Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union

In a drama filled showing, the Philadelphia Union battled back to defeat Atlanta United 3-2 in front of their home fans at Subaru Park. An early red card saw Atlanta reduced to 10 men, but despite a large disparity in attacking chances, the 5 Stripes were still able to take a two goal lead. However, the Union refused to surrender, and found the back of the net three times in the last 20 minutes to complete a late comeback. The Boys in Blue have now won three straight in the league, and head into the Leagues Cup riding a hot streak. Let’s get into the ratings.

Player Ratings:

Andre Blake – 5

Little for the Jamaican net-minder to do in this one. Atlanta only had 2 shots on target, and both scored. The first was a combination of poor luck and defensive mis-communication, and the second was a great shot by Muyumba. Hard to assign much fault to Blake for either.

Kai Wagner – 9

Saturday night was empirical evidence of Kai’s essentiality to the Union. The German full-back assisted the equalizer and the winner. He also played the pass to Iloski on the Union’s opener. His defense was a factor in helping stiffle the Atlanta attack. Extremely flukey play that led to Almirón’s opening goal.

Neil Pierre – 8

Another goal for the young (and also tall) phenom. Pierre has suddenly become a key player for the Union since his return from loan. With a lot of the attention on his aerial ability, it’s important to point out that his play on the ball, and defensive positioning, have also been noteworthy.

Nathan Harriel – 5

Equal parts at fault for the Atlanta opener with Lukić. Booked for a tactical foul on Almirón. Led both teams in passing accuracy (42/43 – 98%) but otherwise, a relatively quiet night. Withdrawn for Anello as Richter looked to add more offense.

Frankie Westfield – 7

Passing was great, and didn’t have much to do on defense. Unlucky to hit the post in first half stoppage time. What does he have to do to get a goal?

Danley Jean-Jacuqes – 7

Another solid shift for the Haitian World Cup player.  He was his usual self, popping up all over the pitch to make plays on both sides of the ball. Found Wagner in the buildup to the Union’s opener. Could’ve done better with his open header chance in the 58th minute.

Jovan Lukić – 5

Caught ball watching in the buildup to the Atlanta opener. Solid defensive work, but his touch failed him several times. Seemed to miss forward passing opportunities. Withdrawn early in the second half for Bueno.

Cavan Sullivan – 7

The youngster threatened to steal the headlines, and while he was unable to get on the scoresheet, his quality still shone through. Disorganized pressing in the buildup to the second Atlanta goal. Probably should have scored on one of his chances, but he clearly deserves to remain as a starter, as his creativity is a net positive.

Indiana Vassilev – 5

Quiet one from the mustachioed midfielder. His skillset wasn’t a good fit for this match, especially after the red card, and was withdrawn early into the second half for Quinn Sullivan.

Bruno Damiani – 3

Same old, same old from Damiani. With Alladoh finally getting off the mark, it may be time for the hard-working – albeit out of form – Young DP to be moved out of the starting lineup.

Milan Iloski – 8

Set a club record by scoring in his sixth straight game, with an inventive backheel flick. Credited with the second assist on Pierre’s goal. That’s 10 goals and 2 assists on the season for the former UCLA Bruin. How much did we get this guy for again?

Substitutes:

Jesús Bueno – 6

His all-around ability through the center was a needed boost as the Union sought to capitalize on their control of the game. 

Quinn Sullivan– 6

Brought on to add to the attack, the elder Sullivan combined well with his teammates, especially his brother. Though he finished with no goal contributions, he created many chances, helping keep the pressure on Atlanta.

Ezekiel Alladoh – 7

Fantastic strike to win the game for the Union. Now that he’s off the mark, could he return to the starting eleven?

Agustin Anello – 6

Added a spark off the bench. Still needs some polish, as he can commit easy turnovers, but played his part to help the team win. 

Alejandro Bedoya– n/a

Late sub to close out the game.

Geiger Counter:

Allen Chapman – 5

Largely let both teams play in this one, which led to some questionable no calls for both teams. Conversely, the red card to Enea Mihaj and the yellow to Bruno Damiani seemed harsh at first look, and the replays shown on the Apple TV broadcast were unclear.

Player of the Match: Ezekiel Alladoh

Wow. Ezekiel Alladoh take a bow. What a way to score your first goal for the club. After struggling in his first few months in MLS, the Ghananian forward took a big step on Saturday night. He’s shown flashes up till now, but might this herald a leap forward for the U22 initiative signing?

What’s Next?

After 3 straight wins in MLS, the Union will head into Leagues Cup play in their best form of the season. Philadelphia will open the competition against the 2026 Liga MX Clausura Champions Cruz Azul on Thursday night, with the match set for an 8 PM kickoff on August 6th, at Subaru Park.