Game Thread: Philadelphia Union 3 Columbus Crew 0 full time

Updates

90’+3 There’s the final whistle. The Union have their first win of 2019!

80’ Anthony Fontana checks in for Brenden Aaronson to make his season debut. Aaronson walking off gingerly after getting treatment.

75’ Curtin goes to the bench for the first time tonight, subbing in Olivier Mbaizo for Ilsinho. It’s Mbaizo’s 2019 debut and second career MLS appearance.

71’ Aaronson earned a free kick from a dangerous spot and then set Medunjanin up for a rocketed attempt that Bendik watched sail wide of the mark. Thought for a second we were going to have another #BendikFace moment there.

67’ Aaronson has been much quieter tonight in his second MLS appearance, but took a nice touch there to free himself into open space. The play was eventually shut down but the 18-year-old continues to impress.

54’ Columbus goes to the bench and Reading United alum JJ Williams checks in for his MLS debut.

49’ Ilsinho makes it 3-0 after Accam gets to a ball in the box and knocks it down to the Brazilian who buries it in off the crossbar.

46’ Second half underway

45’+1 There’s the first half whistle. Whoever predicted Accam would score a brace, take a bow. Medunjanin has also responded well to the criticism from the first three games, covering a lot of ground and getting involved in both goals.

41’ Medunjanin and Accam link up again and the Ghana international toes a ball past Bendik to make it 2-0. He now has twice as many goals tonight as he had all of last season.

38’ Accam gets a counter going but ends up taking a heavy touch and the ball is cleared out of danger.

31’ Just when it started to look like the Union had dropped off a bit, Haris Medunjanin starts the attack with pass forward to Picault who runs onto the ball and dishes to Accam, who tucks the ball past Bendik and off the post and in.

That’s the first goal conceded by the Crew in 295 minutes.

24’ Aaronson nearly connects with Picault with a through ball but the Crew defender did well to step in and cut the pass off. Picault would have been all alone (like he was on a similar ball in Atlanta last week).

18’ Haris with a cross ripped in that Accam gets a foot on and directs toward goal but it’s wide of the mark.

17’ Some back and forth action so far between the two teams. It feels like there are definitely going to be goals in this one.

5’ Higuan serves up a great ball into the box but the cross gets cleared out for a throw-in.

1’ Union appear to be throwing back the clock, playing a 4-2-3-1 formation with Picault playing as a lone striker and Accam and Ilsinho on the wings.

Starting Lineups

Jim Curtin didn’t have many choices to make with his lineup today with Jamiro Monteiro still not available for selection. He chose Ilsinho over Anthony Fontana for the fourth midfield spot with Brenden Aaronson returning to the No. 10 and kept his back four the same for the fourth straight game. His only two strikers available are starting with Fafa Picault and David Accam pairing up top and Carlos Miguel Coronel is making his Union debut between the pipes (Andre Blake and Cory Burke are both starting for the Reggae Boyz later tonight).

Reading United alums Connor Maloney, a Harrisburg, Pa. native and JJ Williams are both on the bench for the Crew tonight.

Philadelphia Union Starting XI: Carlos Miguel Coronel, Ray Gaddis, Jack Elliott, Auston Trusty, Kai Wagner, Alejandro Bedoya, Ilsinho, Brenden Aaronson, Fafa Picault and David Accam.

Bench: Matt Freese, Mark McKenzie, Aurelien Collin, Olivier Mbaizo and Anthony Fontana

Columbus Crew Starting XI: Joe Bendik, Harrison Afful, Jonathan Mensah, Gaston Sauro, Hector Jimenez, Pedro Santos, Artur, Ricardo Clark, Robinho, Federico Higuain and Patrick Mullins

Bench: Jon Kempin, Josh Williams, Lalas Abubakar, Connor Maloney, Luis Argudo, Eduardo Sosa and JJ Williams

How to Watch

Where: Talen Energy Stadium, Chester, Pa.

When: 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, March 23, 2019

TV: PHL17

Streaming: ESPN+

Officials

• Referee: Ramy Touchan
• Assistant Referees: Kyle Atkins, Adam Wienckowski
• Fourth Official: Armando Villarreal
• VAR: Edvin Jurisevic