Home (Not So) Sweet Home: Orlando FC Hand Union Third Straight Home Defeat
Kyle Ross/USA TODAY
After being almost unbeatable at home for a couple of seasons, the Philadelphia Union suffered their third straight home defeat. Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Orlando FC was filled with a little bit of everything, except a point for the Union, so let’s get into it.
I wrote, after the last game, how the Philadelphia Union could not afford to keep giving up early goals and chasing the game each time out. The team hit the pitch determined to turn around their home fortunes, and, in the 12th minute, Mikkel Uhre got them started off on the right foot with his right foot.
After recovering the ball off a corner clearance, the Union were able to get the ball to Jack McGlynn on the right wing. Pushing inside, he found Nathan Harriel on the left, who slotted a ball to Uhre between multiple defenders. Using quick footwork, Uhre avoided a defender and rolled a shot into the corner past the diving right arm of Pedro Gallese.
The Union nearly doubled their advantage minutes later but Gallese got down quickly to make a great right foot save on Daniel Gazdag from just yards out. The sting of that missed opportunity was soon felt by Jim Curtin’s men.
Even if you score first, you can still allow an early goal and the Union defense once again found themselves conceding one. This goal started off a quick Nicolas Lodeiro throw-in along the left sideline. With the ball being returned to him, Lodeiro played a tantalizing cross from the end line. Duncan McGuire was able to beat Damion Lowe to the spot inside and deliver a driving header past Oliver Semmle.
With the equalizer secured, Orlando FC seemed to get bolder, and soon, the Union were under a seemingly steady stream of pressure. The Union were very fortunate that an Orlando cross that hit Jose Martinez in the shoulder (apparently) did not invite VAR in (at this moment). That relief was short-lived, however.
Following the handball check, the Lions took the lead right after the restart. Their press forced a turnover and designated player Luis Muriel notched his first-ever MLS goal with a beauty of a left-footed strike. Given too much time on the edge of the 18-yard box by Jack McGlynn, Muriel ducked inside on his left foot and slashed a shot into the top left corner, an outstretched Semmle with absolutely no chance.
The early goal issue was only further exacerbated to start the second forty-five. Just 20 seconds into the second half, Lodeiro played Muriel through between two defenders on the right side of the box. Semmle came out to challenge but Muriel made no mistake rolling the ball past Semmle’s right foot and into the corner for a 3-1 Orlando lead.
From there, the Union started to play with a bit of hair-on-fire aggression offensively, which they have shown more than once chasing games this season. They believed they had gotten one back in the 54th minute though Quinn Sullivan was deemed offside on a call that Union fans are probably still debating. They finally did regain one in the 66th minute when Daniel Gazdag was able to convert a penalty kick right down the middle.
Gazdag got a second opportunity from the penalty spot, in the 89th minute, when Nathan Harriel was drug down trying to get on the end of a Kai Wagner cross to the back post. For the first time in his MLS career, he was denied from the spot. Gallese was able to dive to his right and make the initial stop on Gazdag. The rebound came out and Gazdag had an open net with a downed keeper. He chose violence on the soccer ball, sending it flying over the net rather than calmly guiding it into the back of the net.
After VAR checks, player disputes, and seemingly everything else imaginable, fifteen minutes of stoppage time was added. Philadelphia used every bit of that time to try and find a point. So much so that the last play of the game was a corner kick for Philly. The ball was flicked on through the traffic in the box towards Nathan Harriel. Harriel could only react fast enough for the ball to go off him and over the crossbar. With That miss another home loss was in the books.
Nine possible home points. Three straight losses. One point out of a possible twelve in their last four games. This is not a fun time to be a Union player or fan. With three games this week, a third straight home defeat was not the way anyone was hoping to start this stretch. The Union need to regain their home form, and form in general, quickly before this season gets away from them. Their first shot to get back on track and restore order at home comes Wednesday when they welcome NYCFC. Gametime is 7:30pm from Subaru Park in Chester.
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