High Altitude, Lowly Performance — Union lose by a touchdown
Juan Luis Díaz / Mexsport
The Philadelphia Union headed south to Pachuca, Mexico, 7,959 feet above sea level, with a berth to the Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinals on the line Tuesday night. Coming out of their scoreless draw, in Chester, PA last Tuesday, they knew they needed a win or scoring draw, to advance. On this night they were getting neither and it wasn’t even close.
In front of a full-voiced Estadio Hidalgo crowd, Salomon Rondon and Pachuca jumped on the MLS side from the onset and were unrelenting for all 90 minutes of the 6-0 bludgeoning. The thirty-four-year-old Venezuelan striker netted a hat trick and played a massive role before being subbed off for Sergio Aguayo in the 89th minute.
For the fifth time in six games, Jim Curtin‘s team conceded a goal before halftime. This instance took place in the fourth minute when Kai Wagner clumsily stepped his right cleat onto Miguel Rodriguez‘ left foot inside the right edge of the penalty box. Rondon took the right-footed penalty with poise and precision, the ball sailing high into the top of the net over a diving Andre Blake, and the floodgates were opened, even if they didn’t burst immediately.
Just before halftime, the Union seemed to finally be waking up and getting into the game. In the 42nd minute, Jack McGlynn‘s long-range effort was probably going wide but Carlos Moreno made the save to be safe and a slight glimmer of hope was there. Rondon quickly squashed any hope or comeback notion with his second goal at the 45+6 mark. Holding the ball up at the top of the box, surrounded by three defenders, he was able to feed Erick Sanchez. After spinning off his defender, he took the return feed from Sanchez and beat Blake near-post top corner from six yards out, once again displaying poise and precision only adding power this time.
At halftime Jose Martinez was replaced by Julian Carranza, who the Union brought on for the first time since coming back from injury, to change guy’s roles and hopefully provide some scoring punch. Like everything else on this night, it did not work. If Rondon’s hat trick-capturing goal in the 53rd minute all but punched Pachuca’s ticket to the quarterfinals, Nelson Deossa‘s 57th-minute goal surely did. Oussama Idrissi (63′) and Alan Bautista(85′) also added goals before, mercifully, the referee blew the whistle and ended the Union’s embarrassing misery.
The Boys in Blue will look to get back on track when their MLS schedule resumes this Saturday, March 16 at 8:30 pm EST. They will take on Austin FC at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.
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