Union knocked out of MLS Is Back tourney in semis »
Midnight on the Philadelphia Union’s Cinderella run at Disney World struck Wednesday night. But the Union didn’t go back its stepsister status without a fight.
A late goal by Andrew Wooten and a controversially denied wouldbe equalizer by Kacper Przybylko left the Union on the wrong side of a 2-1 decision in the MLS Is Back semifinals, snapping a six-game unbeaten run.
The Timbers, a club that has played for MLS Cup twice in the last six seasons, authored a magisterial performance for the first 80 minutes, from conception to execution. Portland sat back, became the first team in six games in the Wide World of Sports bubble to cede the majority of possession to the Union and watched them exhaust themselves trying in vain to find a way through, using extraordinary midfielder Diego Chara to disrupt plays. Add in goals conceded off set pieces to Jeremy Ebobisse and Sebastian Blanco, and the Union’s six-game unbeaten streak came crashing back to earth.
“They made it very difficult on us tonight,” manager Jim Curtin said. “We weren’t at our sharpest but still had a lot of chances to get ourselves back in the game but it wasn’t meant to be tonight. But I won’t allow it to take away from the strides that our team has taken in this competition.”
The game didn’t start the way the Union wanted, with three Portland chances within 13 minutes and lapse on a corner kick that cost them a goal. Kai Wagner was caught ball-watching as Diego Valeri’s delivery fluttered in near the penalty spot, and Ebobisse was the first to react, nodding home the opener with no one between him and the back of the net.
It was the first time the Union trailed in the tournament and the first time since the season-opening 2-0 loss to FC Dallas in February.
Portland had the better of play for most of the half, sitting deep and daring the Union to break them down with the ball instead of allowing them to counterattack.
Finally the Union found an opening in first-half stoppage time, with Blanco left to defend Jamiro Monteiro on a cross into the box and shoving him ever so lightly to the ground. Referee Alan Chapman pointed to the spot, and in-form striker Sergio Santos stepped to the mark. But in his first penalty kick as a professional, he took an apprehensive approach to the ball, leaned back and skied the effort well over the cage on the stroke of halftime.
“We win as a team and we lose as a team. He missed,” Curtin said. “And that happens in sports. We had plenty of time to get a goal, to get opportunities. We did create a lot of opportunities. We’re not going to blame one player for a missed PK.”
The Union’s buildup wasn’t much better for most of the second half. Were it not for shoddy finishing by the Timbers and one exemplary save by Blake that led to the second goal-scoring corner, it could’ve been much worse. Counters by Valeri and second-half sub Jaroslaw Niezgoda were right at Blake, and the Jamaican produced a superb diving save to deny Andy Polo for five total on the day.
The Union nearly got a breakthrough in the 80th, with Wooten combining with Przybylko, but Timbers goalie Steve Clark closed the five-hole just quickly enough to deny the Union striker.
And then, suddenly, the game clicked for the Union. Wooten got his first goal in a Union jersey, cleaning up the mess when Clark could only parry a free kick by Monteiro in the 85th.
Przybylko had the ball in the back of the net three minutes later, but it was ruled out on an offside decision that went to video review, Przybylko being ahead of the final defender when Brenden Aaronson released the ball by the most minute of margins.