Philadelphia Union's Exit Was Self-Inflicted, Not Stolen
Philadelphia Union had the better of long stretches against Santos Laguna and still went out of the Leagues Cup with nothing to show for it. That's the part worth sitting with, not the scoreline.
The match itself was goalless and even through 45 minutes. Then Santos Laguna made its substitutions count. Second-half substitute Ezequiel Bullaude set up Ramiro Sordo for the opening goal in the 48th minute, then scored himself three minutes later to put Los Guerreros up 2-0, a result that held. The win gave Santos its first points of the tournament and closed out their campaign on a positive note under manager Renato Paiva, according to LeaguesCup.com's official match recap. Philadelphia UnionLeagues Cup
Union head coach Bradley Carnell had rotated heavily, making eight changes to the side that had beaten Club Necaxa 3-1 four days earlier, and the freshness never translated into the finishing quality Philadelphia needed. The Union finished the tournament second-to-last among MLS clubs, ahead of only Vancouver Whitecaps, with a negative goal difference and just three goals scored across more than 270 minutes of play, per LeaguesCup.com. Leagues Cup
That's the real story of Philadelphia's Leagues Cup. Not a stolen result, not a bad break. A team that controlled spells of three group games and couldn't turn control into goals when it mattered. Santos Laguna needed one sharp ten-minute spell to end the Union's run. Philadelphia had 270 minutes to find something similar and never did.
Union return to MLS play Sunday at Yankee Stadium against New York City FC, with kickoff set for 6:00 p.m. ET on Apple TV. The bigger question isn't whether they bounce back. It's whether a team scoring at this rate can afford another rotation gamble before it does.
