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Casey brace leads Union over woeful Chivas USA

Conor Casey

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

By DAN KARELL

Cristian Maidana showed on Saturday night just how important and vital he is to the Philadelphia Union’s success.

Back in the lineup after serving a one-game suspension, Maidana played a role in all three Union goals as the Union routed Chivas USA, 3-0, at the StubHub Center. Conor Casey scored a brace for the Union, who won their second road match in a three-week span.

Even from the start of the match, the visiting Union looked the more dangerous team. The Union scored their first goal off a penalty kick after a handball was called from an indirect free kick in the box, whistled by referee Alan Chapman.

In the 28th minute, Martin Rivero’s arm made contact with Maidana’s free kick, giving the Union a penalty kick. Casey stepped up to the spot and confidently scored to Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy’s left, despite Kennedy diving the right way.

In the second half, the Union stepped up their pressure and were rewarded with another goal. Maidana dribbled up the left side of the field and sent in an early curving ball towards the six-yard box. Kennedy hesitated, allowing Casey to send a diving header in for the Union’s second goal of the match in the 66th minute.

The Union would put a bow on the rout in the ten minutes later when Maidana took advantage of awful defending from Chivas USA and right back Eric Avila, easily slotting home a shot past Kennedy. Kennedy argued to no avail that substitute Andrew Wenger had been in Kennedy’s way to make a save, but Chapman waved away the protests.

The night only got worse for Chivas USA when Oswaldo Minda was shown his second red card of the season in the 83rd minute for a late kick out of frustration at Maurice Edu. It was Chivas USA’s sixth red card of the season.

With the defeat, Chivas USA are now winless in three matches and are tied at the bottom of the entire league standings with the Montreal Impact on ten points.

Here are the game highlights:

Comments

  1. Great hockey goal. Maybe teams in MLS will start using that strategy since it appears to be legal according the league’s refs.

    Reply
    • Yea as a Union fan, Maidanas goal shouldn’t have counted. Cruz was just close enough to Kennedy to interfere. The goal Mexico scored against Israel with Chicharito on the goal line was the opposite side of that line. Maidana was solid though, the ball he put in to Casey was fantastic.

      Reply
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