United could not break through on a hot night in the District as the Black-and-Red fell to the Philadelphia Union 2-0 Wednesday night at Audi Field.
Bill Hamid made five saves on the evening, but goals from CJ Sapong and Fabrice-Jean Picault put the game away from the Union.
The match opened evenly before United started to find their rhythm. In the eighth minute Paul Arriola streaked toward the penalty area and fired a sharp pass to Wayne Rooney running toward the middle. Rooney made a quick turn to lose his defender and fired a shot that hit the woodwork.
Rooney came dangerously close again when Luciano Acosta juked past a Union defender to move into space and found Rooney on the right flank. United’s captain launched a clever chip from distance toward the far post that beat Union goalkeeper Andre Blake but was just short of the net and rolled away.
Philadelphia lated opened the scoring in the 29th minute when Sapong finished a rebound to make it 1-0. Hamid made an extraordinary save on Cory Burke’s initial shot, but the rebound found a charging Sapong right in front of goal.
In the 44th minute it looked as if United would be given a chance to equalize on a penalty kick after it appeared like a cross from Arriola hit Union defender Jack Elliot in the hand in the box. No video review was ordered, though, and play continued.
The Union scored again in the second half to make it 2-0 in the 61st minute, securing the road win. Picault notched Philadelphia's second of the night, and United struggled to find many more opportunities in front of the net for the remainder of the match.
The Black-and-Red return to Audi Field on Sunday Sept. 2 at 7:30 PM ET on FS1 when they will take on Eastern Conference foes Atlanta United FC for the first time at Audi Field with a key three points on the line. Click here to buy tickets.
