Philadelphia Union super sub Mikael Uhre makes MLS Team of the Matchday

Philadelphia Union returned to the penthouse of the MLS table on Sunday with a 3-1 win against Colorado Rapids at Subaru Park. The win saw them reclaim their place after an away draw against the Houston Dynamo, which had caused a slip a week ago. However, the win didn’t come so easily. A late intervention by second-half substitute and Danish forward Mikael Uhre was the lucky charm that sealed Philly’s victory over the weekend. Duly, he was rewarded with the weekly MLS Team of the Matchday honors.

Union, USWNT — Image Credit: Philadelphia Union

Uhre makes MLS Team of the Week

Until the introduction of Mikael Uhre, the game maintained the same score line as the previous game, and all signs pointed to another full-time draw. With both teams one goal apiece as injury time neared, the Union were ready for an ugly downward slope on the MLS table until the introduction of Mikael Uhre at the 73rd minute by Bradley Carnell.

Before Uhre came in, the Colorado defense had frustrated Philadelphia severely. Attracting the shots of the Union’s attack were the magnetic gloves of the opposition goalkeeper, Zack Steffen, who wasn’t willing to let any shot slip past him. And just when Sullivan found an opening, Danley Jean Jacques missed a golden opportunity to tap the ball into the empty net.

While Philly kept questioning the Rapids’ defense, the opposition took advantage of a counterattacking opportunity and broke the deadlock with a goal from Rafael Navarro in the 37th minute. The attack had ended in a shot that bounced off the crossbar, but Navarro was in the correct position in the box to attack the ball with a flying header and send it beyond a helpless Andre Blake.

The Union couldn’t respond until late, midway through the second half, when Tai Baribo tapped in a cross from a corner kick sent in by the usual culprit, Kai Wagner.

Uhre earns the Union all three points!

The team completed the comeback with an 89th-minute strike from Mikael Uhre. Vassilev found the substituted forward just outside the box as the Union tried to unlock the Rapids’ watertight defense. The Dane brushed past a Rapids defender and, finding some pace in the box, struck it towards the bottom right corner to give Philadelphia the deserved lead.

For the second time, Uhre was on the score sheet. A loose ball in the Union’s half led to a through pass to a running Uhre from deep. The forward ran to the opposition goal and buried the ball in the net to extend Philadelphia’s victory.

The Union won the game with 27 shots and 11 shots on target, compared to the Rapids’ five shots and one on target. Their dominant display also saw them gain 62% of the ball possession over the Rapids’ 38%.

After a goalless spell for several weeks, it was a surreal moment for Mikael Uhre, one of those scripts that can only be written by a fiction writer. Uhre brought the script to life and earned himself a place in the Team of the Matchday.

Next, the Union will face a team from the German Bundesliga (Eintracht Frankfurt) in a friendly match. The match was fixed to foster global partnerships and international relations, as the Bundesliga outfit represents Philadelphia’s Sister City: Frankfurt.