On any other night, Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin would have happily discussed the three goals his team scored in one of the league’s toughest stadiums.
But he just couldn’t shake the feeling that his team was robbed in a 3-3 road draw with Real Salt Lake on Saturday night, as Fernando Aristeguieta’s big two-goal night was spoiled by a controversial late penalty kick call.
“I don’t think we get a lot of respect,” Curtin said. “I have a bunch of men on my team that fought hard and deserved three points tonight. I think they got let down at the end of the game.”
The call in question came in the 85th minute when Union captain Maurice Edu was whistled for a penalty by referee Allen Chapman for a takedown of RSL sub Luke Mulholland in the box. Replays show Edu stuck his arm out to slow Mulholland but the contact was minimal.
Alvaro Saborio scored the ensuing penalty kick to erase Philly’s late one-goal lead and ensure that RSL would remain unbeaten all-time against the Union.
And for Curtin, the entire sequence was extremely frustrating – even before Mulholland went down.
“On the free kick at midfield, we were trying to sub in Conor Casey,” the Union coach said. “They wouldn’t acknowledge that. So they take the free kick, it gets whipped into the box, Mulholland dribbles, there are four guys around him and no one touches him.”
Curtin – who felt his team got the short end of the refereeing stick in last week’s season-opening draw with Colorado as well – was also skeptical of the foul on Sheanon Williams that led to RSL opening the scoring on a beautiful Javier Morales free kick.
But he was happy that Aristeguieta put the Union ahead with his first two MLS goals, showing the kind of poaching tendencies that Philly needs. And he felt that those goals, combined with a Jamison Olave own goal, should have been enough for Philly to deal RSL a rare home loss.
“He was excellent,” Curtin said of Aristeguieta. “He’s a guy who takes his chances well. He worked his butt off for the team and scored two goals for us, which we’re happy with. But my guys deserved three points.
“This is the hardest place to come in the league,” he added. “They lost one time here last year – and they should have lost tonight.”
Dave Zeitlin covers the Union for MLSsoccer.com. Email him at djzeitlin@gmail.com.
