Kacper Przybylko scored in the 83rd minute, and the Philadelphia Union overcame conceding a penalty and two unfavorable video reviews to defeat D.C. United 2-1 on Saturday night at Subaru Park.
Sergio Santos assisted Przybylko's winner 72 minutes after he opened the scoring for Philadelphia, which snapped a rare three-match winless run while extending their home winning streak against D.C. to eight matches.
The Union had to wait through a roughly 1 hour and 55 minute severe weather delay make those three points official after play was halted in the 86th minute. There were no clear chances in the final minutes after the match resumed.
Yamil Asad converted a 51st-minute penalty for D.C., which hasn't earned a point in Chester in league play since a 1-0 win over the Union on May 10, 2014.
Compounding D.C.'s frustration, forward Adrien Perez, midfielder Russell Canouse and defender Steve Birnbaum all left the match in what appeared to be injury-related substitutions.
Yordy Reyna earned the penalty for D.C. when he absorbed a challenge from Santos during a 20-minute stretch where things went sideways for Philadelphia.
In the 55th minute, referee Alex Chilowicz used Video Review to overturn a penalty awarded in Philadelphia's favor. He used another review in the 71st minute to correctly overturn Santos' apparent second goal of the night, ruling the striker offside.
Goals
Three Things
- BIG PICTURE: Santos' slow start to the season hadn't been a big deal because the Union were finding ways to win anyway. But with Cory Burke at the Concacaf Gold Cup with the Jamaica national team, Ilsinho still recovering from a groin injury and Anthony Fontana still in the league's concussion protocol, the Brazilian has come on at a crucial time, scoring goals in consecutive games for his second and third of the season.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: United have embraced their new high-pressing approach under first-year manager Hernan Losada. But it was likely partly to blame when Leon Flach's relatively simple long ball played Santos into wide open space in the 83rd minute. From there Santos found Przybylko for the decider and the Polish striker's fourth goal of the season.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Daniel Gazdag, who played the crucial pass on the first Union goal and created the turnover leading to the second. Santos had a strong showing as well, but his recklessness in conceding a penalty worked against him. Take a look at Gazdag's simple but slick assist on Santos' opener:
Up Next
- PHI: Thursday, July 22 at Orlando City (7:30 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada)
- D.C.: Wednesday, July 21 at Chicago Fire FC (8 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US and DAZN in Canada)
