Photo By Anne-Marie Sorvin / USA Today Sports Images
By ADAM TROXTELL
There may have been a new face in the Philadelphia Union goal, but that didn’t keep Vancouver Whitecaps shots from flying into the net.
A dominant Whitecaps display saw them ease to a 3-0 win against the Union at BC Place on Saturday. Pedro Morales opened the scoring in the 32nd minute before laying on the third to hand the Union their fourth-straight defeat.
Brian Sylvestre’s time in the Union net may not be over yet, but he’ll want to forget his first outing. The on-loan goalkeeper was besieged by a rampant Whitecaps attack, with two of the three goals coming in one-on-one situations.
Morales was the first to beat Sylvestre with a looping finish before Ocatvio Rivero scored his sixth goal of the season just before halftime. Darren Mattocks finished the Union off with about 10 minutes remaining.
The Union had some early chances to take the lead, breaking a sluggish opening 30 minutes with a few efforts that just barely troubled the Whitecaps’ goal.
The game sparked to life in the 27th minute with a pair of saves, one at each end. The Union by far had the best chance when a cross to the far post found Andrew Wenger onside and wide open.
Unfortunately for the attacker, he was only able to deflect it straight at a flailing David Ousted. The Whitecaps nearly flipped the situation into a goal, but Rivero’s shot from the right was deflected up and away by Sylvestre to keep the game scoreless.
Just after 30 minutes into the game, Vancouver found the breakthrough. After an initial pass to Rivero was blocked, Cristian Techera found Morales with a looping pass that the attacker dinked over Sylvestre and into the net.
From there the Whitecaps continued to take charge, and they put another into the net just before halftime. This time the Union provided them with some help, as a poor back pass put defender Ethan White in a tough spot.
White thought he was fouled when Rivero raced in to muscle him off of the ball, but the referee’s whistle remained silent as the Whitecaps striker took a touch and rolled a shot into the right side of the net.
The game opened up in the second half as the Union pushed to get a goal back. The result was the opposite, as Whitecaps’ second half substitute Darron Mattocks took space down the right, turned Maurice Edu inside out in the box before firing past Sylvestre in the 81st minute.
Anyone else feel like Novak may have been the Union’s best coach?
com·pe·tent
ˈkämpədənt/
adjective
having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully.
“a highly competent surgeon”
(of a person) efficient and capable.
“an infinitely competent mother of three”
synonyms: capable, able, proficient, adept, adroit, accomplished, complete, skillful, skilled, credentialed, gifted, talented, expert
The above can not be applied to the current ownership,front office management and coaching staff of the Philadelphia Union!
However the following can be applied to the current ownership,front office management and coaching staff of the Philadelphia Union:
in·com·pe·tent
inˈkämpədənt/
adjective
not having or showing the necessary skills to do something successfully.
“a forgetful and utterly incompetent assistant”
synonyms: inept, unskillful, unskilled, inexpert, amateurish, unprofessional, bungling, blundering, clumsy, inadequate, substandard, inferior, ineffective, deficient, inefficient, ineffectual, wanting, lacking, leaving much to be desired
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