Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Burke, Ilsinho score as Union tops NYCFC 2-0
With great pride, Jim Curtin has praised his team for taking care of its business against teams below them in the standings, for winning the games that the table objectively said they should win to fulfill their aspirations.
With New York City FC visiting, the Union had a chance to prove itself against one of the elite teams in the East. They passed with flying colors. Cory Burke made it six goals in six MLS starts, and Ilsinho marked his return from a month on the sidelines with a stupendous goal in a 2-0 win over NYCFC.
The win makes three straight for the Union (10-11-3, 33 points) in all comps, including two straight in MLS and three straight against Eastern Conference opposition, against whom the Union are in a stretch of six straight games. The Union will stay in fifth place again this week. It’s also a rare win against a playoff team in NYC (14-6-5, 47 points), which will finish the week in third in the East.
It also ties the 2013 team for the least amount of games (24) to get to 10 wins in an MLS season in franchise history.
Borek Dockal was credited with assists on both goals, but the first was his primary doing. Dockal and Alejandro Bedoya overloaded the center backs on a run in the 57th minute, allowing Burke to peel off the shoulder of Maxime Chanot and into space ahead of wandering right back Anton Tinnerholm. Dockal hit him in stride, and the Jamaican was ruthless with his finish, his sixth goal of the MLS season and eighth in all competitions. The Union are 6-0-0 this season when Burke starts.
Though Dockal got the assist, the second goal was all Ilsinho, making his first appearance since a quad strain forced him out of a game against the Chicago July 11. Just minutes after needing attention for an apparent leg injury, the Brazilian proved he was just fine. He ate up, in order, Ronald Matarrita, Ebenezer Ofori and then Chanot again before rifling a shot past a flat-footed Sean Johnson. Matarrita, still stinging apparently, took a lunge at Ilsinho in stoppage time, landing a studs-up
kick to the groin that elicited a straight red card.
The first half was played at a pace and openness more befitting NYC FC’s liking, but the Union held its own, even on both shots (five) and shots on target (two) with a slight edge in possession.
The visitors had the two best chances, but Andre Blake was equal to the test both times. In the second minute, he stopped Maxi Moralez as he and David Villa broke into space against the defense, Villa turning Auston Trusty this way and that to create the separation. Villa hit a shot in the 20th minute that Blake settled and caught, the Union largely muting the Spaniard in his 57 minutes on the pitch.
The Union generated plenty of chances for their wing contingent, but too often the finish was lacking.
David Accam, who started in place of the suspended Fafa Picault, did well to get himself into dangerous areas on several occasions. In the 13th, he danced through three defenders but hit shot was right into the body of Johnson for an easy catch.
CJ Sapong, starting on the other wing for a second straight game, was likewise threatening. His toe-poke in the 26th minute off a corner was blocked in a scramble, and he dragged a shot wide in the 33rd. He squandered a sitter in the 51st, after a great square ball from Dockal.