Broken — Union give up late goal, fall 2-1 to 9-man Inter Miami CF

With the Philadelphia Union’s latest 2-1 loss to Inter Miami CF, they have now equaled the franchise’s longest winless streak of seven games at home.

There is no shame in losing to the top team in the Eastern Conference, especially when both teams are short-handed. Most fans can even understand that home losses happen. What is still incomprehensible is losing playing 11 v 9, that’s a two-man advantage for new soccer fans, and one of those nine was not the G.O.A.T. Lionel Messi. Messi is at Copa America with defending champion Argentina.

Jim Curtin had to make some adjustments to his squad for this contest due to international duty (Daniel Gazdag), suspension (Jack Elliott), and Julian Carranza being out of the lineup due to his impending move to Dutch club Feyenoord. The personnel changes to the usual 4-4-2 saw Jeremy Rafanello getting the start at the top of the midfield diamond, Mikael Uhre, and Quinn Sullivan in front of him up top. Did it ever seem hopeful early?

In the 3rd minute, the Union were nice enough to treat their fans to an early goal this time. Pressuring the ball off a turnover, they were able to win the ball back in their defensive half. Jakob Glesnes gathered the ball in the center of the field with a quick touch, faked laying the ball off to Jack McGlynn, and then rolled a majestic ball through the inside left channel. Mikkel Uhre ran right to left across the back shoulder of his defender and onto Glesnes’ perfectly weighted ball. With a little pace, Uhre was 1 v 1 with Drake Callender down the middle of the pitch. When he got about 12 yards out, he calmly placed his left-footed shot in the corner past an outcoming Callender’s left foot.

For the next 42 minutes, the Union maintained good shape defensively, were opportunistic in pressure, and went into halftime having allowed only one shot to a team that was 6-3-3 when conceding the first goal. Unfortunately for the home crowd, the two sides had to play another forty-five.

While later circumstances dictated it should not have been an unfortunate forty-five, it was not long into the second half that Miami struck.

Coming out of the half, Benjamin Cremaschi, Leonardo Campana, and Jordi Alba led Miami on the attack. Working the right side of the Philadelphia defense, Campana chipped a ball over the defense to Alba near the end line. Alba’s left-footed cross was unable to be handled in the box by Cremaschi though his touch worked the ball to Julian Gressel. Gressel made no mistake from twelve yards out, even with the ball bouncing up on him. His right-foot side volley was hit with such pace that even the two defenders on the goal line had no chance as the ball rippled the back of the net.

The home squad got their first perceived break in the 68th minute following a Miami corner kick. The corner was headed out to David Ruiz whose first touch was extremely heavy. Leon Flach beat him to the loose ball and when Ruiz clattered through Flach’s hip, he was shown a 2nd yellow card, subsequent red, and sent off.

As if foreshadowing the inevitable doom, the best opportunity over the next fifteen minutes was when Cremaschi found himself alone to Semmle’s right. Quinn Sullivan got caught playing right back and when he did not close out Gressel, there was plenty of time for a cross. Gressel’s cross rainbowed right onto Cremaschi’s forehead and he drove it into the ground. The header was hit into the ground with just enough pace that it rolled up and over the crossbar, Philadelphia fans breathing a sigh of relief. Down the other end, Thai Baribo had a chance to give the Union the lead but his shot from his backside was saved by Callender with his left foot.

A stupid decision soon led to the Union being up two men. Tomas Aviles, already sitting on a yellow card, decided to kick the ball away as the Union attempted a quick restart. The referee was right there and showed him a yellow for time wasting, his second resulting in the sending-off. Philadelphia pressed even more from then on but that exuberance would be their downfall on this night.

Jack McGlynn committed a sloppy turnover in the attacking half, 78th-minute substitute Yannick Bright sticking his left leg out for the interception. Bright then did great work dribbling away from harm to the left sideline where he played the ball into open space for Leonardo Afonso. Afonso picked the ball up and ran at Glesnes slowed as if he was waiting for his 2 on 1 support to his right. He then caught Glesnes with a change of pace, flipping the ball and running right by him.

From there, he was 1 v 1 with Semmle and beat him to the short side with his left foot.

For the 7th straight time at home, they have failed to get 3 points. Against 9-man Miami. Without the G.O.A.T. Lionel Messi!

The Union have a quick turn-around as they travel to TQL Stadium Wednesday for a mid-week fixture with 2nd place FC Cincinnati at 7:45 pm. The game can be seen on Apple TV+.

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