Union give up late goal for second straight game to lose 4-3 to FC Cincinnati
Photo courtesy of FC Cincinnati
The Philadelphia Union hit the road following a painful 2-1 home loss Saturday to 9-man Inter Miami CF. Philadelphia had one win in their last eleven games, their fewest points in eleven games since 2015.
Awaiting them at TQL Stadium was FC Cincinnati and reigning MLS MVP Luciano Acosta, winners of 8 of 9 and second in the Eastern Conference. Cincinnati was coming off a 4-2 road win against the San Jose Earthquakes Saturday night, a late Yuya Kubo hat trick giving them the three points. At the end of this fixture though, it was the MVP Acosta who was man of the hour.
Jim Curtin‘s team knew they would have to be sound defensively against Cincinnati and they came out in a 3-1-4-2 with Kai Wagner and Olivier Mbaizo on the left and right wing respectively, sometimes dropping to make a 5-man backline. In the early few minutes, the Union absorbed some pressure, slowly finding their way into the game. That is, until the 29th minute, when Kevin Kelsy got the squad from Ohio on the board with his first goal since May 25.
Acosta was able to find more space on the left wing than a player of his caliber should be afforded. He found the head of Kelsy, who somehow also had feet of space on each side between Wagner and Harriel, in the center of the box. His free header was bounced into the ground, having just enough power to bounce up and roll over Oliver Semmle, scrambling, part bear crawl, to his left.
The Union got level for the first time in the 43rd minute, first-time MLS starter Tai Baribo, scoring his first of two on the night. A strong Jakob Glesnes run through the seam of the defense set up some quick passing along the right attacking end of the field. Olivier Mbaizo’s cross from out wide was knocked down on the far side by Jack McyGlynn, the ball coming back across the box to Baribo, who managed to get his right hip over the ball and slot it down between the legs of Roman Celentano.
Philadelphia should have been aware danger was lurking when Cincinnati had three attempts between their equalizing goal and the halftime whistle yet, in what has become commonplace for them this season, they were hit for an early goal, this time to start the second half (2nd time in two games).
Jack Elliot, already on a yellow card, found himself on the unfortunate end of a pin-balling soccer ball, unaware of Kubo racing to the ball before him. When, in an attempt to clear the ball, he accidentally took down the aforementioned Kubo, a penalty was awarded. Acosta stepped to the spot and beat Semmle for the first of his two, the second one the absolute heartbreaker.
The 55th minute saw another less-than-regular starter, Jesus Bueno, leave his mark. Following a blocked Glesnes header, Kai Wagner set for a, somewhat disputed, corner kick to the goalie’s left. His left-footed ball looped to the back post where it was met off the short-hop by the right foot of Bueno and into the back of the net. Once again the Union’s resilience had gotten them on even ground.
No sooner than the Union had taken back a bit of the contest’s momentum, and Mikkel Uhre’s threatening cross was cleared away in front of Celentano’s net, did Luca Orellano stun not only his own home crowd but Union goalkeeper Oliver Semmle as well.
After Cincinnati worked Uhre’s ball clear, Orellano found himself receiving the ball near midfield on the left sideline. Seeing no good options at first glance, Orellano said “(bleep) it” and hammered through the ball with his left foot toward the goal. Semmle was caught out ever-so-slightly and, despite his panicked scramble back and leap, the arcing ball looped over his fully extended hand and into the upper middle of the net. Five minutes after the Union thought they may have salvaged a road draw, they were down again. Not out though.
Ten minutes flashed on the assistant referee’s board and the Union knew they needed to make something happen if they were going to keep from their first MLS road loss of the season. The pressure and work of the two young, 71st-minute substitutes, Quinn Sullivan and Jeremy Rafanello, combined with Baribo to make it happen.
The Union pressure had regained the ball and it ended up on Sullivan’s foot to the defense’s left side. He played the ball back to Rafanello, who set it with one quick roll forward and crossed deep with his right foot. Wagner was able to get up just enough over the defender to win the header and, much like his first goal, Baribo found himself on the back post having to wrap his right hip and foot over and around another ball. He executed this one just as well, hitting it past the diving left arm of Celentano and surely securing a road point.
I mentioned two of the Union’s young substitutes helping combine to level the game but in the 99th minute, it was a mistake by another that led to the game-winning goal. Markus Anderson, who had come on just a few minutes before, tried to make his impact felt. Going down the left wing, Anderson tried to make a run. He was dispossessed just across midfield and doom soon followed. The ball was worked ahead then switched to the Union defenses right side. Acosta was able to find a pocket of space to receive the ball and, after dribbling across the top edge of the box, found just enough room to get a shot off. He slotted the ball across his body into the far corner beating Semmle a second time, this time past his diving right arm.
The Union could have folded the tent after conceding first. After all, they came into a mid-week road game off a late-crushing weekend loss. They had key guys unavailable and an extremely young bench. They did not. They resiliently fought back three times and yet still walked away from TQL Stadium without a point. If you have followed along this season, that just seems to be the way things have been for the Union this year. They just can not seem to put all aspects together at once.
The Boys in Blue will need to dust themselves off quickly once again as they host Charlotte FC (8-4-6, 28 PTS) from Subaru Park at 7:30 pm EST Saturday night.
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