The Union Gave Away Another One, and Now We Have Questions

Of course it ended like that.

Of course Tayvon Gray beat André Blake in the 99th minute. Of course Makhanya got himself sent off — again — and handed NYCFC the extra man they needed to go find a winner. Of course Matt Freese, former Union homegrown, former Philly kid, played out of his mind and made himself the best goalkeeper on the field on the day he came back to Subaru Park. Of course all of that happened on a beautiful sunny afternoon in front of a sold-out crowd that was seconds away from going home with a point.

This is Philadelphia sports. We know how this goes.

The 2-1 loss to NYCFC on March 1st was the Union's second straight defeat to open the season, and it was more maddening than the first one because they actually earned something from it. Indiana Vassilev's 89th-minute penalty was supposed to be the moment the crowd exhaled. Instead it became a setup for something worse. Ten minutes of stoppage time, ten men after Makhanya's dismissal, and Gray finishing through Blake's legs to make it 2-1 and send 18,000 people home furious.

Carnell kept his composure postgame, which honestly might be the most frustrating thing of all. He pointed to the transitional moments, the chances created, the improvement over the DC performance. And he's not wrong — the Union did look sharper. Cavan Sullivan came on late and immediately looked like the best player on the field. Vassilev showed up when it mattered. But none of that changes the scoreboard, and two red cards in two games is not a trend you can talk your way around.

Here's what actually needs to be said about Makhanya's red card: he's a veteran. He knows. There's no tactical justification for handing the other team a man advantage in the 80th minute when you're chasing a result. Carnell said as much — "he knows better" — which is really just a diplomatic way of saying that was completely inexcusable.

And then there's Freese. Look, you have to give him credit. He was excellent. Made two saves in the second half that on another day would have swung this completely. The Union supporters obviously weren't thrilled about it, but what are you going to do — he's good. Sending him to NYCFC might come back to haunt this club for years if he ends up on the World Cup roster, which at this rate looks pretty likely.

The Union aren't broken. Two games is two games. But the failure to score from open play — zero times through two matches — and the red card issue are real problems that need real answers before San Jose comes to town. Not press conference answers. Actual answers, on the field.

Right now this team has the hallmarks of a group that's still figuring out what it is. Last year they had an identity. A style. A way of grinding results. This year it feels a bit like everyone's waiting for someone else to take the wheel.

Someone needs to grab it.

[Photography by Trey Madara]