The Philadelphia Union were back in Subaru Park on a rainy Saturday night, as they faced off against Eastern Conference foes, Toronto FC. Bob Bradley’s side came into the match having drawn their last four matches and was finally looking to get the full three points. Philadelphia was looking for their first win in MLS action since Matchday three when the club defeated the Chicago Fire with a 90th-minute Joaquin Torres goal.
Saturday was a well-played match by the Union, as they picked up a crucial three points to make it 11 on the season. The Boys in Blue defeated Toronto, 4-2—Philly goals were scored by Mikael Uhre, who had a hat trick on the night, and also an own goal scored by Toronto defender Lukas MacNaughton. The Toronto goals were scored by Lorenzo Insigne and Richie Laryea.
Fast Union start
Throughout this MLS, Philadelphia has not been a strong team when it comes to opening matches up. They would tend to concede early goals and make mistakes, but against Toronto on Saturday night, they looked like a whole different team. For a majority of the first half, the Union was on the Toronto side of the pitch, creating chance after chance.
These efforts would eventually pay off, as a crazy deflection off of a Toronto defender would give Philly a well-deserved 1-0 lead. About five minutes later, Philly was back on the attack, and Mikael Uhre was there to strike the ball into the back of the net, giving the Union a 2-0 lead within 20 minutes of the match.
Mikael Uhre hat trick
There was an easy vote when it came to the man of the match—Mikael Uhre was absolutely dominant. This was his first career hat trick with the Philadelphia Union, and it was definitely one that he was waiting for. For his first goal of the night, Uhre found a ball that was bouncing all around the box, and put the shot on net. It deflected off of a Toronto defender, which ended up confusing Sean Johnson, and it ended up in the back of the net to make it 2-0 for Philadelphia.
Uhre’s second goal was caused by a nice assist from Daniel Gazdag, who sent a ball through the Toronto defense, causing them to be sliced open. Uhre had a one-on-one with Johnson, and he put it into the back of the net to make it 3-0 for the Union right before halftime.
The Danish striker would finish up his hat trick in the second half, as he received a ball from Julian Carranza, and then proceeded to put yet another goal past Johnson. This type of performance is exactly what Uhre needed, as he has not been scoring much this year, though he has been playing well. The excitement was shown on the striker’s face, as he prepared to bang the drum when he was announced Man of the Match.
All eyes on Wednesday
The Union will have little time to celebrate, as a big match is coming this Wednesday at Subaru Park. Philly will be playing their first leg in the Concacaf Champions League semifinals against fellow MLS side LAFC. These two clubs always tend to put on a show when they meet, with their most recent matchup being the 2022 MLS Cup Final.
Saturday's performance was exactly what Head Coach Jim Curtin would like to see from his squad before they face off against LAFC on Wednesday. The Union looked like themselves in the match, and Curtin addressed that in his post-match press conference:
“I thought that we played our best 45 minutes of the season in that first half. I think it looked like us. I think we were proactive.”
