With a chance to clinch their spot and improve their chances at a home field advantage in the playoffs, Philadelphia Union came to play as they welcomed Minnesota United to Talen Energy Stadium for the first time. Although the Loons began brightly on the offensive end with a number of early chances, Philadelphia opened the scoring in the 8th minute and didn’t look back, opening up a 4-0 lead by the half.
“It’s pretty hard for me to try and explain how bad we were in the first half in probably all aspects of the game,” said Head Coach Adrian Heath. “It was like men against boys at times. Second half, we got a little bit of a response out of the group and showed a little bit more of what we like. But as I said, too little, too late, not good enough.”
Within the game’s first few minutes, MNUFC looked spry and up for it, at least in Philadelphia’s final third. But on the other end, the Union looked equally as up for it, with forward Cory Burke getting an excellent look at a cross defender Keegan Rosenberry that he sent wide right.
Moments later, though, Burke muscles defender Michael Boxall off a long ball over the top before drilling a shot past goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth for a 1-0 lead for the Union in the 8th minute. Minnesota United attempted to regroup and find the offensive spark they began with, but less than 10 minutes later, it was midfielder Alejandro Bedoya’s turn to get on the scoring sheet off a cross from Rosenberry to double the home side’s lead.
“It’s strange — their first shot at goal was probably their first effort,” said Heath. “First 10 minutes, I thought we were certainly comfortable in possession but in terms of goals, not enough. The first one, is it a foul? I don’t know. Certainly after that we don’t do well enough. The second one’s a cheap cross in near post, nobody marking.”
Recently, Minnesota had enjoyed a run of success, drawing with Real Salt Lake on the road and then winning two in a row at home against Portland Timbers FC and NYCFC. They did it by pressuring the ball up high and keeping their opponent uncomfortable, but against Philadelphia, the Loons were unable to muster the same kind of high intensity defense.
In the 23rd minute, midfielder Fafa Picault made a lovely run that beat Jerome Thiesson before firing a shot in that put the Union up 3-0. It was Picault who would heap on insult to injury just before the half in the 44th minute, again at the expense of Thiesson, who failed to step to Picault, allowing him to line up a long curling shot that beat Shuttleworth and put the home side up 4-0 going into the break.
“When you look at the goals they scored tonight, I’m trying to think of one that was a really well-earned goal,” said Heath. “Because when they do that, you respect and you hold your head up. I can’t think of one of them tonight that was a real quality, quality goal where there’s not an awful lot we could have done about it.”
At the half, Heath put in midfielder Alexi Gomez for Thiesson — who has struggled with injuries — and shifted the formation to the 3-5-2 look that had garnered the squad success midway through the season. The change seemed to energize the team somewhat and more opportunities opened up, but many went begging.
The Loons did get one back in the 54th minute when midfielder Darwin Quintero made a strong run from left to right at the top of the box before dishing it in to forward Angelo Rodriguez. Quintero continued his run and Rodriguez dinked it back out for a beautiful strike that beat goalkeeper Andre Blake to cut the lead to 4-1.
In the 80th minute, though, Brazilian midfielder Ilsinho put the game firmly out of reach with an inch-perfect strike from distance that threaded through the Minnesota backline and tucked into the goal just inside the bottom of the right post. That score would hold, and the Union would clinch their spot in the postseason with a 5-1 home win.
“It’s just another reminder to me that we are not where we want to be moving forward,” said Heath. “We have made strides. This team’s better this year than it was last year. But if we are going to be really competitive when we move into our new stadium, then we have to make the appropriate changes to make us better.”
Minnesota United next returns home to face the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, October 13 in a game that kicks off at 1:00 p.m. CT with pregame coverage beginning at 12:30 p.m. on FOX Sports North, streaming on FOX Sports GO and on MNUFC Radio on 1500 ESPN.
Lineups
Minnesota United FC Starting XI: GK Bobby Shuttleworth; D Jerome Thiesson (Alexi Gomez 46’), Michael Boxall, Brent Kallman, Francisco Calvo; M Maximiano (Harrison Heath 70’), Fernando Bob Rasmus Schuller (Ibson 76’), Miguel Ibarra, Darwin Quintero; F Angelo Rodriguez
MIN Unused Subs: GK Matt Lampson; D Eric Miller, Wyatt Omsberg; F Mason Toye
Philadelphia Union Starting XI: GK Andre Blake; D Auston Trusty, Keegan Rosenberry, Mark McKenzie, Raymon Gaddis; M Alejandro Bedoya, Borek Dockal (Warren Creavalle 77’), C.J. Sapong (Ilsinho 61’), Fafa Picault, Haris Medunjanin; F Cory Burke (Jay Simpson 86’)
PHI Unused Subs: GK John McCarthy; D Fabinho, Jack Elliot; M Derrick Jones
Match Events
Goals
8’ – Burke (Dockal) – PHI
17’ – Bedoya (Rosenberry, Dockal) – PHI
23’ – Picault (Rosenberry, Medunjanin) – PHI
44’ – Picault (Sapong) – PHI
54’ – Quintero (Rodriguez) – MIN
79’ – Ilsinho (Picault) – MIN
Discipline
56’ – Bedoya (YC) – PHI
72’ – Picault (YC) – PHI
72’ – Gomez (YC) – MIN
75’ – Fernando Bob (YC) – MIN
