The Philadelphia Union scored inside 10 minutes and held on for the rest of the match, taking a 1-0 victory over the visiting New York Red Bulls at Subaru Park on Saturday.
It was Cory Burke who provided the eventual game-winner for the Union, who picked up their second win of their league campaign to even up their record at 2-2-2 and give them eight points through six matches.
The Union were dealt an early scare when goalkeeper Andre Blake collided with defender Jack Elliott shortly after kickoff while both players were trying to clear a ball in the box, resulting in a delay as each were checked out by the trainers. Both players were cleared to resume and finished out the match.
Philadelphia's opener via Burke then came just a few minutes later, as the Jamaican forward ran onto a perfectly weighted ball from Jamiro Monteiro and did well to slot his shot past RBNY goalkeeper Carlos Miguel Coronel.
The Red Bulls had perhaps their best look at an equalizer just shy of the hour mark, when Patryk Klimala collected a ball into the box that deflected off Blake, allowing the Polish forward to send in a dangerous cross back across goal that no teammate was able to finish off.
Both teams pressed for a goal throughout the rest of the second half as the Union had multiple decent looks at extending the lead and RBNY looked for an equalizer, but neither would find a breakthrough, allowing Philadelphia to see out the 1-0 result.
The night would end on a doubly sour note for the Red Bulls as substitute Dru Yearwood picked up two yellow cards in just over 15 minutes on the field and key defender Aaron Long was helped off with a worrying looking injury.
Goals
- 9' - PHI - Cory Burke | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: It's the type of professional performance we've come to expect from this Philly group, who are contending with a jam-packed schedule at the moment between the start of their league season and Concacaf Champions League obligations. Getting all three points in this one without Kacper Przybylko in the starting XI made it all the more impressive, and afforded the standout striker some much-deserved rest.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: RBNY's chance on Klimala's 58th-minute cross could have changed the match entirely and put the visitors in prime position to steal a road point and potentially snatch all three if they could have finished it. Instead, the chance went begging and RBNY never would find their leveler.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Cory Burke gets the honors for coming through with the early finish that turned out to be all his team needed on the night.
Next Up
- PHI: Sunday, May 23 at D.C. United | 7 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
- RBNY: Saturday, May 22 at New England Revolution | 8 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
