Mistakes Continue to Hurt Philadelphia Union

The Union once again committed costly errors in Saturday's 2-2 draw with CF Montreal at Subaru Park.

CHESTER — Five minutes of joy are all the Philadelphia Union are allowed in 2024.

Mikael Uhre’s 58th-minute go-ahead goal was supposed to start a frenzied 30-minute stretch in which the Union took out all their pent-up frustration on 10-man CF Montreal.

“You felt it change. You could feel it in the field. You could feel it in the stands. People were really into it and giving their all,” Uhre said.

Instead, the Union went down a man themselves in the 63rd minute on a weird 50-50 challenge in which Jack Elliott was sent off for serious foul play.

Shortly after Elliott’s sending off, Samuel Piette scored off a free kick and sucked all of the life, momentum and joy out of the Subaru Park crowd.

“I think this could have been a game that changed our luck for the season,” Union midfielder Daniel Gazdag said. “When Mikael scored the second goal, I thought this game was going to be 5,6-1 for us because I felt the energy. I felt that we are good today. The (second Montreal) goal killed us.”

And such is life with the 2024 Union team. Negatives too quickly follow positives, or dominate the headlines themselves, as did Elliott’s sending off.