Foxborough- On a cold and windy night at Gillette Stadium, the Philadelphia The Union faced off against the New England Revolution in a match that started back and forth, with both teams creating opportunities throughout the 90 minutes. However, the Union settled down in the final 20 minutes to secure a 2-0 victory and capture three more points.

When the lineups were announced, Nate Harriel was once again on the bench, as head coach Bradley Carnell had stated earlier in the week that he was not 90 minutes fit. Ian Glavinovich was also absent from the bench as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury. Frankie Westfield earned his third consecutive start at left back, while U-22 Initiative contract player Olwethu Makhanya also remained in the starting lineup. On the other side, Will Sands made his first start for the Revolution, with Brandon Bye on the bench.

As the match kicked off in a semi-empty Gillette Stadium, New England had the first attempt on goal, with forward Leo Campana firing wide. Shortly after, Campana went down with an injury and had to be substituted for the rest of the match. In the first 10 minutes, New England showcased its defensive prowess, preventing the Union from capitalizing on opportunities as they had in their previous two matches.

However, the Union did not let that deter them, pressing consistently through the first 15 minutes. The Revolution, though, kept up their defensive intensity, pushing back every time.

The first real chance of the match came from Mikael Uhre on a breakaway, but his shot was saved by goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic. New England countered through Carles Gil and continued to control the game against the visiting team. Daniel Gazdag had a golden opportunity off a pass from Uhre but missed, raising early concerns that it might not be the Union’s night.

Philadelphia began to find its rhythm around the 27th minute but was unable to capitalize on turnovers in the midfield or New England’s mistakes for the remainder of the first half. The Revolution continued to stifle the Union’s attack.

https://videopress.com/v/0MKw5p1X?resizeToParent=1&cover=1&autoPlay=0&controls=1&loop=0&muted=0&persistVolume=1&playsinline=0&preloadContent=metadata&sbc&sbpc&sblc&useAverageColor=1

“Caleb [Porter] has his team playing really solid defensively, and they’re tough to break down,” Carnell said in his postgame press conference. “So yeah, we had to dig deep. It was a tough first half for us, but we were resilient.

“We defended the box excellently. We know they’re dangerous with crosses, and we knew at halftime the game would open up for us a little bit.”

Carnell’s assessment proved correct. New England came out as the aggressor in the second half, putting the Union on their heels. However, around the 64th minute, Philadelphia brought on Indiana Vassilev and Bruno Damiani, which allowed the team to settle and find its form.

“Listen, we have depth in our roster,” Carnell said. “We feel good about the subs that we bring on, and we had confidence that if we stuck to our mentality—being proactive and brave to step forward, defend, and take away time and space—we’d find our breakthrough.”

The Union nearly opened the scoring when Tai Baribo appeared to notch his sixth goal of the season, but it was ruled offside. Moments later, on the ensuing New England counter, goalkeeper Andre Blake made a crucial save to keep the match at 0-0. While Blake recorded only one save on the night, it was enough to earn his first clean sheet of the season, something Carnell highlighted as a key takeaway.

https://videopress.com/v/aC4SMvJV?resizeToParent=1&cover=1&autoPlay=0&controls=1&loop=0&muted=0&persistVolume=1&playsinline=0&preloadContent=metadata&sbc&sbpc&sblc&useAverageColor=1

“Clean sheets are always good, especially for a team playing away from home,” Carnell said. “We learned how to control the game in certain moments. I think we only gave away one shot on target, if I’m not mistaken. So, they stretched us a little bit, bent us a little bit, but we didn’t break. That’s always a sign of a good team defending from the front.”

In the 76th minute, the Union finally broke down New England’s defense. Tai Baribo found the back of the net after a brilliant cross from Kai Wagner, marking his sixth goal of the season and Wagner’s fourth assist. With that goal, Baribo tied Ante Razov (six goals in 1999) for the most goals scored in the first three games of an MLS season.

The Union weren’t done yet. In the seventh minute of stoppage time, Jovan Lukic sealed the victory, slotting home a shot that deflected off the post and in after a well-placed pass from Indiana Vassilev, making it 2-0.

Lukic had another strong performance, completing 82% of his passes and recording two shots on target in addition to his goal. Carnell spoke highly of Lukic and Danley after the match.

“If you watch their previous games, [New England] really clogs up the center of the field,” Carnell said. “So, getting our sixes on the ball was tough today, and you could see that in the first few minutes of the half. But they grew into the game, and I’m really happy with how they responded in the second half. There’s a good relationship there—it’s dynamic, fearless, and has a warrior-like mentality.”

With the victory, the Union started the season with three consecutive wins for the first time in club history. Their +7 goal differential ranks as the fourth-best all-time start to an MLS season. While earning nine points—six of them on the road—is an impressive feat, Carnell emphasized the need to stay focused.

“There’s a determination to work as a group and as a collective,” Carnell said. “We’re slowly seeing the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, but it only happens if all 11 players are tuned in and dialed into the game plan. And when subs come in, they need to know exactly what they have to do. I think we saw that tonight.”

The Philadelphia Union return home to Subaru Park next Sunday, March 16, for a 2 p.m. matinee. The match will also feature the club’s U-Serve/Dollar Dog Night, presented by Bimbo Bakeries, highlighting volunteer service opportunities and recognizing U-Serve participants.

Fans can purchase Hatfield hot dogs for $1 at all concession stands. Hot dog eating legend Joey Chestnut has been announced as the drum striker for the match, with VIP ticket packages available that include a meet-and-greet with the 16-time champion.

For fans unable to attend, the match will be available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Be sure to check out Mike, Dave, and Jose from AAT Sports Network’s Across the Pitch, where we joined them, along with Todd Lewis from The Free Kick, to recap last night’s match.

Main article photo credit: Philadelphia Union