Brotherly Game: All Posts by Chris Bratton

Union unable to stage a comeback against 10-man Revolution

2021-09-03T22:03:08-04:00

Carl Gulbish

A first half set piece goal from the Revs is enough to down the Union in Chester

Going into Friday night’s match, the Union fans knew that they were going to see an unusual line due to the multiple Union players out on international duty. The fresh faces in the starting XI needed to have stand out performances against the New England Revolution, the current top team in the East. But the Union’s run of back luck continued as they failed to stage a comeback against the Revs, even after they went down to ten men.

Friday Night Lights⚡️

https://t.co/IOpaNnxEFJ #DOOP | #PHIvNE pic.twitter.com/jsIg6k77Hb
— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) September 3, 2021

As expected, the Union needed to make plenty of changes to make up for the players out on international duty along with Jack Elliott, who was out due to yellow card accumulation. Paxten Aaronson, Quinn Sullivan, and Jack McGlynn got another chance to start in the midfield while Nathan Harriel got his first opportunity at right back.

It was an especially young lineup overall, but the exception was in goal. Rather than using homegrown Matt Freese at keeper, Curtin elected to give Joe Bendik the start.

Of course, the Revs were depleted too. Matt Turner is away with the USMNT and Tajon Buchanan was out with the Canadian team. Gustavo Bou, who scored the winner during the game in August, was also unavailable.

The Union’s young squad got off to a fast start as they made several runs on the wings to whip crosses into the Revs box. It didn’t result in any shots at first, but it kept the Revs on their heels for most of the first fifteen minutes or so.

Even though the Union were on the front foot, it wasn’t translating into chances. A low cross to Przybylko in the 17th minute was sent wide for a goal kick. A more dangerous chance came in the 23rd minute as Aaronson tested Brad Knighton from a tight angle. Knighton had the near post covered, but the ball spilled out for a corner that the Revs defense easily cleared away.

The next good chance for the Union came in the 30th minute as an excellent pass from Quinn Sullivan found Leon Flach with some space. Flach was able to unleash a powerful left footed shot, but it was right at Knighton.

The Union would regret those missed opportunities as it was the Revs who opened the scoring in the 33rd minute. New England had a free kick in the attacking third and a New England cross found an open Matt Polster who was able to tap the ball in at the far post. Just like in the August match, the Union would be playing from behind.

The Union didn’t hang their heads and they tried to find an equalizer within the first half. Sullivan and Flach in particular kept their energy up, but the final finish still wasn’t there for the Union. The Revs nearly found a second at the end of the half, but a deflected shot went right into Bendik’s gloves.

The Union returned to the pitch attacking the river end and looking to successfully battle from behind for a win for the first time this season. It was the captain Alejandro Bedoya who had the first good opportunity as he fired a low shot from outside the box in the 51st minute. But Knighton was in the right position to get low and scoop it up.

Aaronson had an opportunity of his own just a few minutes later. His shot off of his right foot was spilled by Knighton but there was no one available from the Union to pounce on the loose ball.

Shortly after this the Union got a lifeline because of a mental mistake by the Revolution’s Arnor Traustason. Traustason was already on a yellow because of a foul in the 55th minute when Harriel won the ball in front of the Revs midfielder. He blatantly held onto Harriel to stop his run and the ref didn’t hesitate to give a second yellow card to end his night early.

With the new man advantage, the Union quickly hit the gas. Aaronson lashed a shot from distance in the 61st minute that Knighton had to stretch to save. The Union won a dangerous free kick after the resulting corner, but the ball ended up hitting the referee and the attack was stopped.

The Revs were quick to make some changes, bringing on Scott Caldwell and Carles Gil for Edward Kizza and Wilfrid Kaptoum. The Union held off until the 72nd minute to make their subs, bringing on Anthony Fontana and Davo (making his Union debut) in exchange for Harriel and McGlynn. The Union shifted into a three man backline after the subs.

The Revs never bunkered down after going down a man, and they continued to have attacking opportunities. This nearly paid off for them in the 75th minute as Caldwell had an opportunity to pounce on a loose ball right in front of the Union goal. Fortunately for Philly, he skied his shot over the crossbar instead.

Davo got his first shot on goal in the 79th minute, but the Union attack didn’t look any closer to a breakthrough. Just after that, Bendik was called into action to push away a close range shot from Gil to keep the deficit to one.

The Union earned a corner in the 84th minute and that gave the opportunity for Cole Turner to make his 2021 debut replacing Quinn Sullivan. The resulting corner led to a few nervy moments for the Revs, but it was eventually cleared away.

With almost no time left, the Union became desperate for an equalizer. Bedoya had a good look at the near post following a sweet give and go with Aaronson, but he tried to square it across the goal instead. But his pass was cleared away by the Revs and Aaronson earned a yellow card slowing down the counter.

The Union were given four minutes of added time to work, but they failed to put together

Within added time, the Revs’ Henry Kessler engaged in some especially blatant time wasting by kicking a ball out of play and then chucking the waiting sideline ball up into the stands. He earned a yellow and some especially loud boos from the River End for his actions. Shortly after that, he went to ground in the box after a light touch from Glesnes.

The tension of the moment got the better of the players and the final seconds of the game were burned away with small skirmishes and shoving contests. A few minutes were wasted, but little additional time was added on. The Union were unable to put together another attack and the 0-1 scoreline would hold.

EXTRA THOUGHTS:

Tonight’s loss was a different kind of disappointment for the Union compared to the 3-1 defeat against DC United. While the Union frequently looked out of sorts against DC, they really looked to be the better team for the majority of tonight’s match. It makes the failure to find an equalizer all the more frustrating.
It was tough to catch at the end of the coverage, but it looked like there was even more extracurricular activity with Kessler as he walked off the field.
Tonight’s match was an opportunity for younger players who don’t get many minutes to make a splash and I would argue that none of them really did. Some had solid performances, but no one really staked their claim to a larger share of minutes going forward.

Union and Revolution trade late goals on the way to a 1-1 draw

2021-05-12T22:12:00-04:00

Carl Gulbish Photography

A late goal from Kacper Przybylko helps prevent the Union from losing their third consecutive home match

It was an often uneventful midweek match that included plenty of bad mistakes and missed chances by both teams. But just when it looked like the Philadelphia Union were going to fall to their frequent foes the New England Revolution off of a late goal, Kacper Przybylko managed to find a little late game magic to secure an equalizer.

@PhilaUnion Line Up: Graphic Edition https://t.co/Rd9zP4GETL pic.twitter.com/73ksi3OHHM
— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) May 12, 2021

The Union kept the lineup that saw them to a convincing 2-0 victory at Chicago over the weekend. Jack McGlynn made his second consecutive start with Jose Martinez still unavailable thanks to the extended suspension following his red card against NYC FC.

Both sides started on the front foot and Andre Blake made his first save in just the 5th minute. Shortly after, Kacper Przybylko was on the receiving end of some contact inside the New England box. Commentator Danny Higginbotham thought it was certainly a penalty, but it didn’t receive a review.

6' | Kacper with a chance in the box, but is tackled near the PK spot #DOOP | #PHIvNER 0 - 0 pic.twitter.com/HQriNQw72U
— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) May 12, 2021

Momentum swung back and forth for most of the first half. Both sides had their share of mistakes and neither team managed to have a particularly dangerous look at the goal. At the same time, the match looked like it was starting to get chippy as the teams traded escalating fouls. Head ref Tori Penso mostly kept things from getting out of hand and she issued a yellow card to Kai Wagner in the 34th minute.

Business began to pick up around the 30th minute for both sides. Przybylko was pushed down in the box on one end of the field (leading for more penalty shouts) only for the Revs to spring a counter and require a big save from Blake on the other end. A minute later, a cross from Olivier Mbaizo found an open Sergio Santos at the near post, but Turner was there for a big save of his own.

On another level pic.twitter.com/b6KDboscBE
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) May 13, 2021

After this flurry of action, both sides settled back into the status quo from earlier in the half. They ran out the clock by trading counters and bouts of possession, with no particularly good chances to open the scoring. After two minutes of added time, the teams headed to the locker room still locked at nil-nil.

Jim Curtin’s description of the first 45 minutes during his halftime interview? Simply, “not good enough.”

But the early moments of the second half looked to be more of the same. The match was mostly bogged down in the midfield with occasional moments of end to end action after a mistake or a turnover. During this period, Montiero picked up a yellow card for what the commentators agreed was a soft foul.

Looking to shake things up, Curtin made his first two subs in the 58th minute. Cory Burke came on for Sergio Santos while Anthony Fontana came on for McGlynn. The fresh legs didn’t unlock any immediate chances, and it was actually the Revs who had the next good look on goal when Tajon Buchanan rolled a low shot from distance that went just wide.

In the 68th minute, it was New England’s turn to insert some fresh legs. They went with Gustavo Bou and Teal Bunbury in exchange for Buska and Buchanan.

The Union nearly broke the deadlock shortly after the substitutions when Montiero managed to find Fontana wide open at the top of the Revolution’s box. Fontana unleashed on of his trademark rocket shots, but this time it was blocked.

Another opportunity was missed a short time later when two through balls from Burke and Fontana unlocked Montiero one-on-one with Turner but an unfortunate stumble from Montiero kept him from getting a shot off. Two minutes later, Jack Elliott joined the attack and tried a shot from distance that was just narrowly wide.

75' | Elliott takes the ball up the field and blasts a shot juuuust wide of the net. #DOOP | #PHIvNER 0 - 0 pic.twitter.com/s0nT47FVFV
— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) May 13, 2021

With only ten minutes left to play, the Union attack finally came to life for a sustained period. Wagner, Mbazio, and Bedoya made a series of crosses into the box that either couldn’t find an open Union player or were gobbled up by Turner.

But after all of those chances, it was the Revs who managed to find the first goal. DeJuan Jones was able to drive into the box from the left side, corral a loose ball, and slide it to an open Teal Bunbury. Bunbury slipped the ball inside the near post to put the Revs ahead in the 85th minute.

Facing the prospect of losing their third consecutive home match, the Union responded quickly. The resumed their attack on the Revs goal and finally managed to capitalize on a New England miscue. Turner didn’t get enough on a punch and the Revs failed to head the loose ball away successfully. This gave Przybylko enough of a chance to head in the equalizer from about a foot out.

The equalizer pic.twitter.com/Hc65yql0lW
— Brotherly Game (@BrotherlyGame) May 13, 2021

Even with the late equalizer, both teams still wanted a winner. Leon Flach nearly got his first MLS goal early in added time, but his header was just wide. On the other end of the pitch, Blake was called on to make one last save to preserve the point. The Union cleared away the resulting corner, and the four minutes of added time ran out shortly after.

EXTRA THOUGHTS:

The late equalizer helps lift the team’s spirits, but the Union really should have had all three points tonight. If they had capitalized on their early chances, they could have scored three or four.
Leon Flach put in another excellent performance in the midfield, showing flashes of brilliance on defense as well as some nice moments on offense. With McGlynn settling in well and Daniel Gazdag set to join the midfield in a more attacking role, it looks like the Union are set to have some real midfield depth later in the season.

Union open the season with a scoreless draw in Columbus

2021-04-18T20:20:00-04:00

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Both goalkeepers shine as neither side is able to score in the historic clash between last season’s MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield winners

Both the Philadelphia Union and the Columbus Crew were looking to use Sunday’s match to build on last season’s successes as well as their early successes in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League. But neither team was able to get into a grove during the match, and it ended all scoreless after a cagey, chippy ninety minutes.

Boutta go down in CLB ⚡️

https://t.co/gOvzxbVS3C #DOOP pic.twitter.com/yeEvfzlTuv
— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) April 18, 2021

There were no major surprises in the Union’s starting XI as they kept the same lineup from their CCL matches. One significant difference is that Paxten Aaronson made an appearance on the expanded bench.

The Crew had a strong team available overall, but they did have a couple of holes. Kevin Molino and Darlington Nagbe weren’t available Sunday night. And Aidan Morris was injured during their previous CCL match, so he will miss the rest of the season.

Columbus was on the gas from the start of the match and Andre Blake was forced to save a hard shot from Luis Diaz in the first thirty seconds. It would be several minutes before the Union were able to settle in and maintain some possession.

After this first burst, the earliest chances for both teams came from dead ball situations. Lucas Zelarayan blasted a dangerous free kick directly at Blake in the 7th minute. A short time later, the Union had a decent look off of their first corner kick. Jack Elliott was able to get his head to the ball, but he couldn’t direct it towards goal.

The Union continued to show some spark on their second corner of the game in the 19th minute. This time, Kacper Przybylko was the one who got an open header and he managed to get some power behind his effort on goal. But Eloy Room rose to the challenge and made a diving save.

R M#Crew96 | @PathwaysFCU pic.twitter.com/yyE2IIA5Ly
— Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) April 18, 2021

Much of the rest of the first half could be described as intermittently either scrappy or sloppy. Both sides struggled to build their way towards effective chances and both defenses were quick to go in for tackles. The referee didn’t whistle for many fouls, and he clearly preferred to let both sides play at first.

The Union looked to be in trouble in the 38th minute when Jakob Glesnes crashed into Pedro Santos. The call on the field was a penalty, but the additional review showed that the contact originated just outside the box, so the penalty was modified into a free kick. Zelarayan stepped up for the free kick, but he sent it right at Blake.

It was the Crew who started to find their grove first and they found most of the dangerous touches late in the first half. Zelarayan hit the crossbar from distance in the 34th minute. Then, just before the half, he nearly slipped a perfect through ball to Diaz but Blake came way off his line to scoop it up.

The Union weren’t displaying the same killer instinct from midweek, and they were lucky to get into halftime at 0-0. Jim Curtin was interviewed halfway through the first half and his thoughts at that time held true. He wasn’t happy with the chances that Columbus had been given, and he emphasized that the players needed to do a better job finding Monteiro in behind the Columbus defense.

The teams came out of the locker room looking to break the deadlock quickly. Gyasi Zardes nearly deflected a shot around Blake in the 49th minute. Shortly after on the other side on the pitch, Leon Flach tested Room with a rocket from distance but he was able to knock it down and cover it up.

The Union had another solid set piece opportunity in the 57th minute following a Luis Diaz foul just outside the box. But, once again, the Union were able to get on the end of the kick but couldn’t direct the ball on frame.

The Crew seized the initiative again starting with a big shot by Diaz in the 59th minute that required another big save from Blake. Another shot in the 63rd minute was similarly gobbled up by Blake.

Right around this time, the game started to become more physical as well, with more fouls being called and three yellow cards being shown within ten minutes. The Crew’s Perry Kitchen in particular had issues with raising his elbows and making contact with several Union players.

The Union made their first and only change of the night in the 62nd minute by bringing in Sergio Santos to replace Anthony Fontana, who wasn’t able to make much of an impact at striker.

The Union offense began to spark after Santos came on. Alejandro Bedoya sent a shot off the post in the 64th minute. The next opportunity came in the 72nd minute as Monteiro lashed a ball into the box that was spilled by Room, but the Crew were able to clear it away.

¡Al palo @AleBedoya17! #CLBvPHI | 0-0 pic.twitter.com/6kbB4qKB9l
— MLS Español (@MLSes) April 18, 2021

With less than ten minutes to play neither team showed any sign of weakening. Glesnes made an acrobatic scissor kick just to block a pass into the box. Right after that, Blake made a diving save to deny Artur from close range.

❌ ANDRE BLAKE ❌ pic.twitter.com/DSC2whw5L8
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 18, 2021

The Union did their best to try and find a winner in the final minutes of the match. Bedoya lashed a shot from distance that Room was able to push away for a corner in the 89th minute. Santos had the next best chance working down the right side in added time, but Josh Williams slid in to block it away. He had one last chance a short time later, but Room made one last kick save to preserve the draw.

EXTRA THOUGHTS:

The crowd in Columbus began to heartily boo Jamiro Monteiro during the second half. It seemed that the booing made him play better, so hopefully more fans choose to take that route.
This feels like a let down after the two big wins in the Champions League, but the one point the Union earned from this match already surpasses the number of points they got in Columbus all of last season.
Jim Curtin is still slow to go to the bench early in the season. Sergio Santos was the only substitute used by the Union.

Philly MLS 25: Goalkeeper Bill Gaudette saved his biggest performances for Concacaf Champions League

2021-04-07T11:05:52-04:00

Photo by Francisco Estrada/LatinContent via Getty Images

The former MLS GK helped anchor the Puerto Rico Islanders for multiple Champions League victories

As we count down the days until the MLS season begins, we will be looking at 25 players from greater Philadelphia who have made an impact on the league 25 years after the first ball was kicked. Read the rest of the series at brotherlygame.com/philly-mls-25.

Central Pennsylvania native Bill Gaudette doesn’t quite have the track record of some of professional soccer’s most famous journeymen. Nonetheless, during his seven years of playing professional soccer he managed to play for teams all across the United States and Canada before concluding with a spell representing the Puerto Rico national team. Not bad for a goalkeeper from Hummelstown, Pennsylvania.

After graduating from Lower Dauphin high school in Hummelstown, Gaudette had the opportunity to play for a St. John’s Red Storm soccer team that was coming off of a NCAA D1 National Championship in 1996. He would go on to see his share of success during his time at St. John’s as the team finished in third place in the 2001 tournament and they were runners up in 2003. In an interesting twist, St. John’s lost to Indiana both times.

After college, Gaudette would find his way to Major League Soccer when the Columbus Crew selected him as the 9th overall pick in the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft (the same draft where Chris Wondolowski was selected). He was already familiar with Crew Stadium in Columbus, since that’s where St. John’s had played their final two matches in the 2003 NCAA tournament.

But Gaudette’s collegiate success didn’t immediately follow him to Columbus. The Crew struggled during his three seasons with the team and he only managed to make a handful of appearances. After the 2007 season, it was clear that William Hesmer was going to be the Crew’s starting goalkeeper going forward, so Gaudette would need to look elsewhere for starting opportunities.

It was a missed opportunity for the goalkeeper because the Crew went on to win the Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Cup in 2008.

Travis Long/Raleigh News & Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Gaudette would find a fresh start thanks to Colin Clarke, the new head coach of the Puerto Rico Islanders of the USL First Division. Clarke had formerly coached for FC Dallas and he had been impressed by Gaudette’s performance with the Crew. So when Clarke took the reins in Puerto Rico, he outreached to Gaudette’s agent and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Gaudette’s three seasons with the Islanders were the best of his career. The team experienced league success right away by winning the 2008 USL First Division Commissioner’s Cup for the best regular season record. They progressed to the finals in the playoffs, but they lost the championship match to the Vancouver Whitecaps.

In addition to the team’s success, Gaudette received his biggest individual award in 2008 when he was named the USL First Division Goalkeeper of the Year. His teammate (and former Philadelphia KiXX player) Jonny Steele was selected the league’s MVP.

The Islanders would later get their revenge on Vancouver in 2010 as they defeated them in the playoffs on their way to winning the championship in the short lived USSF Division 2 Pro League. It was the only year of the league’s existence, since it was only formed in 2010 as a stopgap compromise between the USL and NASL.

But some of Gaudette’s most memorable achievements came during the Concacaf Champions League. The Islanders were able to qualify for the tournament all three seasons that he was on the team through their performance in the Caribbean Club Championship. The club was immediately successful and each season they managed to knock off a first division team in order to advance to the group stage of the tournament. They took down Alajuelense from Costa Rica in 2008, Toronto FC in 2009, and LA Galaxy in 2010.

Their best single year came during the 2008-2009 tournament where they advanced out of the group stage along with Santos Laguna. In the quarterfinals, they were able to defeat Honduran club Marathon 3-1 on aggregate to advance to the tournament semifinals.

They were matched against Cruz Azul in the semifinals and they even managed to win the first leg in Puerto Rico by a 2-0 scoreline. They played tough during the second leg at Estadio Azul, but an 84th minute goal by Javier Orozco forced the match into extra time. From there it went into penalty kicks, where the Islanders ultimately fell 4-2 in the shoot out.

After three successful years with the Islanders, Gaudette made the move to the Montreal Impact, then playing in NASL. Because of the league turbulence in U.S. Soccer at the end of the decade, it would be his third league in as many seasons. He would make just nine appearances with the team and they didn’t retain him when they moved to MLS the next season.

Once again unattached, Gaudette got another opportunity because of a strong past performance. This time it was from the LA Galaxy, the team that the Islanders had knocked out of the Champions League in 2010. The Galaxy needed another goalkeeper and Gaudette’s performance during the preseason was strong enough to earn him a contract offer.

Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images

Unfortunately, he didn’t get the chance to stay with the future 2012 MLS cup winners as he was dealt to the New York Red Bulls midseason. He had more starting opportunities with the Red Bulls, but his time with the team was ultimately hampered by injuries. The Red Bulls didn’t offer him a contract for 2013.

Although his 2012 season was his last, it also gave him his first taste of international football. After his time playing for the Puerto Rico Islanders, Gaudette had established full time residency on the island. This made him eligible for selection for the national team.

In just his third match with the Puerto Rican national team, Gaudette would face his greatest test as they had their historic match against Spain. He would make an incredible 17 saves as Puerto Rico fought a mostly full strength Spanish side to a narrow 2-1 loss.

In the years since his retirement, Gaudette reported to Once a Metro in 2015 that he had primarily taken up Ironman competitions because he enjoyed the all the training that went into the preparation. He was also looking into coaching opportunities, including spending some time as the goalkeeping coach with the Jersey Express in what was then known as the PDL (the current USL League Two).

Dissecting Alejandro Bedoya's DVD collection

2021-01-06T12:04:08-05:00

The Union captain took to his Twitter for advice on the best way to donate his old DVDs

Alejandro Bedoya has been an amazing captain for the Philadelphia Union, but in many ways, he’s a normal person just like the rest of us. Case in point, the moment last week when Bedoya took to his twitter to ask if anyone could give him advice on how to get rid of some of his old DVDs.

Doing some Xmas cleaning and got a bunch of DVDs I’m getting rid of lol. Anybody in Philly want them or know of a place or someone that can use them? If so, let me know. #CollegeMemories pic.twitter.com/sy2AJCOfhc
— Alejandro Bedoya (@AleBedoya17) December 29, 2020

As a Union fan, and a person who also struggles with having way too many DVDs, I couldn’t resist reviewing Bedoya’s collection to see if I could glean some insights from the DVDs he has acquired over the years.

Biggest observations

Bedoya collected almost all of the major comedies of the 2000s

Alejandro Bedoya is less than a year older than me, so we experienced the same timeline when it came to purchasing movies on physical media. After a childhood of movies on VHS that wore out and needed rewinding, DVDs were a game changer. They never needed rewinding, you could play them in your PS2, and after they were released for a while, they became pretty cheap.

So we made the same decision and picked up plenty of comedies once DVDs became common and affordable. Bedoya has Dodgeball, Wedding Crashers, Superbad, and pretty much every Will Ferrell comedy since Old School.

The most significant omission is The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Based on the rest of the movies he had, I would have bet money that he would also have the 2005 Steve Carell hit.

2. Bedoya also likes a little romance

Just like how he’s not one dimensional on the pitch, Bedoya liked to mix things up with the movie genres he selected. Hence why he picked up many of the classic 2000s romances to go along with all of his comedies.

It’s easy to spot Love Actually, Made of Honor, and 27 Dresses. He also seems to like romantic leads Hugh Grant (About a Boy, Bridget Jones) as well as Dane Cook (My Best Friend’s Girl, Good Luck Chuck, Employee of the Month).

Based on the number of these movies that he acquired, I’m willing to guess that Bedoya is the type of person who comes home after a rough practice, pops in 50 First Dates, and just relaxes.

3. Bedoya wasn’t a big action guy

It appears that Bedoya mostly got out of the DVD game prior to when the superhero genre took over all of the major blockbusters. He doesn’t have a single Marvel movie and few of the DVDs in the box would be considered action movies.

The main exceptions appear to be Speed, Troy, and Minority Report. He also has the box set of all three Ocean’s 11 movies, so you could lump those in as well.

He also made his one and only foray into buying blu-rays when he purchased Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End.

4. Bedoya didn’t pick up many soccer movies

Even though he’s a professional soccer player, Bedoya’s DVD collection is short on the classic soccer movies throughout the years. I see no Victory, no Bend in like Beckham, and, perhaps most egregiously, no Air Bud: World Pup.

But that doesn’t mean he skipped them entirely. It’s possible to spot The Damned United in the collection along with the 2007 Iranian film Offside. So he still picked up a few soccer movies, but he stuck with the deep cuts.

5. Bedoya wasn’t into TV on DVD

Despite putting together an impressive DVD collection, Bedoya didn’t seem to get into buying seasons of TV on DVD. The only exceptions he made were for the second season of The Office and the first season of Entourage. Two very different types of humor.

Wild and Baseless Speculation

1. Bedoya’s go-to karaoke choice is Whitney Houston

The oldest movie that Bedoya owns on DVD is the 1987 Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner classic. Why go with that one in particular? Well it must be because he’s no stranger to belting out some Whitney in the shower or when he’s doing some karaoke with the boys.

2. Bedoya kept most of the movies he bought in Europe

There’s a handful of movies in the collection with visible non-MPAA rating showing, so it’s easy to assume those were bought when he was abroad. The movies showing are the dramas Blue Valentine and Remember Me, along with the 2010 comedy Vampires Suck. It seems unlikely that he’d only pick up three movies when he spent about seven years in Europe. What other movies did he pick up while he was over there?

3. Bedoya is big on streaming now

As Bedoya himself pointed out, most of these movies are from his college years. But he has been back in the USA since 2016 and it looks like he hasn’t expanded his collection much, if at all. Of course, that makes a lot of sense. 2017 Alejandro Bedoya has very different needs (and movie watching companions) compared to to 2007 Alejandro Bedoya. Like many of us, he appears to have spent his time back in the USA shifting from physical media to digital and streaming.

4. There’s more DVDs that Bedoya isn’t ready to get rid of yet

All of this speculation is based entirely on the DVDs that Bedoya elected to get rid of to save space. Which begs the question, are there even more DVDs that he’s still hanging on to?

Maybe he actually is a big action guy and he’s just keeping those DVDs. Or maybe he’s hanging on to a huge collection of horror movies (there’s none in the box he’s getting rid of). Which ones is he keeping and why?

Of course, the most likely answer is that he’s still hanging onto at least a few movies to share with his family. So there’s probably some animated classics that he’s hanging on to along with some comedies that are more PG than the ones that he’s getting rid of.

So that must be where his copy of Air Bud: World Pup is.

The Union’s 2020 postseason ends in defeat at the hands of the New England Revolution

2020-11-24T22:45:00-05:00

Carl Gulbish

Two quick first half goals from the Revs were enough to shut down the Union’s 2020 playoff run before it started

Hopes were high for the Philadelphia Union heading into the 2020 MLS Cup playoffs. They had plenty of momentum as the Supporters’ Shield winners and their regular season record ensured that they would play all of their playoff matches in the friendly confines of Subaru Park, where they were undefeated in 2020.

Well there’s a first time for everything.

As they prepared to face the New England Revolution yet again, there were no major changes to the Union starting XI other than the expected return of Andre Blake between the posts. Olivier Mbaizo the only major absence on the bench due to quarantine protocols following his time on international duty.

INCOMING: Round 1️⃣

https://t.co/1h5Mi4QxoH #FightForPhilly | #PHIvNE pic.twitter.com/nD8nXML7YW
— X - PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) November 25, 2020

The Union didn’t waste any time going on the attack and they had a few dangerous chances within the first ten minutes. Brenden Aaronson surged up the right side in the fifth minute before making an open cutback to Jamiro Montiero. Unfortunately the ball took a tough bounce and Montiero couldn’t get the ball on frame.

Jose Martinez had the next look off of a shot from distance in the 7th minute, but his shot deflected off of a Union player for a goal kick.

Despite the early Union control, the Revs nearly went up in the 14th minute after a bit of sloppy defending by the Union. A bad turnover followed by a miscommunication between Ray Gaddis and Jakob Glesnes gave Gustavo Bou a shot on goal. Glesnes got down for the block and the deflected ball rolled just wide.

This mistake seemed to unnerve the Union and their play for the next ten minutes or so was sloppy and disjointed. Several defensive miscues quickly turned into attacking chances for the Revs. The defense managed to scramble and fix their mistakes each time, but their struggles kept the Union in their own half and it made it difficult for the offense to push ahead.

The Union would eventually pay for their sloppy play after giving away a free kick just outside of the box. Charles Gil stepped up to curl the ball into box and it was Adam Buksa who was there to meet it. He comfortably headed it past Andre Blake to give the Revs the lead.

BIG. MAN. BUKSA.@NERevolution jump in front!#PHIvNE // @Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/ZAyxMkX6Ar
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 25, 2020

The Union’s issues went from bad to worse just four minutes later as the Revs doubled their lead off of another defensive miscue. This time it was Tajon Buchanan who received the ball with space on the Union left. Kai Wagner was in position to deal with him one on one, but he failed to take the ball off him. Blake got a hand on Buchanan’s shot, but it wasn’t enough to keep it out of the net.

TAJON BUCHANAN! @NERevolution double their lead!#PHIvNE // @Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/ECbSsUv5GS
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 25, 2020

This second goal seemed to finally force the Union to get into the game and they had their first run of offensive chances. Kacper Przybylko put a header on frame in the 36th minute, but Matt Turner was there to make the save.

The final minutes of the half were marked by chippy challenges by both teams and tempers began to escalate. Unlike their playoff match last year, the Union couldn’t manage to find a goal to generate some momentum going into halftime. Instead they went to the locker room needing a major reset for the second half.

Jim Curtin made a bold swing at the half by replacing Jose Martinez with Ilsinho. Martinez had been struggling in possession and bringing on Ilsinho early could have provided the offensive spark that the Union so desperately needed.

But the Union’s struggles continued and it looked like the Revs were closer to getting a third goal than the Union were to getting their first. Some physical play with Buksa in the box nearly resulted in giving away a penalty. Just a few moments later, Charles Gil went for a chip from just outside the box that was only denied by the crossbar.

It was Ilsinho’s intensity that began to open up the Revs defense and give the Union a few chances. Most of the Union attacks over the next few minutes were sparked by Ilsinho making some space or getting into a dangerous position. But Ilsinho’s inventiveness on the pitch just made it that much more apparent how flat the rest of the Union players were playing.

Still down two with half an hour to go, Curtin went with a few more changes. Jack Elliott was brought on for Aaronson while Cory Burke swapped in for Sergio Santos. This was shortly followed by a solid Przyblko header off of a free kick, but it was right at Turner.

Time continued to slip away without any significant chances for the Union. With less than twenty minutes left, the Revs began to transition to sitting behind the ball and forcing the Union to try and break them down. But the Union attack simply wasn’t translating to shots on goal.

With only about fifteen minutes left to play, it was Anthony Fontana’s turn to try and make an impact as he was brought on for Gaddis. Fontana would be responsible for the next Union shot on goal in the 82nd minute, but this one was handled by Turner as well.

That shot from Fontana would be the last dangerous moment for the Union. The Revs easily burned away large chunks of time by holding possession and the Union couldn’t build up their attack as they continued to struggle with the same turnovers and mistakes that had plagued them the whole evening.

There was a tense moment at the final whistle as Glesnes looked like he was ready to get physical with some New England players. His frustration was understandable, but cooler heads prevailed before things got completely out of hand.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This is not a characteristic that’s exclusive to the Union, but there’s certain matches that they simply never show up for. The Portland match at the MLS is Back tournament was one, but it seemed like maybe the Union had managed to put that weakness behind them for 2020. Tonight’s performance showed that it’s definitely still an issue for this team. It’s just a shame to see the must successful season in Philadelphia Union history end in such a disappointing fashion.
There was plenty of blame to go around for tonight’s performance. The Union struggled on defense, through the midfield, and in their attacking play. The most solid performance of the night probably came from Andre Blake. He had no chance at the two goals but he made sure that there weren’t any others.
The most bittersweet part of this loss is the players who may have just made their final appearance in a Union kit. Aaronson is transferred and there’s rumors about Mark McKenzie and Kai Wagner. The first lineup in 2021 is certainly going to have some new faces.

Philadelphia Union suffer a late defeat against the Columbus Crew

2020-11-01T18:04:00-05:00

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The 2-1 loss puts the Union’s Supporters’ Shield hopes on hold until next weekend

The Philadelphia Union felt like the team in control for the majority of Sunday afternoon’s match against the Columbus Crew. They easily outshot them and controlled the attack for significant portions of the match. But issues with finishing meant that the Union couldn’t translate their attacks into goals and a few defensive miscues opened the door for a Columbus victory.

There were several changes in the Philadelphia Union lineup for Sunday afternoon’s match, but none of them really qualified as surprises. Joe Bendik and Olivier Mbaizo entered the starting lineup due to the injuries to Andre Blake and Ray Gaddis while Jamiro Monteiro returned to the starting lineup after serving his yellow card suspension.

Locked in

https://t.co/T0ujmXa1H7 #DOOP | #CLBvPHI pic.twitter.com/kofR8243rF
— X - PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) November 1, 2020

Columbus was able to field their strongest possible lineup for the match, with Darlington Nagbe, Gyasi Zardes, and Lucas Zelarayan all getting the start. Each player had missed various amounts of time recently as they battled injuries.

It became readily apparent that the Columbus weather was going to be an important factor during Sunday’s match. Flurries swirling on the field from the opening kickoff and the announcers reported wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour. The conditions made it so that long passes would be ineffective for most of the afternoon.

The teams spent a fair amount of the first half feeling each other out. The Union conceded possession to the Crew for most of the first ten minutes. The Union defense stayed tight and the Columbus attack couldn’t manage more than a few corners.

After this period the Union began to press forward more and used a lot of patient build up to get the ball into the final third. But despite getting the ball into a dangerous position multiple times, the Union struggled to put a good shot on goal.

Kacper Przybylko and Brenden Aaronson each had good attacking chances that just couldn’t find a final touch. And it was Mbazio who very nearly found the opening goal in the 28th minute but he was denied by a diving fingertip save from the Crew’s Eloy Room.

The Union would regret these missed opportunities as Columbus opened the scoring in the 37th minute off of a long shot from Artur. The Union had cleared the ball out of the box but Harrison Afful collected it and the defense failed to close down when he slipped it to Artur at the top of the box. He used this extra space to take a low, bouncing shot from distance that Bendik couldn’t get to.

The Union response after going down was a bit of a mixed bag. The offense pushed forward but the results were not as controlled as they were earlier in the match. Curtin seemed to pick up on this and implored the players to, “finish the half!” from the sidelines. It was just one of the many coaching suggestions that were crystal clear thanks to the lack of crowd and the positioning of the field mics.

Neither side made any major changes coming out of halftime, although the snow flurries called it a day. The Union stepped on the gas immediately and it paid off fast as Przybylko knocked a shot against the post in just the 48th minute. Jack Elliott also put one on frame in the 51st minute, but Room made the save.

The Union had another solid chance off of a free kick in the 54th minute. Jakob Glesnes lined up over the ball, but he instead tapped it to an onrushing Kai Wagner. But Wagner sent it just over the bar with his left foot.

All the pressure finally paid off in the 56th minute as Jonathan Mensah, who had been struggling on defense all day, clipped Sergio Santos’s heels as he was streaking for a ball in the box. Santos was in no position to score, but it was a clear foul in the box and was immediately whistled for a penalty kick. This time Monteiro assumed the PK duties and he slammed the ball to Room’s left to equalize.

Miro makes no mistake on the PK & powers it to the back of the net! All even in the 57' & we keep working #DOOP | #CLBvPHI 1 - 1 pic.twitter.com/W8K3qiaSGN
— X - PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) November 1, 2020

The Union attack didn’t slow down after the equalizer as they pushed hard for the lead. Corner kicks in the 59th and 60th minute resulted in clear looks on goal but the Union couldn’t find the final touch.

After the initial attacking period, the match settled back down again as each side settled back down and focused on mot making any major mistakes.

There were also a few controversial moments as referee Allan Chapman was reluctant to blow his whistle even when the players and coaches were screaming for fouls. It wasn’t until the 71st minute that he produced his first yellow card for a foul on Alejandro Bedoya. Bedoya nearly scored on the resulting free kick but his shot was headed away at the last moment.

Jim Curtin wanted to give his starting XI every opportunity to take the lead and he didn’t make the first substitution until the 71st minute when Cory Burke came on for Sergio Santos. Shortly after, Mbaizo had an extended injury review after a hit to the head. It looked like Gaddis could be coming on, but Mbazio was able to play on.

It was a team breakdown in the 84th minute that allowed the Crew to regain the lead. A Union turnover at the top of the Columbus box was sent to Luis Diaz open down the right side. Jack Elliot had to run out wide to defend him but couldn’t stop his cross into the box. Bendik wasn’t in position to collect the cross and Columbus sub Krisztian Nemeth slotted the ball home at the far post.

Immediate impact.

Nemeth subs in and scores his first @ColumbusCrewSC goal! #CLBvPHI pic.twitter.com/W04XfEkl4w
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 1, 2020

The Union were not content to accept defeat and they pushed hard to try and equalize again. Przybylko had a strong chance in the 89th minute off a beautiful cross from Wagner, but Room was there for another strong save.

The Union only had four minutes of added time to work with despite Mbaizo’s injury. The best chance came in the second minute of added time from Jack Elliott who made a Fontana-esque rocket shot from outside the box. But Room was the hero once again as he made a spectacular kick save to preserve the 2-1 scoreline.

I think this game can be summed up by saying Columbus has their top goalkeeper, the Union do not
— x - Brotherly Game (@BrotherlyGame) November 1, 2020

EXTRA THOUGHTS:

This result keeps the Union from securing the Supporters’ Shield today, but they could still do so during their final match of the year against the New England Revolution. What they will need to do during that match to win the shield will depend on the results of tonight’s Toronto and Seattle matches.
The Union managed to outshoot the Crew 22-7 during the match (9-3 shots on target) but couldn’t find the winner. The final result really came down to the performance of the goalkeepers.
The Union are at their best when they play with Andre Blake and Jose Martinez. El Brujo should be back soon, but the team needs to determine how to get back to their winning ways if Blake is unavailable for an extended period. Curtin gave his return timeframe as two to two and a half weeks during the postgame press conference.

Players with local connections had major impact in the USL Championship semifinals

2020-10-18T10:22:31-04:00

Local players contributed to multiple game winning goals and saves on Saturday night

The Philadelphia Union had Saturday night off this week, but there were plenty of players with Union connections in action on Saturday night as the USL Championship playoffs continued. Former Union players and draft picks, along with players from across Southeastern Pennsylvania, played major roles in all four of the matches.

Louisville City FC 2 - Saint Louis FC 0

The match with the most local interest was the last ever Kings’ Cup match between Louisville and Saint Louis. Louisville’s Union connections include Head Coach John Hackworth, assistant Danny Cruz, starters Corben Bone and Antoine Hoppenot, and goalkeeper Ben Lundt, who spent time with Reading United.

Saint Louis’s had a goalkeeper connection of their own with West Chester’s own Kyle Morton getting the start between the posts.

It was Ben Lundt who had the first significant impact on the match as he was forced to face a Saint Louis penalty in just the 12th minute. But he managed to save the team from disaster with the clutch stop of Wal Fall’s powerful penalty.

❗ ❗#LOUvSTL | @lundt_ben pic.twitter.com/K8MNR9mxGO
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) October 17, 2020

It wasn’t long after that Cameron Lancaster gave Louisville the lead thanks to some assistance from Hoppenot. Hoppenot had received the ball wide on the left side and dribbled his defender to the top corner of the box. That gave him enough room to chip a perfect cross to Lancaster who chested it down and blasted the ball into the back of the net.

.@CameronPL has the time and he buries it #LOUvSTL | #BeChampions pic.twitter.com/eAvN7QMY62
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) October 18, 2020

Saint Louis would spend the rest of the match looking for an equalizer, but a heartbreaking own goal in the 83rd minute put an end to the team’s chances. Yardley, Pa. native Jimmy Ockford came on in the 85th minute for the hosts to help close out the game for Louisville, which advanced to a sixth straight Eastern Conference playoff final.

Tampa Bay Rowdies 1 - Charleston Battery 0

The other Eastern Conference playoff match had its share of Philly connections as well. Tampa Bay had former Union and Harrisburg City Islander player Yann Ekra in the starting lineup with Leo Fernandes and Lucky Mkosana making appearances off the bench. Charleston featured former Bethlehem Steel defender AJ Paterson in their starting lineup.

These players would once again play a key role in what would ultimately be the match winner for the Rowdies. Leo Fernandes won a free kick from a dangerous position in the Charleston half. On the resulting set piece, Mkosana was able to find enough space inside the box to knock in what would be the game winning header.

The @TampaBayRowdies have the go-ahead goal!!#TBRvCHS | @Luckynumber17_ pic.twitter.com/FrhXa8udw5
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) October 18, 2020

Reno 1868 2 (4) - Phoenix Rising FC 2 (5)

The local influence hasn’t been limited to the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference during the playoffs this year. Reading’s Corey Hertzog has been a goal scoring machine in his second season with Reno and he was helped off the bench by former Union draft pick and Bethlehem Steel player Aidan Apodaca.

Aiden was lining up against a familiar face with Phoenix, his former Bethlehem Steel team mate Santi Moar. And don’t forget that defender Joe Farrell is a Blue Bell native and La Salle grad and defender Damion Lowe previously spent a season with Reading United in 2013.

Phoenix didn’t seem to have their head in the game as the match kicked off, and it was Hertzog who was in a position to make them pay. Phoenix’s goalkeeper Zak Lubin made an inexcusable error in just the 6th minute of the match as he passed the ball right to Hertzog inside his own box. Hertzog easily put it into the the net to give Reno the early lead.

.@Hertzog_Corey is making @PHXRisingFC .#RNOvPHX | #BeChampions pic.twitter.com/pAsvTrvWTD
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) October 18, 2020

Hertzog opened the scoring, but both offenses would spend the entire match firing on all cylinders. Reno would ultimately record 26 shots (10 on target) while Phoenix managed 31 of their own (8 on target). But the score held at 2-2 after extra time, so this was the first semifinal match to go into penalty kicks on the night.

Lubin was able to redeem himself during the resulting penalty kicks. He couldn’t stop the first four (including one from Hertzog) but he was able to save Apodaca’s fifth penalty kick to secure the win and return Phoenix to the Western Conference final for the first time since 2018.

El Paso Locomotive FC 1 (5) - New Mexico United 1 (3)

The final playoff match of the night didn’t feature as many local connections as the other three. Saaliah Muhammad, formerly of Penn FC, made an appearance for New Mexico United off the bench while former City Islander Matt Bahner made an appearance for El Paso. In addition, El Paso’s starting goalkeeper Logan Ketterer spent some time with the Ocean City Nor’Easters in 2016.

This was the second match of the night to eventually go to penalty kicks. It looked like a goal from Dylan Mares in the 30th minute would be enough to send El Paso to the conference final, but a long Romeo Parkes goal in the fifth minute of added time provided the late equalizer and pushed the match into extra time.

@RomeoParkes27 takes this one to extra time!#ELPvNM | #BeChampions pic.twitter.com/6ms99YBiCU
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) October 18, 2020

El Paso had already faced penalty kicks against FC Tulsa last week, and they proved to be up to the challenge again. Ketterer was the hero for the Locomotive as he made the save on Parkes’ penalty kick. This allowed Distel Zola to put away the decisive kick and send El Paso to the Western conference finals for the first time.

The USL Championship playoffs will resume next Saturday with Louisville - Tampa Bay kicking off at 7:30 p.m. while Phoenix- El Paso kicks off at 10:30 p.m.

Harrisburg’s 2017 goalkeepers are leading their teams to the USL Championship playoffs

2020-10-10T10:28:00-04:00

Harrisburg City Islanders

Brandon Miller and Sean Lewis have anchored the playoff runs for Charlotte Independence and FC Tulsa

Heading into the 2017 season, the Harrisburg City Islanders had some question marks at the goalkeeper position for the first time in half a decade. Club legend Nick Noble was still on the roster, but he had spent the 2016 season splitting time with Keasel Broome. With Keasel departing to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the offseason, it was unclear who was going to be spending time between the posts on City Island in 2017.

This question was answered in March when the Harrisburg front office announced the signing of 2015 USL Goalkeeper of the Year Brandon Miller. Miller had set USL records during his time with the Rochester Rhinos in 2015, but he didn’t find the same level of success when he moved to Orange County in 2016. His signing with Harrisburg offered a return to the East coast and a chance at a fresh start.

The City Islanders rounded out their goalkeeping corps by signing Sean Lewis just a few weeks later. Lewis was not as highly touted a signing as Miller, but it was far from his first professional experience. He joined Harrisburg after seasons with the NASL’s Fort Lauderdale Strikers and also Olympia FC Warriors in Tasmania.

Playing goalkeeper for Harrisburg in 2017 was ultimately a bit of a thankless job. The Harrisburg defense struggled to keep up as teams like the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Ottawa Fury joined the league. These team’s deeper pockets meant that more attacking talent was on display.

2017 was also the first year that the team played all of their home matches at FNB Field. The time required to convert the baseball field into a soccer pitch meant that Harrisburg’s home schedule was highly condensed and most games were played on short rest.

Despite these disadvantages, Miller and Lewis both performed well for the City Islanders that year. Miller received the majority of the starts, but Lewis always put in a strong performance when he had the opportunity to make the starting XI.

The high point of the season for the goalkeepers was when they each earned USL Save of the Week honors in back to back weeks. Lewis earned his first for a spectacular double save against Saint Louis FC.

#USL fans have spoken.@City_Islanders' Sean Lewis earns the Save of the Week for Week 25!

https://t.co/cP20An8yi0 pic.twitter.com/wRJd1t2ELw
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) September 14, 2017

Yes, 2017 was one of the years that Saint Louis FC was in the Eastern Conference.

Not to be outdone, Miller earned the same honor just a week later for his point blank stop on FC Cincinnati’s Djiby Fall.

.@DVOtwosix knows a thing or two about quick hands.

The @city_islanders' keeper earns Week 26 #USL Save of the Week honors! pic.twitter.com/cDiULo9I1d
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) September 21, 2017

Ultimately, Harrisburg would concede 47 goals in 2017 on the way to an 11th place finish in the Eastern Conference.

During the offseason, Miller returned to his hometown of Charlotte to sign with the Charlotte Independence. He quickly took the position of first choice goalkeeper with the team, but Charlotte faced many of the same struggles as Harrisburg. The team missed the playoffs in 2018 and 2019.

Lewis remained in Harrisburg for 2018 as a part of the newly rebranded Penn FC. After the team announced their hiatus at the end of the season, Lewis headed to Oklahoma to sign with the Tulsa Roughnecks for 2019. Heading into this year, the Roughnecks underwent a rebranding of their own as they became FC Tulsa.

Fun fact, every USL team Sean Lewis as played for has rebranded during his second season with the team.

Now, in their third year since playing together at Harrisburg, both Brandon Miller and Sean Lewis have each had excellent seasons with their new clubs, despite all the difficulties that 2020 has managed to inject into professional sports. They’ll each kick off their playoff runs just hours apart on Saturday night.

Miller has been a game changer in his third season at Charlotte. He had five clean sheets in 2020, and his 61 total saves this year leads the entire USL. Not surprisingly, these saves have earned him further save of the week nominations as well as Team of the Week honors.

There was even one week where Brandon and Sean went head to head (the ultimate winner that week was Ben Lundt).

Miller’s efforts on the pitch helped Charlotte finish in first place in Group G, topping Birmingham, North Carolina, and Memphis.

But more important than his efforts on the pitch in 2020 were his efforts off of it. Brandon has been working on bettering the Charlotte community by donating to Heal Charlotte after each match, donating higher amounts when he hits his performance goals. He has also stepped up as a leader for the entire USL by helping form and support the USL Black Players Alliance.

Sean Lewis has been having a career year of his own as he fully embraces the role of FC Tulsa’s first choice goalkeeper. His 51 saves for 2020 were just behind Miller and good enough for third in the USL. He also managed 4 clean sheets while FC Tulsa only allowed a total of 16 goals in 15 games.

Lewis’s 2020 performance highlights include multiple save of the week nominations, though he didn’t manage to get a win in 2020.

I know we are asking for a lot but...

Go to https://t.co/Wrj5mbmqLP, vote for Sean Lewis and make sure to tell your friends, again. #ForTulsa pic.twitter.com/pq572y0LBL
— x - FC Tulsa (@FCTulsa) September 8, 2020

FC Tulsa’s tough defensive presence was good enough for a second place finish in group D behind San Antonio FC.

2017 was the last year that Harrisburg’s USL team played as the City Islanders, and it’s unfortunate that just a few years later the majority of the team’s roster is no longer playing professional soccer. But that season’s team has clearly managed to produce two top class goalkeepers who remain some of the very best in USL.

Brandon Miller and the Charlotte Independence kick off their playoff run tonight at 7 p.m. against the Charleston Battery. Once that match has wrapped up, you can tune in to see Sean Lewis and FC Tulsa go up against El Paso Locomotive at 9:30 p.m. Both games will be available on ESPN+.

Union score three goals in the second half to down FC Cincinnati 3-0

2020-10-07T22:03:00-04:00

Carl Gulbish

Goals from Ilsinho, Bedoya, and Elliott helped the Union overcome a slow first half and remain undefeated at home in 2020

The Philadelphia Union had no time to hang their heads after a disappointing 2-1 loss against Toronto FC last Saturday. They knew going into tonight’s matchup that they needed to take all three points from the visiting FC Cincinnati squad or they would risk falling further behind the teams at the top of the Eastern Conference.

All the talk before the match focused on the Jose Martinez’s call up to the Venezuelan national team. While it was certainly a big moment for the defensive midfielder, it left a big hole in the Union’s roster. His usual replacement, Warren Creavalle, was available for selection, but Jim Curtin made it clear earlier in the week that he was not fit to go the full ninety minutes. So how would the Union adapt?

⚡️Ready to defend our Home⚡️

https://t.co/bHVxarabH7 #DOOP pic.twitter.com/W0v3LGEF8Q
— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) October 7, 2020

Curtin’s solution was to bring on Anthony Fontana and shift to a 4-2-3-1 formation. Fontana slotted in at the 10, Jamiro Monteiro and Alejandro Bedoya were moved back defensively, and Sergio Santos and Brenden Aaronson were moved out wide. Whether they would stick to these roles once the match started remained to be seen.

There was an early controversial moment for the Union as there was an argument for a penalty call for Santos in the 7th minute. He had found some space on the left wing and was pushing towards goal when he went down after a Cincy challenge. It was waived off at full speed, but replays showed that the defender had clipped his heel inside the box. VAR was not employed on the play.

The Union struggled to get good looks at goal during much of the first half. There were multiple dangerous build ups, but Philly couldn’t manage to find the final move to get a good look at goal. Too much time was spent looking for the perfect opportunity and that meant that several good opportunities were squandered.

The Cincy defense was supported by a good first half from their goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton. He made a few key saves during the half as well as a fingertip save to keep out a Fontana rocket in the 39th minute.

Another strong save from Titi!#PHIvCIN | #AllForCincy pic.twitter.com/ACyK6eyHbC
— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) October 8, 2020

Cincinnati’s game plan was shaken up early on when Greg Garza was forced off due to injury in the 29th minute. In his place, 20 year old Zico Bailey made his MLS debut. The early change burned off a sub and, more importantly, used up one of the three available substitute windows.

Despite Cincinnati’s offensive struggles, they nearly took a 1-0 lead into halftime. Their most dangerous attacker during the first half, Joe Gyau, got a good look at goal off of a cross in the third minute of added time. But Andre Blake hadn’t been lulled into a false sense of security, and he was in the perfect position to tip the ball over for a corner. It was the last major action of the half, and the match remained scoreless after 45 minutes.

Friendly Reminder:

|┻┳|┻┳|┻┳|┻┳|┻┳|┳┻|┳┻|
|┻┳|┻┳ ANDRE BLAKE ┳┻|┳┻|
|┻┳|┻┳|┻┳ IS A ┻┳|┳┻|┳┻|
|┻┳|┻┳| BRICK WALL |┻┳|┳┻|
|┻┳|┻┳|┻┳|┻┳|┻┳|┳┻|┳┻|#DOOP | #PHIvCIN 0 - 0 pic.twitter.com/7OXsShBDur
— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) October 8, 2020

The Union would make one change at halftime as Jack Elliott replaced Jakob Glesnes, who took an elbow to the head in the first half. He was cleared to continue, but it was decided that Elliott could take over the final 45 in his first action since September 2nd.

The Union didn’t wait long to make their second substitution as Ilsinho came on for Fontana in the 53rd minute. This was a slight deviation from the usual practice of subbing him on in the 60th minute, but the Union’s adapted formation for the night meant that Ilsinho could more easily take up his usual position on the right wing.

Ilsinho had an immediate impact as he boosted the Union attack and helped them push for multiple corners. The corners didn’t pay off, but the pressure did just a few minutes later.

The Union had some sustained possession just outside of the Cincinnati box and Ilsinho had a chance to make a first time shot off a short Cincy clearance at the edge of the box. The goalkeeper was in position, but a fortunate deflection off of Maikel van der Werff put the ball in the back of the net. It could have been ruled an own goal, but it was ultimately credited to Ilsinho.

SIX minutes after stepping on the pitch, Ilsinho gets the first goal on the night!#DOOP | #PHIvCIN 1 - 0 pic.twitter.com/3WkNX8n2E1
— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) October 8, 2020

Cincinnati responded to going down a goal with two quick subs. Alvaro Barreal and Kamohelo Mokotjo came on to the pitch, replacing Frankie Amaya and Allan Cruz, respectively. They took the offensive initiative as well, with multiple shots on goal within the next ten minutes.

The Union didn’t mind conceding the possession because it allowed them to put the match away with a quick counter. It was Aaronson who sprung the Union attack and pulled several defenders towards him as he worked down the left side. This allowed him to find Bedoya at the top of the box and Bedoya popped Aaronson’s pass up into the air to volley it past Tyton.

Whatta strike!

Bedoya doubles the lead for @PhilaUnion! #PHIvCIN pic.twitter.com/IiIYQAbSu9
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 8, 2020

During an interview after the match, Bedoya admitted that he hadn’t meant to make a first touch like that, but he made the best of the situation.

The floodgates were open for the Union, and they added to their lead just a few minutes later. Jack Elliott celebrated his return to the pitch with a goal of his own in the 80th minute. Monteiro had a free kick opportunity from the corner of the box, and Elliott was able to get to his cross first. His expert header pushed the ball out of Tyton’s reach and just inside the net at the far post.

Jack in the Box #DOOP | #PHIvCIN 3 - 0 pic.twitter.com/74DdjBiKfe
— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) October 8, 2020

With their lead secure, the Union made a few late subs to keep players fresh. Matt Real came in for Wagner while Wooten came on for Bedoya. But they weren’t called on for too much as the Union seemed content to see out the rest of the match.

Cincinnati had one last chance to get on the scoresheet in the final seconds off of a free kick just outside of the box, but van der Werff just missed putting the ball in the corner. The final whistle blew on Blake’s resulting goal kick to wrap up the night for the Union.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Not to pile on the bad news for FC Cincinnati, but their DP striker Jurgen Locadia also left the match in the second half with an injury. With the condensed schedule in October and November, even a minor injury could mean he would miss multiple matches.
The final score doesn’t show just how close the match was in the first half. If Cincy had managed to put that final shot away before half time, the character of the match in the second half would have been completely different.
The problem of how to deal with absence of Martinez isn’t entirely solved yet. It seems likely that the Union might go back to the 4-4-2 diamond once Creavalle is fully healthy because the return to the 4-2-3-1 had mixed results at times.