Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union

The Philadelphia Union showed a slight flicker of life Saturday night at Subaru Park, battling back for a 1-1 draw against the Columbus Crew. The Boys in Blue generated 12 shots to Columbus’s five and carried the better attacking threat for long stretches of the second half. For a team that entered the night reeling from a brutal stretch of results — including a 2-0 loss to Columbus just three weeks earlier and seven losses in its first 10 matches — this performance at least resembled a response. Barely. Milan Iloski and Cavan Sullivan showed a willingness to lead, while Agustín Anello changed the energy of the match after halftime with his direct running and assist on the tying goal. The result will not suddenly erase the Union’s struggles, but after weeks of flat performances, there were finally a few (just a few) individual outings worth building on.

Player Ratings

GK Andre Blake — 6

Did not have much chance on Hugo Picard’s early strike, which came through traffic and left him little time to react. Outside of that moment, Blake was not tested often, though no thanks to the defensive disarray at times. His distribution was clean and he handled crosses comfortably.

LB Ben Bender — 7

For 20 minutes I was prepared to excoriate Bender. But he redeemed himself in the final hour. A real bright spot for Philadelphia and one of the team’s more complete performers on the night. Bender covered a tremendous amount of ground defensively while also helping the Union progress the ball through midfield and down the left side. He looked composed in possession, combined well in tight spaces, and in the second half consistently made smart decisions. It was the kind of all-around performance the Union desperately needed. Other starters should take note. Bender was playing out of position and looked better than most players on the night. Would be ranked an 8 if not for his first 20 minutes.

CB Olwethu Makhanya — 6

Statistically, the best player on the field for Philadelphia. Makhanya was dominant in individual duels, read the game extremely well, and repeatedly stepped in to break up dangerous Columbus attacks before they could fully develop. Beyond the defensive work, he looked calm on the ball and carried himself like the leader of the back line throughout the match. All that said, he seems to have regressed from last year. Jakob Glesnes is a larger loss than the Union will ever admit.

CB Geiner Martinez — 5

Solid if unspectacular. Martinez helped settle things down after the shaky opening stretch and generally kept things simple in possession. There were a few moments where he looked uncomfortable dealing with Columbus’s movement and pressure, but he recovered well enough and avoided major mistakes. Not a standout performance, but serviceable overall.

RB Nathan Harriel — 5

One of Harriel’s steadier performances in recent weeks. Defensively, he competed well and did a good job containing Columbus’s wide threats for long stretches of the match. Going forward, he picked his moments intelligently and contributed to a few promising sequences in transition. Still not a dominant performance, but definitely a step in the right direction.

DM Danley Jean Jacques — 5

Once again covered an enormous amount of ground and did a lot of the dirty work in midfield that often goes unnoticed. He broke up plays, tracked runners, and tried to help push the Union forward in transition. That said, his passing was a bit inconsistent at times, and he was not quite as influential as he has been in some recent matches.

DM Jovan Lukic — 4

A difficult night before being subbed off at halftime. Lukic struggled to keep up with the pace and movement of Columbus’s midfield and never really found a rhythm in possession. He was late to a few challenges, looked hesitant on the ball, and failed to impose himself physically the way the Union needed him to. The halftime substitution felt justified, even if it was spurred by injury.

AM Indiana Vassilev — 4

There were a few flashes where Vassilev showed quality combining in tight spaces and trying to link play through the middle, but overall he drifted in and out of the game far too much. He struggled to consistently influence the attack, disappeared for long stretches, and never really looked capable of changing the game. The effort was there, but the impact was not.

AM Cavan Sullivan — 6

The teenager continued to show maturity beyond his years. Sullivan worked hard defensively, tracked back effectively, and helped connect play in transition throughout the night. While he was not always decisive in the attacking third, his movement and willingness to get on the ball helped the Union sustain pressure, especially in the second half. Another encouraging performance from a young player growing into a bigger role. He should not be called upon to lead the team; absent Iloski, no other starter was as much a leader as Sullivan.

FWD Milan Iloski — 7

Iloski did what strikers are supposed to do: he found the right spot and scored. His equalizer was well taken and once again highlighted his instincts around goal. Beyond the finish, he worked hard defensively, pressed intelligently, and gave the Union more energy and presence up front than they have had in several recent matches. He continues to make a strong case to start up front.

FWD Bruno Damiani — 3

This is the third time I am writing this: “strikers gotta strike.” I’m tired of defending forwards by saying “they pressed hard” or they were starved of service. No goals in MLS this year. One in the playoffs in November. Last regular season goal was a PK in August. Unacceptable. It is time to bench Damiani.

Substitutes

(46′) AM Agustín Anello — 7

Anello changed the match almost immediately after coming on at halftime. His directness and willingness to attack defenders gave the Union a completely different look going forward, and Columbus struggled to deal with his pace and aggression in wide areas. His assist on Iloski’s equalizer was excellent, as he drove into space and delivered a dangerous ball into the box. Beyond the assist, he brought badly needed energy and urgency to the attack.

(65′) FWD Ezekial Alladoh — 4

Alladoh had a difficult time getting involved after entering the match. He showed flashes of athleticism and energy but struggled to find dangerous spaces or meaningfully impact the attack. The game largely passed him by during his minutes on the field. He did show more in his hold up play than did Damiani.

Geiger Counter

REF Armando Villarreal — 4

Villarreal largely kept control of the match, but his officiating style often felt inconsistent throughout the night. There were stretches where fairly obvious fouls went uncalled, followed by softer whistles that disrupted the flow of the game. To his credit, the match never spiraled out of control, and he handled the physicality reasonably well overall. Still, neither side probably walked away feeling like they had a clear understanding of what constituted a foul (or penalty) from one moment to the next.

Player of the Match — Ben Bender

Yes, he received an early yellow card that led directly to the Crew’s goal. But playing out of position, he did more to shut down Max Arfsten than anyone else on the Union did in two games this season. His pass to Anello sprung the midfielder, allowing him to get open up field and assist on Iloski’s goal. Other than Sullivan, Iloski, and Anello, Bender looked the most dangerous offensively as well. 

What’s Next…

The Union will face Inter Miami on Sunday, May 24th at Nu Stadium (7:00 p.m. ET / Apple TV).