The Philadelphia Union reclaimed the top spot in the Eastern Conference with an emphatic 2-0 win over the Portland Timbers at Providence Park on Sunday night.
The Union got on the board early and with a bang. From a long throw-in routine that caused the Timbers problems throughout the night, Daniel Gazdag got on the end of a flicked header from Alejandro Bedoya. The Hungarian midfielder found the back of the net with an audacious overhead kick, his seventh goal in 12 matches in 2022.
Just three minutes after the break, the visitors doubled their lead. Sergio Santos scored his first goal of the year, heading home an inch-perfect cross from fullback Kai Wagner, giving goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic no chance with the finish.
The Timbers thought they had pulled one back through Sebastian Blanco, but a lengthy Video Review determined Santiago Moreno was offside in the lead-up. It wasn't until the final five minutes that Portland finally managed to put their first shots on target, both of which Andre Blake saved spectacularly to maintain the clean sheet.
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Portland are struggling. They're down to 20th in the Supporters' Shield standings and have won just twice at home all year. While they score plenty of goals, they concede far too many. The Union are trending in the opposite direction. They've lost just once all year, have conceded a league-best nine goals, and are back on top of the Eastern Conference table.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Had Sebastian Blanco's goal been allowed, the final 20 minutes could have turned out very differently, but a Video Review wiped the strike off the scoresheet.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Daniel Gazdag's stellar campaign continued. Aside from his goal, he was a constant threat around the box and put in a solid defensive shift to boot.
Next Up
- POR: Saturday, May 28 at Inter Miami CF | 8:00 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
- PHI: Saturday, May 28 at New England Revolution | 7:30 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
