When Head Coach Bradley Carnell sent for Philadelphia Union forward Mikael Uhre to sub into the match on Saturday night, the scoreboard was locked at 1-1 with just 17 minutes of regular time remaining.
Philadelphia Union had just begun their second half comeback with an energizing equalizer from Tai Baribo in the 63rd, and when Uhre was added to the mix, he stepped up for the final push, securing all three points for his team with a late game-winner and another in stoppage time that sealed it.
"[I'm on] cloud nine," Uhre said after the match.
"It means alot getting back on the scoresheet, but even more just helping the team get that win, because this is huge. We're on a great run, and now we can keep going."
Uhre's first of the night came in the 89th minute, spurred by a pass from Indiana Vassilev at the top of the box. With the ball, Uhre took a strong step forward past a Colorado defender, then nailed it to the bottom left corner past keeper Zack Steffen.
“I could see from the bench that we had a lot of space in the green zone. I also know that I would have a little bit more time than I probably normally do, so that was why I tried to get out and drive a little bit more with the ball,” Uhre said of his first of the night.
His second came in the same six-minute stretch; this time, fans saw a familiar Uhre dash onto the ball before he outpaced his opponent and took it to the net.
“The second one…I just saw it lining up on my left foot. Low and hard was something we were talking about. The second one, I just knew. I know that when I get those balls in behind them, that I'm gone. I just have to keep my pace and go towards goals and it's going to open up.”
With his brace, Uhre boosted his total to four this season, becoming the fifth player in Union history to contribute 40+ goals across all competitions.
Uhre’s heroic night came in his third match since returning from an injury suffered during the team’s 0-0 draw against FC Dallas on May 31, which was one of his 12 starts so far this season.
On Saturday, when he was called on to enter the match as a sub, Philadelphia Union fans expressed their support loudly in the stands, and it was a moment that didn’t go unmissed before he replaced teammate Bruno Damiani in the XI.
“I heard it. I've always been really appreciative of the fans, and they took my song in that I had in Bronby before from day one, and it still goes to this day, so I must have done something right over here,” Uhre said.
“I’m really happy. I'm just happy that I could pay something back.”
With the win, Philadelphia Union is back at the top of the table, becoming the first side to reach 50 points in the entire league. They’re at the front of the Supporters Shield race and leading the East with just nine games left in regular season play.
Uhre is no stranger to success like this with Philly; he was an integral part of the 2022 crew that went all the way to the MLS Cup match. But it is new to some of his teammates, and with eyes around the league locked on Philly and their #1 spot, he says there's wisdom he and his fellow vets can impart on the rest of the squad.
“You have a different calmness when you go into those games, if you've been there before. So of course, that's something we try to relay down to the guys who maybe haven't been in these situations before," Uhre said.
"Maybe they have a little bit of jitters or something. [We need to] just calm them down and let them know it's still just a game. It's not really just a game. But, the game is what's important. You just have to go out and play it."
Next up for the Philadelphia is stretch of rest, regrouping on the training pitch, and a friendly with Eintract Frankfurt on August 2nd. They'll resume league play on the ninth against Toronto FC, and for Uhre, the key to maintaining their momentum is this:
"[We need to] just keep our head cool and keep going. Worry about the next game. You said there are nine games left, but the next one is the most important one. One game at a time, and we'll see how far that takes us."
