FC Cincinnati 4- Philadelphia Union 3 – The Philly Soccer page

Very active play from the Norwegian central defender. Was not directly to blame for the goals conceded. Decisive in his actions, especially in the future. I loved some of his nice moves and chops. Did well to initiate attacks, both with his long passing and dribbling. Retained possession for his team in the opponent’s half on several occasions, most notably on the third Union goal. He could have positioned himself or communicated better on the opener.

Olivier Mbaizo – 6

Reasonable play from Mbaizo. It’s been a while since the Cameroonian full-back has had a string of stars. He appears to be shaking off the bad form that hit him earlier this year. Although he won’t be as strong defensively as Harriel, his composure on the ball is impressive. Good in possession and was rewarded with the secondary assist on Union’s first with his cross to Uhre. Perhaps the full-back role suits his playing style more than that of a traditional full-back.

Leon Flach – 6

Great work rate and lots of tackles, INTs and blocks. Plays almost like a combination of Brian Carrol and Warren Crevealle (and I do mean that as a compliment). But between him and Bueno, passage through the center of the field was rarely smooth or precise. Sometimes, especially on loose balls, he doesn’t see an open man, or he doesn’t think he can find them, so he just clears it away. It’s certainly safe, but it would be better if he could control those moments and maintain possession.

Jesus Bueno – 6

Presented attacking threats through his dribbling and willingness to shoot. Was rewarded for his performance with his first MLS goal for the Union. Defensively, he did a good job of interrupting Cincci’s attacks and making tackles. I wish his passing was better as he misplayed several balls that should have been completed.

Jack McGlynn – 5

McGlynn was not as impactful in this match as he could have been. It seemed like many Union attacks were bypassing his influence, which may have been part of the game plan (IE use of the width of the pitch through Wagner and Mbaizo) with McGlynn operating more as a facilitator. That being said, his passing numbers were great. He could spread the ball as well as ever. It still feels like he could have gotten more involved in the offense. He still hesitates to pull the trigger or pass when he is outside the box. It was clear that he was gassed in the 80th minute, which led to a few mistakes.

Mikael Uhre – 6

Got the assist on the opener for the Union. Played the role of creator more often than finisher, but his final third passing was good. It seemed to fit in well with Baribo. It seems like the Dane has put in one of his best performances recently, with two goals and one assist from the last three games. Long may it continue.

Tai Baribo – 8

Good connection to Uhre. Good attacking runs. Good working speed without the ball. Maintain good ball possession. 2 goals scored! Moreover, he got those goals through great positioning and excellent finishing – two hallmarks of the best strikers. The Invisible Man of the past year is suddenly very visible.

substitutes:

Quinn Sullivan – 5

Used to score a goal in the 70th minute. Did well enough. Kept attacks alive and got the ball in the final third. In another universe, the ball comes to him in the 99th minute and the Union gets the result they want.

Jeremy Rafanello – 6

He provided an attacking spark in the 70th minute, which he did. Rafa had the second assist on the Union’s third goal.

Chris Donovan – 3

Made for Mbaizo, signaling a tactical shift to the Diamond. Won some aerial duels. He squandered a good chance in the penalty area when he went out of bounds. He needs to develop a left foot as this is at least the second time (the other being his late chance against Charlotte) that it has had a noticeable impact on a game this season. Nearly made up for it with his interception, carry and then attempted pass to Anderson, but his pass hit the first defender.

Markus Anderson – 1

Jim Curtin said at the post-match press conference: It doesn’t matter if you’re a starter or brought in at the last minute to finish the game, you’ve got to do your job. Anderson was brought on in extra time after Baribo had indicated a substitute. Unfortunately, Anderson didn’t do his job. Around the halfway line, Anderson was unable to pass the ball to an open Sullivan, nor was he able to get the ball to the corner flag to see the tie. This indecisiveness led to former Union player Alvas Powell tackling him for the ball and starting the attack that resulted in Acosta’s winner.

Geiger counter:

Jair Marrufo 5

Philly fans might feel that Marufo was a bit inconsistent, as a hard Kai Wagner tackle earned the defender a yellow card in the opening minutes, but a very similar move by Kai was later ruled not a foul. Perhaps he wanted to set the tone early, as three yellow cards were handed out in the first twelve minutes and only one more in the 81st. Other than that, Marufo seemed content to let the players play

Player of the match: Lucho Acosta

Acosta was virtually unstoppable that night. This is his stat line from Football Reference: 2 goals, 1 assist, 5 shots, 5/7 take-ons and 9 (!) shot creating actions. He had a hand in three of the four goals Cinnci scored.

What’s next

The Union then has a rematch with Charlotte FC. These two teams played against each other about a month ago and played out a rather boring 0-0 draw. Since then, Charlotte has risen to fifth place, while the Union has fallen to tenth. Despite the result against Cinnci, the Boys in Blue should take heart from Baribo’s performance and the fact that Cinnci’s attack is much better than Charlotte’s. Yet, despite all the absences, the Union’s depth and player resolve will be thoroughly tested in the coming weeks.