The Philadelphia Union beat the Columbus Crew 3-0 at Subaru Park on Sunday, with goals from Jack Elliott and Alejandro Bedoya, as well as a late insurance goal from Leon Flach, overcoming a second-half red card for Kai Wagner and dealing a major blow to the defending MLS Cup champion's postseason hopes.

Elliott's free-kick finish gave the Union the lead after 25 minutes. The center back lined it up 30 yards from goal and rolled a low, driven ball past Columbus' goalie Evan Bush and into the bottom left corner. Bedoya increased the advantage very shortly at the start of the second half. Following a Columbus turnover, Philadelphia's captain completed a counterattack by slotting home a first-time finish from Kacper Przybyko's cross. Wagner received his second yellow card for a foul on Luis Diaz in the 64th minute, putting the Union down a man for the rest of the game and setting up a tense conclusion.

After clashing with Gyasi Zardes, Alvas Powell was penalized for a foul in his own box and the Crew had a wonderful opportunity to cut the deficit in half from the penalty spot. But Andre Blake made a tremendous save to keep the two-goal advantage by stopping Pedro Santos' effort from 12 yards out. Darlington Nagbe fired a curling shot that seemed headed for the top corner in the 80th minute, but Blake went full stretch for another spectacular save. Just before second-half stoppage time, Flach put the game to bed with a shot that Bush couldn't gather, thus eliminating any prospects of a comeback.

After Wagner was sent off with a 2-0 lead, the Union made things more difficult for themselves, but it's a crucial three points that lift Jim Curtin's team from seventh to third in the East. It might be the end of the Crew's chances of making the playoffs, as they haven't quite regained the form they had during last season's MLS Cup run, leaving them with a steep hill to climb during their remaining six games.

[Photography by ICONIC photographer Trey Madara]