The Philadelphia Union came within one good half of what could have been one of their greatest club accomplishments following their loss to Club America in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League this past Wednesday, Sept. 15 at Subaru Park.
After hitting the 45-minute mark still unscathed and clinging to a scoreless tie, the Union looked poised to give the best club in CCL history a run for their money. The MLS has historically struggled in CONCACAF tournaments, with only two teams ever going on to win the CCL (D.C. United in 1998 and the L.A. Galaxy in 200). On the other side of the coin, Club America leads the CCL with seven titles, their most recent in 2016 after defeating the Tigres UANL in the Finals. But, Philadelphia pushed all of that aside and, for one brief moment, a real chance at the finals seemed within grasp.
Coming out of halftime, the team hoped to channel the same success they had in former League series against Atlanta and Deportivo Saprissa. And they would find it at first, holding their tie until the 79th minute when a Nicolás Benedetti strike would push Club America into the lead. A now panicked Philadelphia squad proceeded to go into full attack mode to protect their chances, but this was to no avail. The momentum saw no shift until the very end when a Henry Martín goal sealed the Union’s coffin.
The loss was not without opportunity, however. Philadelphia had more than its fair share of chances to leave their mark on this game. By the time the curtain finally closed, the Union had amassed equal shot opportunities as Club America and even led time-of-possession by an almost 60% majority. But when it really came to crunch time, the club just could not execute.
This unfortunately has been the team’s story all year. Ever since their success in 2020, it became clear to the MLS that Philadelphia was a team capable of more than their ordinary past. However, high expectations were met with brutal on field response. This year, the Union are a borderline playoff team, scrapping for the 7th playoff spot with Miami, Atlanta and Columbus, a major drop from their first place accolades only a year ago.
If ever there was a time to turn the tides, now would be it. The Union have a crucial match against fellow contender Atlanta this coming Saturday, Sept. 25. It will be a photo finish to the playoffs as the regular season winds down to the last day.
Matthew Shimkonis is a third-year History major. MS925373@wcupa.edu