Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union
The second week of the MLS season saw the Philadelphia Union return home to Subaru Park to kick off their home opener on a windy March evening. The Boys in Blue continued their winning ways with a decisive win over a Cincinnati team featuring its “A-Team”, despite the match being sandwiched between two Champions Cup games.
The Union took another three points and looked very good in doing so. The strikers have now scored an impressive seven goals in two games, with Tai Baribo adding a hat trick to his season-opening brace.
Here are the ratings.
Player Ratings
GK Andre Blake – 6
Another solid effort from Blake, who had a quieter game than the season opener. Statistically, he was less accurate with his long clearances than in the season opener (but fewer went out of bounds), while his passing was much improved over last week. Challenged fewer times than against Orlando, he made two saves while conceding a goal. The goal by Evander was beautiful, and Blake was screened – making him unable to see the shot until it was too late. In hindsight, last week’s rating of 6 was too low, as two saves and one goal is a decent game and warrants a 6 this week.
LB Kai Wagner – 8
Once again Wagner was terrific, marauding the left side and tallying another assist just six minutes into the match. While his crosses and long passes were less accurate than we’ve come to expect, once again his only touch inside Cincinnati’s 18-yard box led to a Baribo goal. Teams that let him get open with the ball inside the box do so at their own peril. Defensively, he won every tackle and 75% of his duels. Another great game from an important part of the Union’s defense and even more so the offense.
CB Jakob Glesnes – 7
Despite facing Cincinnati’s Evander and Kevin Denkey (who arrived for transfer fees totaling $28 million – totaling more than the entire Union team!), Glesnes was comfortable and confident anchoring the back line. Whether intentional or not on the part of head coach Bradley Carnell, the Norwegian is not carrying the ball as far up the field, making recovering on defense easier. With two exceptions (the Evander goal and the scrum after Blake dropped a save), the entire back line looked good, and Glesnes’s calmness and leadership probably was a major factor. He also led the team with ten total clearances.
CB Olwethu Makhanya – 7
It may only be two matches into the season, but Makhanya might be giving Ian Glavinovich a run for the second starting center back position. Again showing poise beyond his twenty-years of age, Makhanya put in another very good defensive appearance, making a very respectable seven clearances on the night and passing the ball out of the back accurately on the whole.
RB Frankie Westfield – 7
Another newcomer making a potential statement with respect to a starting position, Westfield turned in another good shift at right back. Starting for the second week in a row, he kept a healthy (or at least healthier) Nate Harriel from making the game-day squad. A quieter match offensively than his debut, but still effective nonetheless.
DM Danley Jean-Jacques – 7
A very solid game from midfielder who looked even more comfortable in the second match of the season. Danley was dangerous with the ball at his feet, more than once dribbling out of danger and also passing very accurately on the night. Dispossessed only once during the match, he also made an impressive five interceptions and nine recoveries.
DM Jovan Lukić – 7
Lukić appeared to this writer much more comfortable in the right pivot than he did in his debut. He, too, passed accurately out of danger and in close quarters, while contributing nearly as many interceptions as Danley (three), to go along with nine recoveries. Lukić’s command on the ball allowed Glesnes and Makhanya to maintain their positions throughout the match. All in all, a very good game.
AM Quinn Sullivan – 8
Once again starting in the left attacking midfield role (but switching to the right at times), Sullivan had another assist to open the season as he crossed (from the right) in injury time to a charging Bruno Damiani who scored the fourth Union goal on the night. Again, it is only two matches into the season, but Sullivan appears to have locked down one of the two attacking midfield roles (a position at which he seems to excel even more so than as a striker).
AM Dániel Gazdag – 8
The Union’s all-time leading scorer did not add to his tally, but instead notched two assists – both to Baribo on counter-attacks. One, being in the right place at the right time and being aware he was played onside (something Referee Allen Chapman seemed to miss before a VAR correction). The second, a nice recovery from a Baribo pass which he coolly slotted through two defenders and goalkeeper Roman Celentano to return the ball to Baribo, who slammed it into the roof of the net.
FWD Mikael Uhre – 6
Overshadowed by his striking partner, Uhre hardly had a poor game. He didn’t score on the night, though he only took one shot. He was more effective and accurate passing on the night, and importantly drew coverage away from Baribo (who was never guarded by more than one defender).
FWD Tai Baribo – 9
After a brace to open the season, Baribo scored a hat trick in the second match. Two goals on two shots in the opener. Three goals on four shots in this game. Enough said. All three goals came on the counter attack, which have the Union looking lethal in the first two matches – Baribo one of biggest the reasons.
Substitutes:(69’) Bruno Damiani – 7
Brought on for Uhre, Damiani made an immediate statement with shot right after entering the pitch. He opened his scoring for the season with a nice finish on the end of a Quinn Sullivan cross. Owner of the highest transfer fee ever paid by the Union, he looks like he will challenge (and overtake) Uhre for the second starting striker position.
(82′) Cavan Sullivan – 6
The younger Sullivan gets his first minutes of the year, showing hustle and some nice dribbling skills.
(82’) Indiana Vassilev- n/a
(89’) Jesus Bueno – n/a
Geiger Counter
Allen Chapman – 5
Despite the home crowd feeling like Chapman was favoring the visitors with respect to fouls, he called a relatively even match. It is a legitimate question, however, if he did not see the back pass playing Gazdag onside or if he does not understand the rule? (His explanation was that Baribo was in an onside position; nothing about Gazdag.) For what it’s worth, Apple’s crew didn’t seem to understand the rule at first either.
Player of the Match – Tai Baribo
How can it not be after a hat trick?
What’s Next…
The Union head north to New England to face the Revolution at Gillette Stadium. 7:30 pm on Apple TV.