Philadelphia Union x CF Montreal

Philadelphia Union scored twice in the second half but ultimately settled for a 2-2 draw against CF Montréal on Saturday evening at Subaru Park. Both teams finished the match with ten players after Ariel Lassiter and Jack Elliott were sent off. Montréal’s Sunusi Ibrahim opened the scoring within the first minute, but the Union rallied back with two goals in three minutes in the second half. Daniel Gazdag netted his record-tying 50th league goal from the penalty spot, and Quinn Sullivan set up Mikael Uhre for the go-ahead goal. However, Montréal equalized shortly after Elliott's red card, with Samuel Piette capitalizing on a rebound off the post.

Head Coach Jim Curtin rotated his lineup for the Union’s third game in a week, switching to a back three with Jack Elliott, Damion Lowe, and Jakob Glesnes in defense. Montréal also made changes, notably starting backup goalkeeper Sebastian Breza. Despite conceding early, the Union had several chances to equalize in the first half, including a disallowed goal by Olivier Mbaizo and a powerful shot from Gazdag that was saved by Breza. Tensions escalated as both teams received multiple cautions, and Lassiter was sent off for violent conduct before halftime.

In the second half, Philadelphia's persistence paid off when Gazdag scored from the penalty spot in the 56th minute, followed by Uhre’s goal two minutes later. The Union’s momentum was halted when Elliott was shown a straight red card for a collision with Raheem Edwards, leading to Piette's equalizer. Despite dominating possession and creating several late chances, including shots from Sullivan and Nathan Harriel, the Union could not find a winner, leaving both teams to share the points in a hard-fought match.

[Photography by Trey Madara]