Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union
After going pointless in their two opening matches the Union looked to claim their first win of the year at home against a Western Conference side they haven’t faced since June 2023. The good news going into the game was that Ezekiel Alladoh was back from suspension, but the Union would be missing Olwethu Makhanya at center back.
First Half
Much of the first half was difficult to watch. The Union seemed a step behind on offense and defense. The Quakes did a good job of holding up play through the midfield, and the Union compounded the effect of their opponent’s defense with errant passing and confusion in the build up. The playing field seemed to give the players trouble. Many slipped or left a foot out just a moment too long, drawing fouls. San Jose were physical and picked up their first yellow card in the 15th minute of the half, but the Union showed little sign of backing off, garnering a few of their own. Alladoh did not start the game, with coach Bradley Carnell noting that the player needed to “rebuild trust within the team.”
For the first half hour, San Jose looked the more likely to score, but they were wasteful in front of goal on two occasions. The Union began to grow into the game in the final ten minutes of the half as they started to get wide players involved. The best effort came in the final minutes of the first half after some high pressing forced a turnover that Vassilev hit strongly on frame. In the end, it didn’t trouble the San Jose goalkeeper, but the turnover and rapid Union interplay between Danley Jean Jacques and Westfield looked promising and would give coach Bruce Arena concern going into the half.
Second Half
Alladoh came in for Anello to start the second half for the Union, and San Jose brought on their new signing, Timo Wermer. Barely a minute into the half, a curling free kick and a brave header from Nathan Harriel forced a strong save from the Quake goalkeeper. The addition of Werner seemed to calm and focus the Quakes’ attack, even as the Union had the majority of the ball. But they were not able to sustain their attacks, which were narrow and predictable.
In the 58th minute Gio Sequera had a nice shot saved, and a minute later, a promising attack after some good interplay was cut short when Westfield’s pass went wide of Vassilev, a clear miscommunication. In the 59th minute, Timo Werner opened up the Union defense and fed Ousseni Bouda for the first and only score of the game. The Union continued to have the ball and to force the issue, but couldn’t get on the the score sheet, in spite of having an 11 to 1 advantage in corner kicks. The addition of Ben Bender in the 82nd minute gave a spark to the attack in the final minutes of the game as the Union pushed for an equalizer. But it was not to be.
PSP’s Three Points
- Alarm Bells? Yes. The Union are 0 for 3, and don’t look like they have gelled as a team. However, losing Kai Wagner and Jakob Glesnes from the back line was bound to have an effect, and Quinn Sullivan’s injury is particularly bad news for the balance of our attack. Alladoh has only had two half games in MLS to get acclimated. If they can settle down, and if the likes of new sighing Phillipe Ndinga can find their place, there is still ample time to right the ship.
- Passing/Rhythm. Despite feeling that the team needs time to gell (see above), the errant passing, kicks forward to no one, and the predictable nature of the Union’s attack in these first three MLS games are worrisome.
- Stas Korzeniowski. Has looked lively and dangerous in his starts for the Union. Should he be getting more playing time with the first team?
Lineups
Philadelphia Union (4-2-2-2) Andre Blake; Nathan Harriel, Japhet Sery, Giovanny Sequera (Ben Bender 82′), Frankie Westfield; Danley Jean Jacques, Milan Iloski (Ale Bedoya 74′), Jovan Lukic, (Jose Buena 66′) Indiana Vassilev; Agustín Anello, (Ezekiel Alladoh 45′) Bruno Damiani, (Stas Korzeniowski 74′)
Unused Substitutes: Andrew Rick; Geiner Martinez, Jeremy Rafanello, Cavan Sullivana
San Jose Quakes (4-3-3): Daniel, Reid Roberts, Daniel Munie, DeJuan Jones, Benjamin Kikanovic, Niko Tsakiris, Beau Leroux ( Ian Harkes 82’), Ronaldo Vieira, Preston Judd (Jack Skahan 82’) , Jamar Ricketts (Timo Werner HT), Ousseni Bouda.
Substitutes not used: Jonathan González, Dave Romney, Earl Edwards Jr., Paul Marie, Vitor Costa, Nick Fernandez.
Scoring Summary:
GOALS/ASSISTS
SJ – Ousseni Bouda (Werner, Tsakiris) 59’
Disciplinary Summary:
SJ – Benji Kikanovic (caution) 15’
PHI – Jovan Lukic (caution) 20’
PHI – Nathan Harriel (caution) 65’
SJ – Preston Judd (caution) 75’
PHI – Ezekiel Alladoh (caution) 88’
While the officiating was not the reason the Union lost the game, Alladoh did appear to be brought down in the box in the 66th minute by Bouda, but there was no call, and no VAR review. Sequera’s second shot on goal was tipped wide by the San Jose goalkeeper for a corner, but the referee gave it as a goal kick. Ousseni Bouda could easily have been given a yellow in the first half for persistent offense.
Epic Fury’ missile strike coming in. Brace. If the elephant in the room has already turned you off. Do yourself a favor. B gone.
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We’ll start with the quality.
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Timo Werner doing derivative mathematics not a soul on the field for the Philadelphia Union understand. The game moving in slow motion for him. His teammates would do well to find him more often. A pleasure to watch him move, caress a football – get his head up – dab the quill to his tongue and solve. LEVELS.
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The amount of times I’ve already heard the words, “needs more composure,” as it relates to this iteration of a team is however a ‘Fatal Error’ failure to compute for me. Genuinely. There is a crevasse of quality out there… Union look like 70 year olds trying to learn percussion rudiments with whatever wiring remains….
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… and can therefore comfortably say through three games this is the least enjoyable Union team to watch since the franchise began. Congrats.
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I get it. I get it. Still just three games. Turnover. Adjustment. Etc. Doesn’t make it any less unwatchable. Does not excuse it.
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Meanwhile…an all world 16 year old sits the bench while other 16 -17 year olds are lighting MLS chakras up.
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The coach gets asked about Cavan Sullivan pre game and gives a canned ‘yada yada’ response about joint task forcing his development—total evasive tactic btw-which receives ZERO follow up. ZERO.
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What gives Bradley? Why is he not a starter with this group of under achieving players you are sending out there. Why is he not a half time sub with this under achieving group of players you are sending out there? What are you not seeing day in day out? Do you have a bone to pick? Do you? Is something personal going on? Because birdies chirp. Egregious to not press him about this.
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Manchester City people. Not Mother’s of the Poor. Not Brooklyn FC, Lexington FC, Not Boston River. Manchester City. I could give a shit about Cavan Sullivan’s arc and development. Truly. I got a 16 year old kid living by himself in a foreign country because his road has been so difficult here with the Rubes Who Abound in coaching circles. Real Madrid and Manchester City care though….
….and there is legitimate reason to press this guy about Cavan Sullivan— meanwhile patsy cake MLS ‘reporting,’ and general ‘KUMBAYA, my Lord’ typical hollow One Ring press corping. Course, it’s all AI now anyway, right? The scorched earthing of MLS reporting. Is any of it real?
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So then, where were we…Nathaniel Harriel at center back. Because? Enough said. The outside backs lacking composure & decision making quality.
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The inability to pick out passes with this franchise, years on…the City’s albatross of no skill soccer an ongoing insult to my sensibility. Odd man rushes yet again with nothing to show but the dormitory sophomore year walk of shame to find a Jimmy-hat. Pathetic. Center backs standing on the ball, all day to pick out a pass, then mindlessly whack it into empty channels or better yet— the fucking back of a teammate’s head. It is a sin. Sin.
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ZERO ability to play through the lines. What strain of cannabis is Mr. Danley partaking in this season? He has quite possibly been the poster child of ineffective negligence. He showed promise. He has been terrible at the soccer.
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I know Damiani gets plowhorse props from the ‘Blue Collar Union Sect’ of plowhorsing fans … which is a club staple for the position—- but there used to be a LeToux, a Carranza …. Tai Baribo—you do know there is also a requirement to score and get service you have preemptively moved for when you wear #9. He is too slow of thought, too ungood technically on the rare occasions when they are actually MOMENTARILY dangerous.
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Not good enough. And don’t even give me a second to reload about Anello. Did he even play tonight?
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Not good.
Not at all.
You better figure this out. Unacceptable.
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JUST PLAY WELL, from The elephant, for those of you around here longer than a cup of coffee to remember I skewer this franchise’s ineptitude.
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In summation I am left with only one other question. How poor are Defense Force, then? You have earned this.
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Fix it.
Well, if this is how Union will look after a ‘full week of practice’ and ‘time to work on transition moments’, just shut it down.
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Turns out The System doesn’t work all that well if the players on the field are of low quality. But anyone who looked at Union’s record in 2025 against non-playoff teams compared to playoff teams knew this. Gut the roster of quality, and The System can’t beat the bad teams.
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Union, you have one reason anyone cares about you right now, his name is Cavan Sullivan. If you fail to start or play him, no one will care. And if as Carnell said in the pregame, that City is involved in how much he plays, send him to Europe tomorrow and move on.
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Only question I have left in Union 2026 is does Carnell get fired before, during or after the World Cup break.
The new Stadium Lights are nice. Made Subaru Park feel like an entirely different place, and brought a big league feel and presentation to the game.
Timo’s pass was sublime
The defense is actually not that bad.
The attack lacks cohesion. All of the attacking players make the same runs and occupy the same spaces…… which makes the Union easy to defend. Bruno literally blocked a potential goal for Anello because he made the same run.
Lukic has been awful thus far this season. His passing is as atrocious as it is aimless. Bueno should start for the foreseeable future.
Unpopular opinion: this team misses Uhre more than anything. More specifically his ability to stretch a defense and be a threat to run in behind, and create space for the other attackers. Sure, Baribo’s goals would be nice, however the other attackers would just be clattering into him since they all make the same runs. Simple solution would be to play Milan up top. Not sure if Anello can play the other 10 spot (or, you know play Cavan). Not having Quinn until the Summer limits the immediate options.
As far as Cavan goes, my suspicion is that Man City has him on a minutes restriction. It’s seriously the only explanation at the moment for him not getting any minutes in this game.
I get the Stas love early this season. After the World Cup break his gameday spot is going to be taken by the Union Academy’s best prospect Jakupovic.
Good news is that what’s ailing the Union currently is fixable. It’s going to take a little time unfortunately. The Union actually have real expectations now unlike back in 2012 the last time this happened. So patience will be short.
The other good news: the Union aren’t nearly as bad as Portland, Orlando and Atlanta. Those teams look absolutely clueless on the field.
I chose to listen to the Flyers game over this. Listen because I’m without CSN at the moment. Though I have Apple no-longer-MLS Pass, I actively chose to listen to a team who are also a train wreck — we sure love them in this sports market. The Flyers are missing the playoffs again. They are playing the kids and boy, is it fun. Was I going to watch this Union match later? Likely. Did the result get spoiled on no-longer-Twitter? Yup. Am I watching this or the embarrassment on Tuesday? Nope. Was I at that last Club America match? Yup. Do I want to be drenched in beer again by their majority-populated fans as they celebrate each goal scored on us? Nope. Hoping things gel but I remember 2012 and see history repeating.