The Philadelphia Union returned to league play on Wednesday night against the Columbus Crew at Subaru Park. On Sunday, the Union lost in a penalty shootout to the Colorado Rapids in the third-place match of the 2024 Leagues Cup.
Just last Wednesday, Aug. 21, the Union faced off against the Columbus Crew in the semi-final of the Leagues Cup. Columbus walked away with a 3-1 victory and then beat LAFC in the final on Sunday.
Sitting 10th in the Eastern Conference and one point out of the final playoff spot, the Union will need every point in the standings possible to make MLS Cup Playoffs for a seventh consecutive season. Wednesday’s match would’ve been a perfect start to gain momentum in the standings, but the team was blanked by Columbus, 1-0. Pressure continues to mount for Jim Curtin’s side heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
Before the start of the match, Tai Baribo was honored and given the Top Scorer award for Leagues Cup. Baribo led the tournament with seven goals.
Danley Jean Jacques made his starting XI debut for the Boys in Blue. Jean Jacques signed with the club on Aug. 8 from FC Metz.
Here is the breakdown of Wednesday’s match against the Columbus Crew:
Andre Blake; Nathan Harriel; Jakob Glesnes; Jack Elliott; Kai Wagner; Quinn Sullivan; Alejandro Bedoya; Danley Jean Jacques; Leon Flach; Tai Baribo; Daniel Gazdag
Philadelphia Union vs. Columbus Crew:
The Union started the match hot. In the first 10 minutes, Harriel, Elliott, and Jean Jacques nearly all converted on headers. Derrick Jones of Columbus was booked in the third minute after following Bedoya, leading to a free kick. In the 13th minute, Baribo hit the right post from the center of the box, almost giving The Boys in Blue a 1-0 lead.
In the 22nd minute, Harriel went down with an injury and was replaced with Olivier Mbaizo. With the recent transfer of Damion Lowe to Al-Akhdoud, the Union’s defense took another hit.
After the match, Curtin mentioned that Harriel had back spasms and there is currently no timetable.
Sullivan almost found the back of the net in the 38th minute, but his attempt also rang off the crossbar from the center of the box. Minutes later, Glesens sent a ball to Wagner behind Columbus’ defense, but Wagner couldn’t pull off a shot before losing possession. Wagner was then booked in the 45’+5′ after fouling Sean Zawadzki.
The Union could’ve seen themselves up by multiple goals heading into halftime, but the first 45 minutes ended scoreless.
In the second half, the Union came out strong again. Winning balls back, creating counter-attacks, and strong first passes kept the Columbus defense on its heels. Blake came up with a big save in the 59th minute. Mbazio was caught at the back door but Blake managed to keep the match scoreless.
In the 72nd minute, Curtin two substitutions. Jack McGlynn replaced Jean Jacques and Mikael Uhre replaced Bedoya.
Just three minutes later in the 75th minute, Columbus broke the 0-0 deadlock. Yaw Yeboah from the center of the box scored a header from a cross by Max Arfsten. Mbazio lost track of Yeboah which allowed him to get deep into the box and find space for an open header.
After taking the lead, Columbus controlled the remainder of the match. In the 89th minute, Malte Amundsen was booked for poor sportsmanship and Patrick Schulte was booked in the 90’+6′ for the same incident.
The Union couldn’t find any momentum in the six minutes of added time and fell 1-0.
Up Next
The Union are back on the pitch Saturday night as they take on New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena.
Mandatory Credit: Philadelphia Union
