CHESTER, PA – With the U.S. Open Cup washed away until August 16th, the Red Bulls now have to set their sights on the same team that they haven’t beaten in their ground in six seasons.
The Red Bulls not only were looking to break that streak, but put another win in the column on the road. Something they haven’t done since they beat D.C. United back in May.
All season, the Red Bulls have struggled with set-piece defending. In the ninth minute, this issue persisted. After a corner from Kai Wagner, Olwethu Makhanya’s shot was blocked by Coronel, but the Red Bulls failed to clear the ball. Indiana Vassilev found the loose ball and scored, giving his team the lead.
The Union scored their second goal in the 24th minute from a free kick. Tai Baribo initiated the play, and while the Red Bulls defenders hesitated, Quinn Sullivan quickly passed to Bruno Damiani, putting the Red Bulls down two goals before the first thirty minutes.
When the whistle was blown ending the first half, the Union, looking like the fresher team, would be enjoying the fruits of a near-perfect start over their I-95 rivals, while the Red Bulls must look deep within themselves to climb out of a hole that they themselves dug into.
The second for the Red Bulls began with a shot on goal, the first of the match from Wikelman Carmona, but his chance sailed just over the crossbar, but not enough to be much of a threat for the Union defense.
Red Bulls and Union then traded missed opportunities to score about a minute apart starting in the 52nd minute. First, Sean Nealis’ header off a corner went wide to his right, then Quinn Sullivan’s shot from a break went wide to his right.
In the 66th minute, the Red Bulls finally penetrated deep into the Union defense. Emil Forsberg attempted to revitalize the sluggish offense by shaking off his defender and passing the ball to Choupo-Moting. Choupo-Moting then set up Wikelman Carmona for a shot, but it was blocked by Olwethu Makhanya.
From there, the Union employed smart, tactical defending to seal the team’s 13th victory of the season, pushing them to second place in the Eastern Conference. For the Red Bulls, it was yet another bad night in Chester, punctuated with defensive mistakes that were mostly avoidable, but now they must defend their fortress against yet another I-95 rival, as the New England Revolution come to Harrison for a midweek clash.
Starting Lineups:
Philadelphia Union: Andre Blake, Jakob Glesnes, Nathan Harriel, Kai Wagner, Olwethu Makhanya, Jovan Lukic, Indiana Vassilev (9′)(Alejandro Bedoya 85′), Danley Jean Jacques, Quinn Sullivan (Francis Westfield 73′), Tai Baribo (Jeremy Rafanello 87′), Bruno Damiani (24′)(Sal Olivas 73′)
New York Red Bulls: Carlos Coronel, Noah Eile (Omar Valencia 46′), Sean Nealis, Alexander Hack, Kyle Duncan (Dennis Gengaar 86′), Peter Stroud (Hall 73′), Emil Forsberg, Wikelman Carmona (Wiktor Bogacz 86′), Mohammed Sofo, Daniel Edelman (Ronald Donkor 46′), Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
Scoring Summary:
9′ | Philadelphia Union – Indiana Vassilev, unassisted
21′ | Philadelphia Union – Bruno Damiani, assisted by Quinn Sullivan and Tia Baribo
Disciplinary Summary:
61′ | Philadelphia Union – Nathan Harriel – Yellow card
61′ | Philadelphia Union – Jovan Lukic – Yellow card
82′ | New York Red Bulls – Omar Valencia – Yellow card