Philadelphia Union is back in action on Saturday night as they host rival New York Red Bulls on May 15th. Kick off from Subaru Park is set for 7:30 p.m. ET with television coverage on PHL17. Fans will also be able to view the match on PhiladelphiaUnion.com or can click here to listen to the FOX The Gambler broadcast which is available via 102.5 FM, 104.5 HD2, the iHeart App and 1480 AM.
The Boys in Blue enter the second leg of their four-day homestand coming off a 1-1 draw against the New England Revolution for the club’s first point at home. In the back-and-forth chess match between Jim Curtin and Bruce Arena, the match seemed destined to be a scoreless draw but substitute Teal Bunbury broke the deadlock in the 85th minute. Undaunted, Philly sought an immediate answer. Kai Wagner flicked a long ball to the corner flag and Jamiro Monteiro found an extra gear to track it down. Creating space, he floated a cross into the six-yard box and Kacper Przybylko fearlessly rose to challenge the keeper, then two additional defenders in the air. On his second leap, Przybylko nodded the ball through traffic and into the goal.
The rivalry between Philadelphia Union and New York Red Bulls has always been intense but the battles over the past few seasons have upped the intensity. Momentum swung the Union’s way during the infamous ‘Ilsinho Game’ where the club rallied from a 2-0 deficit thanks to Monteiro plus a brace from the Brazilian midfielder. While NYRB claimed the win in Jersey, the two sides squared off in an epic MLS Cup Playoff match with the Union emerging victorious via a 4-3 margin in extra time. Last season the two sides only met twice, with the Union sweeping the Bulls a combined 4-0 margin.
While the Union will have just days of full rest between contests, New York has had a full week of training and rest after getting past Toronto FC 2-0. Newly acquired Frankie Amaya opened the scoring in the first half while homegrown Caden Clark added an insurance goal in the 69th to round out the scoring.
