Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Union

The bottom two teams in the Eastern Conference met in a game of two halves that the Union might have been able to win. More than anything else, this match against Orlando City SC will be remembered as the game in which Cavan Sullivan (subbed in at the 43rd minute for the injured Jovan Lukic) established himself as a play maker–and scored his first goal.

First Half

A much changed Union side, missing Andre Blake, Japhet Sery Larsen, and Frankie Westfield came out against the the Lions tonight. Ben Bender started at left back for the first time this season, and Danley Jean-Jacques started as the attacking midfielder on the right, with Rafanello working alongside Lukic as the double-pivot. The Union had the first chances, and the first ten minutes looked like a somewhat even affair, with the Orlando defense breaking up promising Union attacks with some last ditch defending.

But in the 10th minute, a bomb out of the back from Orlando’s Ellis to a streaking Ojeda almost caught the Union napping. The swift intervention of Lukic put Ojeda off, and the shot went wide. In the 12th minute, a similar arcing long ball from Ellis found Ojeda again, but again the chance went begging. In the 13th minute, Orlando gave Rafanello space outside the box, and he let go with a thumping shot from 40 yards out that forced a diving save from goalkeeper Crepeau who did well to keep the ball out of the top left corner.

And then the wheels fell off for the Union. In the 24th minute, a third searching long ball from Ellis to Ojeda was mishandled by Makhanya, and Ojeda pounced on the mistake, streaking toward goal, where Andrew Rick took him down in the box, earning a yellow card for himself and a penalty kick for Orlando. Which they converted. Poor play, poor passing and lackluster runs continued to mar most of the Union’s attempts, and in the 27th minute, shambolic defending allowed Dorsey to pounce on a loose ball and roof it into the Union net. In the 43rd minute, Cavan Sullivan came on for an injured Lukic, and during the final five minutes of stoppage time, the Union looked dangerous. Score, Orlando 2, Union 0.

Second Half

The second half started slowly for the Union, but their smothering pressure and improved passing began to pin Orlando back, and made the Lions’ long balls less frequent. Cavan Sullivan and Nathan Harriel on the right side created overloads and switched points of attack, and Bender was getting forward on the left side. The Union’s pressure was rewarded in the 52nd minute with the Union’s eighth corner kick of the night. The ninth corner just a minute later brought a good header on goal, and another fine save from Crepeau.

In the 54th minute, Milan Iloski put the Union on the board and gave the side a visible lift. With some success. In the 57th minute, Makhanya’s was denied the equalizer. And in the 72nd minute, Martinez missed a tackle creating a 3 v 1 attack in front of goal. The ball was hammered home by the newly subbed McGuire to make 3-1. But the Union had a response roughly three minutes later, when Cavan Sullivan slammed in a Ben Bender cross–his first of the season!

The game grew stretched, end to end and side to side, with Sullivan and Harriel carrying a threat down the attacking right. In the 79th minute Bender latched onto a pass from Korzanski** and sent it low and hard to the right tying the game at 3-3. The Union continued to press but in the 90th minute Ojeda made a diving header that skipped past Rick and put the hosts ahead. The second half was exciting and ultimately heartbreaking, but the Union seemed to find their spark.

Three Points:

Cavan Sullivan Takes Charge: Sullivan’s addition in the 43rd minute changed the game for Philadelphia. His partnership with Harriel stymies defenses, and he took his first goal very well. Moreover, he adds a dangerous, creative spark that has been missing. Not only has he adapted to the pace and physicality of MLS, but he is a creative force on the field.

Defensive Lapses: Errors by both Martinez and Makhanya led to two Orlando goals. In both cases, it looked like a lack of concentration. The uncertainty at the back seems to have a knock-on effect, and the midfield players are getting caught in possession, or not going into tackles with any confidence.

It’s early, but it’s late. The Union have only two games left before the extended World Cup break in June. We can only hope that the break gives the Union a chance to reset and build upon some of the performances tonight.

GOALS/ASSISTS
ORL – Martín Ojeda (unassisted) 19’
ORL – Griffin Dorsey (unassisted) 27’
PHI – Milan Iloski (Harriel, Sullivan) 54’
ORL – Duncan McGuire (Spicer)72’
PHI – Cavan Sullivan (Bender) 75’
PHI – Ben Bender (Korzeniowski) 79’
ORL – Martín Ojeda (Marín, Angulo) 90’

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
PHI – Andrew Rick (caution) 17’
ORL – Tiago (caution) 51’
PHI – Danley Jean Jacques (caution) 59’
PHI – Jeremy Rafanello (caution) 60’

Lineups
Philadelphia Union: Andrew Rick, Geiner Martinez, Ben Bender, Nathan Harriel, Olwethu Makhanya, Jovan Lukic (Cavan Sullivan 44’), Jeremy Rafanello, Indiana Vassilev (Agustin Anello 65’ ), Danley Jean Jacques, Bruno Damiani (Stas Korzeniowski 75’), Milan Iloski (Ezekiel Alladoh 75’).
Substitutes not used: George Marks, Alejandro Bedoya, Olivier Mbaizo, Philippe Ndinga, Finn Sundstrom.

Orlando City SC: Maxime Crépeau, Robin Jansson, Iago Teodoro, David Brekalo (Adrián Marín 64’), Griffin Dorsey (Marco Pasalic 81’), Eduard Atuesta ( Luis Otávio 64’), Braian Ojeda, Tiago (Tyrese Spicer 64’), Iván Angulo, Martín Ojeda, Justin Ellis (Duncan McGuire 70’).
Substitutes not used: Tahir Reid-Brown, Javier Otero, Wilder Cartagena, Zakaria Taifi

Referee: Sergii Boiko
Assistant Referees: Corey Rockwell, Adam Wienckowski
Fourth Official: Elvis Osmanovic
VAR: Joe Dickerson
AVAR: Craig Lowry