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Philadelphia Union 1-2 Orlando City SC – The Philly Soccer Page

Photo credit: Ruairi Rossi

Despite a well-deserved goal from Quinn Sullivan, the Union lost 2-1 to Orlando City in the first of two away games before Decision Day.

Head coach Jim Curtin made three changes to the starting lineup that he had used in the previous two games. Olivier Mbaizo moved into the defensive line in place of Nate Harriel, while Danley Jean Jacques and Alejandro Bedoya started in midfield ahead of Leon Flach and Quinn Sullivan.

In what was initially a slow first half, the Union struggled to gain a foothold as Orlando City dominated possession for the first 20 minutes of the game. Despite seven shots on goal, the Lions remained goalless, which was partly thanks to the defensive play of Jakob Glesnes. The boys in blue didn't have a chance of their own to score until the 21st minute, and similar to the following six attempts, none found the target.

A goalless first half inspired Orlando City head coach Oscar Pareja to make his own substitution: Iván Angulo for striker Luis Muriel. Muriel's impact was felt almost immediately when he connected with Facundo Torres in the 57th minute. With this goal, Torres equaled Orlando's scoring record.

Less than 10 minutes later, Muriel set up another goal, finding Duncan McGuire, who had come on as a substitute just a few minutes earlier.

Orlando's lead would be halved with 20 minutes to play as this time a Union substitute scored the goal. After a throw-in, Daniel Gazdag placed the ball perfectly for Quinn Sullivan to kiss it off the crossbar and over the goal line.

Despite several shot attempts in the final minutes – including three separate aerial attempts by Nathan Harriel – the Union were forced to fail and ultimately slipped out of the playoff standings (for now).

Philadelphia continues its season-ending road trip Saturday night as it battles against reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew. Kickoff in Ohio is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET with the MLS Season Pass.

Three points

  • Cast changes: I'll be the first to admit that I'm surprised by the changes in the starting lineup, as Sullivan in particular has been such a big part of our team's energy lately. Somehow the team looked gassed even with “fresh” players?
  • Andrew Blake: While Glesnes has taken the goal kicks in the last two games, some may have seen Andre limping after his final save as the final whistle blew. Given Philly's quick turnaround heading into their next game, it will be important to keep an eye on the situation.
  • Target difference: At the moment it's the only thing we have. Given the buffer we have, what's stopping Jim from pressing aggressively in the last two games and doing everything he can to get a win (or two)?

Lineups

Philadelphia: Andre Blake, Kai Wagner, Jack Elliott, Jakob Glesnes, Olivier Mbaizo (Nathan Harriel–63′), Danley Jean Jacques, Jack McGlynn (Jesus Bueno –89′)Alejandro Bedoya (Quinn Sullivan–63′)Daniel Gazdag, Mikael Uhre, Tai Baribo (Samuel Adeniran–73′)

Unused substitutes: Andrew Rick, Leon Flach, Jeremy Rafanello, Cavan Sullivan, Chris Donovan

Orlando city: Pedro Gallese, Kyle Smith (Mikey Halliday – 80')Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson, Rafael Santos, Ivan Angulo (Luis Muriel–46′)Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena, Facundo Torres (Nico Lodeiro – 77′)Martin Ojeda (Duncan McGuire –61′)Ramiro Enrique (Luca Petrasso –77′)

Substitutes not used: Javier Otero, Heine Gikling Bruseth, Felipe, Luis Muriel, Yutaro Tsukada

Summary of the rating

ORL – Facundo Torres – 57′

ORL – Duncan McGuire – 64′

PHI – Quinn Sullivan – 72′

Summary of misconduct

ORL – Rodrigo Schlegel – 19′

PHI – Daniel Gazdag – 68′

ORL – Facundo Torres – 69′

PHI – Kai Wagner – 74′

PHI – Mikael Clock – 90’+1′

ORL – César Araújo – 90'+2′

ORL – Duncan McGuire – 90’+5′

Author: Anna Grillo
Since she was kicked out of Little League on day one, Anna has tried to get involved with soccer in one way or another. As a Union season ticket holder, you might recognize her at Subaru Park as the super loud Italian girl whose screaming accidentally scares the kids in Section 101. She doesn't tweet, but you can occasionally find her on the Union subreddit, where she shares the custom t-shirts she makes for matches.

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