Aaronson’s wonder strike sets tone for rout
The Brenden Aaronson hype train long ago left the station. Sunday night, it picked up an extra locomotive engine on a sweep through North Jersey, part of a new chapter of Union Homegrown history.
Aaronson scored a wonder goal in the first half and was part of the buildup to a sensational team goal by Kacper Przybylko in the second half in a 3-0 Union victory over the New York Red Bulls. Drexel Hill native Matt Real picked up his first career MLS goal in the second half.
It’s the Union’s first win at Red Bull Arena in MLS since May 24, 2015 and the first time in 15 trips to Harrison that the Union have managed more than two goals. The victory moves the Union (52-3, 18 points) into second place in the Eastern Conference.
“It’s not often that you come into this building and take points,” manager Jim Curtin said. “Obviously a 3-0 win has to rank above our best performance ever here. We knew the beginning of the game would have a lot of emotion to it. The first 15 minutes would be chaotic and we would have to navigate that. But overall,
I thought our players sustained the chaos that Red Bull is great at creating.”
Aaronson’s goal was a superb finish in the 36th minute, taking a touch onto his favored right foot and plastering a shot from outside the penalty area off the inside of the post and past Ryan Meara.
“I felt like once it left my foot, it was a goal,” Aaronson said. “You kind of say that as a player, and that’s what I had when it came off my foot.”
Stupendous as the solo effort was, it was the culmination of an outstanding team move, with decisive passes by Andrew Wooten out to Alejandro Bedoya on the touch line and Bedoya finding Aaronson tucked inside with a first-time ball.
The goal, his third of the season, matches Aaronson’s total from last season, in his 13th game as opposed to 28 as a rookie. Aaronson already has more assists (three) than last season.
Real opened his account in the 78th off a stellar interchange between fellow Homegrown Anthony Fontana and Ilsinho. The finish was one to remember, the left back smacking a shot off the far post and in and channeling the frustration at missing out on the start for a second straight game to Olivier Mbaizo, a constructive motivation that Curtin roundly praised him for.
“I’m not going to sit here and say I wasn’t disappointed not to start the last two games,” Real said. “But the worst thing any player can do in this position is to put their head down and not try and more. Everyone reacts differently. For me it was just motivating me more and more to show coach that I thought he made the wrong decision.
Credit to Mbaizo, he had a great game tonight. But once I got the nod to go in, I was going to do everything I can to show coach that I belong out there more. I’m happy I scored, but more happy we got three points.”
Fontana missed a superb goal on the volley by inches in the 80th that would’ve been the icing on the Homegrown cake. But Mark McKenzie delivered another magisterial performance at center back, what Curtin called maybe his best game of the season.
Sunday marked the first time in franchise history that the Union have had two Homegrowns score in the same game. Union Homegrowns have accounted for 14 MLS goals all-time.
The Red Bulls (3-5-2, 11 points) controlled play for large stretches but were held to just seven shots, none on target, with Andre Blake not needing to make a save to achieve his fifth shutout of the season. The Union had six all of last year. Playing under interim coach Bradley Carnell after Chris Armas was fired Thursday, New York continued to struggle in front of goal. The Red Bulls are winless in their last four and have just two goals in seven outings.
Przybylko had finished off the second goal, with Wooten, Bedoya, Aaronson and Ilsinho all having a hand in the move. Bedoya threaded the ball into the box to Wooten, who squared it to Przybylko for his fifth goal of the season. Wooten was credited with two assists, entering in the 28th minute after a muscle strain felled Sergio Santos, resulting from a botched counter-attack with Przybylko.
The Red Bulls’ only notable chance of the first 45 came in the 16th minute, when right winger Jared Stroud fired a dangerous cross into the six-yard box that Daniel Royer, with all of the net to aim at, couldn’t keep down and skied well high. Tom Barlow, who started up top, missed the best chance, scuffing a cross from Kyle Duncan wide of an open post in the 60th minute.
Those paltry offensive efforts wouldn’t be enough against a Union team that is getting contributions all across the board.
“Overall, really proud of this team,” Curtin said. “Everyone is contributing, guys came off the bench and made a big impact on the game, and that’s what happens on good team. Proud of everyone for the three points.”