Photos: Brendan Baldwin
By: Brendan Baldwin, Chichester High School Jr. Reporter
CHESTER, PA – After a win on the road against NYC FC 3-1, the Boys in Blue came home wanting more. On a breezy night at Subaru Park, the Philadelphia Union beat the Charlotte FC 1-0 on May 31 to extend their win streak to three and followed that up with another 3-0 victory against CF Montreal on June 3.
Starting the night off against Charlotte, Eagles All-Pro starting center Jason Kelce struck the drum to hype up the crowd in the stands. To top things off, he chugged a beer, hopped into the stands, and led the “No One Likes Us, We Don’t Care,” chant. (A popular chant with the Union and Philadelphia Eagles).
The excitement continued after a quick crossbar hit from forward Julián Carranza only 30 seconds into the match. A strong defensive half then followed with both teams going scoreless into the half. Nevertheless, Mikael Uhre had a shot off of a defensive breakaway, however it was flagged offside, and the video review confirmed that.
The second half began with the Union starting off strong, with an unsettling urge to score. Both teams had put together some nice passing sequences followed by good defense. Star goalkeeper for the Union, Andre Blake, as well as Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina were credited with two saves each.
After shots from both Damion Lowe and Jakob Glesnes, Kai Wagner found his way to the ball and lofted it up with a prayer.
Philadelphia Union vs. Charlotte FC - PSD Photos by Brendan Baldwin
Ultimately, Daniel Gazdag broke “the deadlock” and used his head to tap the ball into the net.
The crowd roared as the Union had scored the game winning goal.
The excitement continued at Subaru Park the following Saturday, as Carranza led the Boys in Blue scoring two goals in the Union’s 3-0 victory against CF Montreal. Carranza’s first goal came in the 12th minute, and Uhre added security scoring a goal in the 21st.
And that wrapped up another perfect homestand. The Union will travel to play the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, June 10 and will follow that up with another cross-country trip to play Orlando City at Exploria Stadium on Wednesday, June 21. The Boys in Blue will return home on Saturday, June 24 to face Miami at 7:30 p.m.