Game Thread: Philadelphia Union 2 FC Cincinnati 0 full time

Updates

90’ Warren Creavalle checks in for Aaronson.

85’ Monteiro showed his strength to break a play and start a counter that ends up with a shot for Aaronson he’ll want back. Easy save for Richey in the end.

76’ Frankie Amaya checks into the game to make his MLS debut for FC Cincinnati. The 18-year-old was the first pick in the 2019 SuperDraft.

71’ Jamiro Monteiro in to make his Philadelphia Union debut, checking in for Fabian. Aaronson slides over into the No. 10 position.

66’ Accam replaced by Cory Burke with the first substitution of the night.

59’ Accam GOAL to double the lead after he pounces on a poor clearance in the box, beats a couple Cincy defenders and toe pokes in his third goal in two games.

57’ Fabian has twice been taken out in the second half on plays that weren’t whistled for fouls. Hmmm.

51’ Lamah with a good turn in the box and fires a shot that Blake does well to dive to his right and keep out.

48’ Marco Fabian GOAL!!!! He started the chance with a great ball into space to David Accam and Accam did well to cut the ball back to Fabian who put the ball in and then did a basketball-inspired celebration.

Not a bad half for the Union, especially considering the conditions but not enough to show for having 62 percent of the possession nine corners.

45’+1 Fabian takes a shot from distance but it doesn’t trouble the keeper. He had Accam making a run in front of him he could’ve tried to slip the ball to but opts to shoot it instead.

45’ Ninth corner for the Union doesn’t find a white shirt and Aaronson gets the ball back and sends a curling pass to the far post that Richey is able to punch away.

44’ Trusty with a good line splitting ball sent to the left flank to Wagner, but the German was offside on the play.

42’ Jack Elliott with a pair of giveaways but fortunately neither leads to a Cincinnati goal. They do have their first corner of the night though.

39’ Corners have been the story for the Union tonight. Jack Elliott was able to get his head to their eighth of the night but it was well wide of the target.

34’ Richey with a big risk coming way out but beats Accam to the ball to clear the danger.

28’ Cincinnati put the ball in the back of the net but fortunately for the Union it was waved off for an offside.

22’ Cincy counter attack starts out looking very dangerous but ends in a goal kick. Union have had the bulk of the possession tonight, which seems to be playing right into what Cincinnati wants to do.

20’ Fabian with a good pass to Picault into space and Fafa got the ball into the box but didn’t make the right choice with the pass.

16’ Lasso sent a ball in over the top that Mattocks tried to run onto but his Reggae Boyz teammate Andre Blake read it well to keep him from getting to the ball in the box.

15’ Mattocks comes in late and takes Wagner out. He’s limping a bit but appears to be okay.

10’ A corner kick for the Union earned by a long ball from Jack Elliott into space to David Accam. Aaronson found Fabian open on the corner and his blast toward goal went wide and missed two white shirts crashing in.

5’ Turnover deep in the Cincy zone looked promising but Picault’s cross was easily cut out to end the chance.

1’ Game underway.

Starting Lineups

The answer to the question of can Brenden Aaronson and Marco Fabian both fit into the midfield is a yes. Aaronson slots into the left side of the diamond with Fabian as the No. 10 at the tip of the diamond. On the graphic at least. Andre Blake returns to the lineup but the rest of the 11 is unchanged. Cory Burke is also back from international duty and on the bench along with Warren Creavalle. Jamiro Monteiro is also on the bench for the first time after finally getting his international transfer certificate finalized.

Philadelphia Union: Andre Blake; Kai Wagner, Auston Trusty, Jack Elliott, Ray Gaddis; Haris Medunjanin, Brenden Aaronson, Alejandro Bedoya, Marco Fabián; David Accam, Fafa Picault

Bench: Matthew Freese, Mark McKenzie, Olivier Mbaizo, Warren Creavalle, Jamiro Monteiro, Ilsinho, Cory Burke

FC Cincinnati: Spencer Richey; Greg Garza, Forrest Lasso, Nick Hagglund, Mathieu Deplagne, Leonardo Bertone, Victor Ulloa, Roland Lamah, Allan Cruz, Kekuta Manneh,Darren Mattocks

Bench: Jimmy Hague, Eric Alexander, Frankie Amaya, Justin Hoyte, Caleb Stanko, Alvas Powell, Kenny Saief

How to watch

Where: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

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

TV: PHL17

Streaming: ESPN+