Philadelphia Union’s dynamic depth was on display as they defeated the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to advance to the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Wednesday’s midweek cup clash brought together Philadelphia and Pittsburgh on the pitch for the first time. Bruno Damiani opened the scoring with a strong finish from the penalty spot to put the Union ahead inside the first 15 minutes. The Boys in Blue doubled their advantage going into the locker rooms as Quinn and Cavan Sullivan combined to set up Indiana Vassilev’s first half stoppage time finish. In the second half Damiani added an assist to his evening, setting up Danley for a finish in front of the River End. Jovan Lukic made the most of his cameo in the contest, scoring the game's final goal to send the Union into the next round of the prestigeous tournament.
Philadelphia Union returns to league action this weekend with a montumental Eastern Conference showdown with a star-studded Inter Miami CF squad on Saturday night. Kick off for the match which will serve as Pride Night presented by Subaru is set for 7:30PM on Saturday with limited tickets available for purchase by clicking here.
How The Match Unfolded
Playing their sixth match of the month and a huge Eastern Conference showdown looming on Saturday, Philadelphia Union Heaed Coach Bradley Carnell continued to roate his starting lineup, making four changes from the group that advanced from their Round of 32 penalty kick shootout against Indy Eleven.
19-year-old Homegrown keeper Andrew Rick continued his streak of starts between the sticks with the backline featuring Jakob Glesnes and Olwethu Makhanya paired at centerback while Olivier Mbaizo and Frankie Westfield manned the outside back spots. The midfield saw some family magic with brothers Quinn and Cavan Sullivan paired up together for the first time in club history. Danley and Jesus Bueno backed up the duo as holding midfielders while the attack was led by Bruno Damiani and Indiana Vassilev.
14’ | Union go ahead on PK finish | Lining up a staunch defensive lineup from the USL Championship side, the Union held the majority of possession at the start of the game. A free kick opportunity provided a chance to breakdown the Riverhounds defense as Jesus Bueno floated a cross into the box that connected with captain Jakob Glesnes. The center back quickly flicked it forward but Pittsburgh handled the ball in the box. Forward Bruno Damiani confidently stepped forward and blasted it down the middle of the frame to put the MLS side ahead.
42’ | Riverhounds test Rick from distance | With the Union leading on the early goal, Pittburgh grew in confidence as the match went on. The visiting side nearly equalized on hard back pass that nearly trickled into the back of the Union net but Rick was quick to react and recover possession as the Hounds pressed. Rick was then called upon to make his lone save of the half in the 42nd minute, pushing away a long-distance strike from Danny Griffin.
45+’ | Vassilev doubles the Union lead | Two minutes were added to the opening half and every second was needed as the Union went up 2-0. The Boys in Blue turned to a rapid and direct attack with the Sullivan brothers combining on the build up as Cavan chested down the ball to Quinn in quick succession. The East’s leader in assists picked up Indiana Vassilev in stride as he buried it into the net.
54’ | Danley does it again | Philly didn’t sit back with a two-goal lead and inside 10 minutes had extended its lead to three with a finish from Danley. Racing toward the River End, Damiani held possession and timed a perfectly weighted pass into the path of the Hattian midfielder for the one time deposit into the back of the net.
63’ | Riverhounds get one back | Trailing by three goals against a higher division side, the USL Championship side kept batting and broke through just past the hour mark. Substitute Jorge Garcia made an instant impact, scoring a long-range curler from a difficult angle on just his second touch of the match.
86’ | Lukic makes it 4-1 | With the Hounds on the board, Carnell turned to some fresh legs on the bench with Jovan Lukic, Mikael Uhre and Ben Bender taking to the pitch. Lukic was once again active on both ends of the pitch, facing forward in the closing stages of the contest.
