Union roar back to top Chivas

Chester, Pa. – The Philadelphia Union (8-6-6) came back from a goal down to earn a 3-1 victory over Chivas USA Friday night at PPL Park, as goals from Brian Carroll, Michael Farfan and Conor Casey were enough to give the Union three points. 

With the victory, the Union move into a tie for second place in the Eastern Conference standings.

“This was a really big game. Because of the previous three games, we knew we had to come here and get three points,” Team Manager John Hackworth said. “They deserve a lot of credit because what they do, they do it really well. They make it really hard for teams, as Dallas found out and Montreal found out. So I think that just furthers the point that our guys really dug deep and showed a lot of character to got the win and do it in good fashion.”

Played in a torrential downpour that featured whipping wind, goals from Carroll, Farfan and Casey proved the difference. But it was the go-ahead goal that provided the drama at PPL Park, as an errant backpass from a Chivas defender to goalkeeper Dan Kennedy allowed for an indirect free kick inside the box. Farfan waited to catch an 11-man Chivas slipping on the restart and buried a shot at the edge of the six-yard-box past Kennedy.

While it was a play that has gone unseen by fans of the Union, it was a situation Farfan claimed to have seen on a few occasions, which set up the impetus of where that ball needed to be placed.

 “I’ve seen a couple goals scored like that and I think that’s probably where I got the idea from [of where to place my shot],” said Farfan postgame, who scored his first goal of the year. “[Where I placed it] is probably the most open spot on a free kick like that when you got 11 guys lined up inside the goal, so I figured I would try it and try my best to keep it on frame.”

It was a goal Union manager John Hackworth would have loved to have commented on – except moments before referee Jorge Gonzalez made the call, Hackworth was sent off for an undisclosed reason. Though visibly incensed over what appeared to be a handball in the box, Gonzalez did not disclose the reason as to which he sent Hackworth – who could miss the Union’s next match against Portland next Saturday.

 “Well, I was in a position where I really wasn’t about to see that [infraction and subsequent goal],” quipped Hackworth. “I was back here under the River End, but…I don’t know, there are a lot of things that were puzzling about that play.”

What was not puzzling was the effort the Union contributed to battle back and pick up three valuable points as they outshot Chivas USA, 21-7 and edged in possession percentage (56.4 vs. 43.6).

 “This means a lot the way we were able to battle back and get the three points, it says a lot about our team,” said rookie forward-midfielder Leo Fernandes, who played 70 minutes and looked a threat to Chivas for much of it. “This gives us a lot of confidence and now it’s important we take this into the next game and fight for another three points.”

The Timbers come calling next Saturday (7:30 p.m., CSN) followed by a road trip to Vancouver on July 27.

BOX SCORE

Philadelphia Union 3, Chivas USA 1
July 12, 7:30 p.m. ET
PPL Park, Chester, Pa.

SCORING SUMMARY
CHV – Correa 14’ (Villafana)
PHI – Carroll 58’ (Casey, Le Toux)
PHI – Farfan 82’ (Le Toux)
PHI – Casey 89’ (Fabinho)

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
CHV – Soto 21’ (caution)
CHV – Vilchez 35’ (caution)
CHV – Delgado 42’ (caution)
PHI – Okugo 56’ (caution)
CHV – Soto 79’ (red)

UNION STARTING 11
MacMath, Gaddis, Parke, Okugo, Williams, Carroll, Farfan, Cruz (Fabinho 78’), Le Toux (Kassel 90’+2), Fernandes (Hoppenot 70’), Casey.

Unused substitutions: Konopka, Wheeler, Torres, Albright.

CHIVAS USA STARTING 11
Kennedy, de Luna, Vilchez, Delgado, Soto, Villafana (Morales 67’), Farfan (Borja 77’), Alvarez, Mejia (Burling 82’), Avila, Correa.

Unused substitutions: Rivera, Bowen, McLain, Iraheta