Union’s Lukic & Wagner Honored on MLS Team of the Matchday as other Philly Standouts miss out

Following their decisive displays at the Gillette Stadium on matchday three, Jovan Lukic and Kai Wagner represented the Union in the MLS Team of the Matchday alongside 18 other players across both conferences.

Pair of Union Players make Team of the Matchday

Thanks to their inputs, the Union stole the game from New England Revolution late in the second half to retain their spot as league leaders and extend their winning streak to three wins in three games.

It was Lukic’s third consecutive start for the Union in as many games and he did prove why he was worthy of Carnell’s trust in a player-of-the-match performance this past weekend.

The 23-year old was dominant in all areas of the pitch, winning two tackles, creating a chance, completing 83% of his passes, launching six shots in total and scoring a sublime strike that summed up his wonderful performance. With a one-touch shot from the edge of the box, he greeted a backward pass from Vassilev, shooting the ball off the post and into the back of the net. It was his first goal for the Philly and it’s not one the Union faithful will forget in a hurry.

“I’m happy. This is a dream for me. I came to this club, and I’m so happy with the people inside. Everybody loves each other – it’s a love inside, trust me. This is all for them and because of them,” Lukic said after the game.

“That’s all I want to say, because I fell in love. I’ve only been here for a month and I fell in love already with the fans, with the staff, with the players. We have a relationship like I’ve been here for two years. I hope they have the same feeling, and I’m really happy. Every training, every game, we play 100% and that’s the way we want to go. I hope it will continue like this all season.”

Kai Wagner’s performance was also epic. He not only created Union’s first goal of the night but also helped ensure Andre Blake got his first clean sheet of the season. The German left back completed 80% of his passes and assisted Philly’s first goal with a cross that was headed in by Baribo while recording two clearances and three tackles.

Other names on the MLS Team of the Matchday for game week three include Seattle Sounders’ Albert Rusnak, Inter Miami’s Noah Allen, San Diego’s Anders Dreyer, Nashville’s Andy Najar, and Vancouver’s Mathias Laborda.

Thanks to these two, Philadelphia Union heads into game week four with nine points, as Nashville SC pays the league leaders a visit this weekend. It’s the first of two back-to-back home games at the Subaru Park, a run that’s likely to help extend their lead at the top of the league table.