The last team in MLS to win a game this season, the Philadelphia Union are suddenly red hot.
On Saturday night at RFK Stadium, Haris Medunjanin, Oguchi Onyewu and Fafa Picault all opened their MLS accounts to lead the Union to a 4-0 road rout of 10-man D.C. United.
Fabian Herbers added a late goal with a one-touch beauty and Philly’s backline held D.C. to just one shot on target as the Union won their second straight contest after ending a 15-match winless streak. Medunjanin also had two assists for the Union, who picked up their third straight shutout.
Luciano Acosta was sent off with a 55th-minute red card, which only added to the woes for D.C. United, who were shut out at home for the second straight week and the fourth time this season.
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Goals
- 39' — PHI — Haris Medunjanin WATCH
- 64' — PHI — Oguchi Onyewu WATCH
- 78' — PHI — Fafa Picault WATCH
- 88' — PHI — Fabian Herbers WATCH
Three Things
- SPREADING THE LOVE: For most of the season, CJ Sapong has carried the offensive load for Philly with seven goals. But against D.C. United, four different Union players all scored tremendous goals — a defensive midfielder (Medunjanin), a center back (Onyewu) and two wingers (Picault and Herbers). While three of those goals came after Acosta’s red card, Medunjanin had already been slicing through D.C. before they went down a man and showed the kind of offensive skills that made him the team’s top offseason acquisition. And as for Herbers’ cherry-on-top goal — just wow.
- SHUTOUTS ON SHUTOUTS: For Onyewu, it was surely special to score his first MLS goal playing right near where he grew up, on his 35th birthday. And it also must have been nice for the towering veteran to lead an organized defensive effort for a team that now hasn’t allowed a goal in 273 minutes. That’s quite the feat considering the Union are starting something of a makeshift backline in Onyewu, rookie Jack Elliott and fullbacks Ray Gaddis and Fabinho. And it might make it difficult for two of their most prized defenders, Keegan Rosenberry and Richie Marquez, to regain their spot in the starting lineup.
- SEEING RED: As furious as D.C. United head coach Ben Olsen was after last week’s loss to Montreal, he might be even madder about this one. The Black-and-Red fell apart late and never really threatened to score, even after inserting Patrick Mullins back into the starting lineup for the first time since March. For the season, D.C. has been outscored 18-9 and only sit one point in front of a Union team that started the year 0-4-4.
They Said It
"We’ve been through about a difficult time and a difficult stretch as we can go through. And I think we’re stronger because of it." — Jim Curtin, Philadelphia Union head coach
Next Up
- DC: Saturday, May 20 vs. Chicago Fire (4 pm ET | UniMás, facebook.com/univisiondeportes; MLS LIVE in Canada)
- PHI: Wednesday, May 17 vs. Houston Dynamo (7:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE)
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