezequiel Ponce ( Duane Holmes 37’), Ondrej Lingr (Gabriel Segal 90’), Sebastian Kowalczyk ( Lawrence Ennali 69’).
Substitutes not used: Jimmy Maurer , Amine Bassi , Obafemi Awodesu, Toyosi Olusanya.
GOALS/ASSISTS
PHI – Alejandro Bedoya (unassisted) 15’
HOU – Jack McGlynn (PK) 45 + 10’
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
PHI – Olivier Mbaizo (caution) 17’
PHI – Nathan Harriel (caution) 26’
PHI – Mikael Uhre (caution) 34’
HOU – Franco Escobar (caution) 38’
HOU – Griffin Dorsey (caution) 46’
HOU – Ondrej Lingr (caution) 49’
PHI – Frankie Westfield (caution) 74’
PHI – Frankie Westfield (ejected) 90+9’
Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
Assistant Referees: Adam Wienckowski, Meghan Mullen
Fourth Official: Alyssa Pennington
VAR: Elijio Arreguin
AVAR: Jonathan Johnson
Weather: 89 degrees and mostly sunny.
TEAM NOTES
Four Homegrowns started for the Union, tying for the most to start a league match this season.
Homegrown goalkeeper Andrew Rick made his 10th start of the season.
Midfielder Alejandro Bedoya tied Cory Burke for seventh most goals in club history (25).
Midfielder Alejandro Bedoya scored his first MLS goal of the season, becoming the 17th different player to score an MLS goal for the Union this season.
I’m glad the Union are doing well but these games are painful to watch
Was calling back the penalty the correct call? It seems to me that once Houston cleared it after the Harriel foul, the foul was no longer part of the buildup, similar to the way if a defender deliberately plays a ball (rather than just deflects or blocks it), any offsides is negated.
This team has to improve their stoppage time defense. Since May 1, the Union have allowed 14 goals. No less than 8 of those have been during stoppage time of either half. That’s all 3 goals they gave up to Columbus this year, both goals they gave up to Montreal, the tying goals by Miami and Houston, and the winning goal by Nashville.
Wow, that’s a troubling theme!
That ref sucked so bad. Couldn’t control the game and everytime someone fell down he called a foul. Honestly, I’m not sure he could competently ref a high school game. The foul VAR called on Harriel wasn’t a foul, it was incidental contact, and the defender Bartlow made way more of it than there was and stayed on the ground forever. But then was miraculously fine once the goal was reversed. And I agree with Andy that it was a new phase of play when the goal was scored. Just because the Union had Houston pinned back for long periods of time doesn’t mean you can go back hours in the game to find a foul and take away a goal.
Apple TV announcers are idiots. What was all that shit-talking they were doing about McGlynn celebrating his PK and sending a a message that he resents the Union and prefers Houston? I didn’t get that sense at all. Were they told to try and make that a story-line? Sure, McGlynn may not like Carnell, but he’s probably happy to have been traded since he has too much skill to play for Carnell who likes guys who run around with their heads cut off and can’t do much with the ball like Vassilev.
I didn’t think Harriel fouled Bartlow, and I agree that it seemed like going back too far in the sequence. He kept rewarding the Houston players for going down easy…
The refereeing was terrible – again! Houston players did a lot of flopping which the referee rewarded. That’s what makes it painful to watch!
That are looking stale again. They need to buy a playmaker, a difference maker this summer if they want a trophy. I know that is a pipe dream but…
Supposedly, Ernst was going to decide whether to replace Gazdag in the summer transfer window or ride worth the current team. I hope they buy another attacking-minded midfielder too who can generate more offense than Vassilev. But if Sugarman has an option to spend money or not spend money, I think I know where things will end up…
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A pipe dream, as you said.
They played 7 subs as starters last night.
Right, and still escaped with a point. It was a tactical decision to stay fresh for Colorado and Toronto.
Only saw highlights. From the line up it looked like a team made of mostly non starters. Happy for Bedoya. He is going to be remembered by Philly fans for a long time and will hopefully be part of this organization for many years. It’s an away game point. .. On a side not can’t stand all the accolades that Messi receives by MLS web page and others. He is one of the greatest players ever, playing in a league 2 steps down from where he could be playing. It’s absurd. ….imagine if the best striker you new in high school was playing against middle school teams. There is no contest. What is the MLs going to do when he leaves ? Who do you think will be the Next ” Messi”” to come slumming down to the MLs when Messi leaves????
1) No Bueno. Senor Bueno had a pretty bad night: His unnecessary handball cost the Union a goal on the correctly-awarded penalty kick. Then in the second half, when Tai Baribo was approaching the service with a great angle with which to put it on frame with power, Bueno intervened with a worse angle and headed the ball wide. As a DM, it is Bueno’s job to see what is developing in front of him on the field, and this was a fail on his part.
2) In case it was not apparent, the announcers on Crapple were those who had followed Houston, and their homerism combined with ignorance came out at various times. This is in keeping with the devaluation of expertise nationwide.
3) Yes, referee Mendoza was awful. I cannot recall seeing a game in the VAR era when two referee-awarded penalties were reversed after VAR review. Please note, VAR did NOT reverse the calls; the VAR official asked the referee to review the video that showed the error, and the referee reversed the calls. The referee had the discretion to let the original call stand after the video review. The reason that these and other officiating gaffes occurred was that the referee was consistently in poor position to make calls. He seemed to do quite a bit of running around to get close to the ball, but, as on the first penalty call that was reversed, he found himself in poor position–in this case, behind the play. Everyone (with the exception of the Crapple announcers) watching the broadcast could see that Rafanello got ball before the man and that, therefore, there was no foul.
4) With regard to the reversal of the penalty awarded to the Union that was reversed, I agree with the earlier commentators that a) Harriel’s contact was not only incidental, but he was in front of the defender whom he was adjudged to have fouled–he did not “climb his back.” I am not sure that I have seen such contact as this called a foul where the arm or elbow was not swung intentionally; and b) referee Mendoza couldn’t see anything that Harriel did from his angle. c) I am not certain how the Harriel foul qualified as a “foul in the build-up.” Between the alleged foul and the penalty, Houston cleared the ball from the box, the Union had tried to put it into the box and Houston blocked it. There were two Houston touches between the alleged foul and the penalty and :13 of elapsed real time. The decision by VAR to review the play and the referee’s reversal were ridiculous.
5) As but one other example of the inconsistent officiating, go back and look at Uhre’s yellow card contact in the 33rd minute and compare that with Dorsey’s contact on Damiani while he was in the air in the 37th minute. Dorsey had no intention to play the ball and the contact created danger for the player in the air. No card.
6) Note to Frankie Westfield: Don’t head butt a player–that’s a red card. Just give him an elbow to the ribs when only VAR could intervene (and the official won’t) like Bartlow did to Damiani in the 24th minute.
To add to how bad the announcers were, within 30 seconds of the start of the game they were talking about how Philly had given up the first goal to Montreal Wednesday night. Which is flat out false. Union scored first and then Montreal equalized in first half stoppage time. Then about 5 minutes later they were mentioned that Rick frequently got the nod over Blake in April and May, completely ignoring the fact that Blake was injured at that time and wasn’t available.
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And to slightly disagree on the VAR point, the original call in the first half was a free kick outside the box. So there was no penalty kick that was reversed on that one.
Right you are (as usual)–the ignorant announcers declared that the review was to determine whether or not the non-foul occurred in the box–had there been a foul, that would have been a very difficult decision, I think.
+1 on Bueno. What a boneheaded move that cross was on a plate for Baribo! You could see Tai questioning him in the aftermath, almost like WTF man!
The announcers weren’t all bad. Just think how much we learned about the game within the game!
In what league other than MLS would the 1st place team put out a 2nd team for a game this late in season.
This shows that standings are not that important and just getting a top seed is good enough.
Now we are in 3rd place with Miami having 3 games in hand.
You play for the point in the road knowing you’ve got a month of home games in front of you. Mission accomplished.
What other league’s 1st place team would rotate like last night this late in season?
Bottom line is MLS teams do not value 1st place as much as they should .
Yes, 1 pt on road is “nice” but this game had 3 pts there for the taking….
How dare you make sense when most of the commentators here would rather post without using any brain cells?
I disagree with that assessment.
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However, if you’re right, maybe it’s because Union fans don’t value first place, why would the team? Ask a fan if the team has ever won silverware and I’ll bet they tell you no or tell you why the Shield doesn’t count.
Just a typical MLS game.
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Really poor television production. There was the usual – showing a coach when the ball is in play, close up on a player not playing the ball when the ball is in play. Then there’s showing a potentially injured player on the ground for long stretches instead of critical replays. It’s just basic stuff, and MLS continues to botch it week by week.
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VAR worked, and then it didn’t. Of course, as noted above, VAR should not have been necessary for Rafanello because the initial call was terrible. That was not a foul on Harriel. In fact, a yellow for simulation would have been more appropriate.
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The announcers sucked, total Houston homers. And they didn’t know much. They were good at spewing uninteresting Houston stats. We switched to the local feed, which was better. I don’t really mind homers if they’re up front about it. The main broadcast crews are not supposed to be homers, yet many are. Hell, get some kids from a university. They couldn’t do much worse, and might be better.
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Here’s a mild criticism of BC. I think he rotated too much, too clever by half. Around minute 70 when the U needed a goal BC had only 1 sub left, meaning he HAD to leave on either 1. Bedoya – gassed, and not what he once was, or 2. Rafanello – enough said.
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Our lads deserved the victory, but it doesn’t always work like that, I guess.
Agree, except to add that BC also had to keep Bueno on at the end when he was just coming off injury and didn’t seem ready to go 90.
Another criticism of BC was the decision to bring on Vassilev. You had either Sullivan to bring on as an offensive playmaker instead Vassilev runs around and holds the ball until he loses it. That’s like bringing on Dono instead of Baribo!
I much appreciate how willing Carnell is to make lineup rotations and subs — he is a huge improvement over Jim Curtin in that regard. However, he screwed up last night by making 3 subs at halftime. That’s a big gamble that your remaining players can stay fit, and it blew up in our faces late when Ale had to come off, then Bueno got hurt and couldn’t come off, and then Damiani was limping and also couldn’t come off. I think Carnell has to take some of the blame for this draw.
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Having said that, it’s late-season, Houston July weather, so you can’t expect great soccer, and it was not the worst outcome. I find myself hoping that they vote to change to the European calendar because with climate change, playing in North America in the height of the summer is becoming increasingly untenable.