Philadelphia’s 2-1 loss to New York on Saturday was their third in their first four matches, a defeat that, in many ways, could have been avoided. Playing well the majority of the match, the visiting Union controlled proceedings at times and were unlucky to not take any points.
Watch:FULL MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
But as he has been during his young team's early goings, manager Peter Nowak was a calming presence for his Union after the match, telling them to keep moving forward as the season really gets going.
“We’re still beginners in this league and sometimes you make mistakes,” Nowak said he told his team. “The message is a simple one: We aren’t going to stop one inch. I think we did very well besides a few mistakes and that has been the case in each game this year. The reds cards, the penalties, whatever it is. They call it beginner's luck sometimes. Unfortunately, it is not the case now.”
The cards, the fouls, the mental errors -- they've all been costly as the Union navigate their first season. It may not always be pretty, but Philly can certainly learn from the mistakes and aim to push forward in the coming weeks.
Union defender/midfielder Shea Salinas made his first start for the club in the match was pleased with they played, even if the result didn’t exactly show it.
“We’re a good team,” said Shea Salinas, who made his first start as a defender and was overall pleased with his team's performance. “We just haven’t had things go our way. I think once we eliminate a few of the mistakes and finish our chances, I think we can definitely become a great team. During the run of play, we’re one of the better teams in the league. Unfortunately, our results haven’t shown that just yet so that’s what we plan on turning around."
Philadelphia doesn't have much time to dwell on the match as the team travels back to Red Bull Arena in three short days to take on New York once more, this time in a U.S. Open Cup play-in match. Sébastian Le Toux, who scored the Union's loan goal on Saturday, expects his teammates will be even more determined for that match.
“We played well, we just have to fix the mistakes,” said Le Toux of Saturday’s performance. “If we are more concentrated and don’t give up the mistakes, I’m sure we’re going to be really strong on Tuesday.”
