Philly Leader

Philadelphia Union's win against Mazatlán secured a spot in the Leagues Cup Semifinals for the second consecutive year. The match was notable for its intense and dramatic conclusion, reflective of the team's resilient spirit.

Head Coach Jim Curtin summarized his team's performance: "We have guys that have guts." He elaborated, "Every guy contributes and every guy doesn't want to let the other guy down, which is a powerful thing."

Curtin emphasized the team’s strategic spending and player development. "We might not have the big household names – I think we've spent smart through the years. We've done a good job of developing young players, and I think if you see us on our day, we can beat anybody," he said.

The match saw Philadelphia Union playing an entire half with one player less after Tai Baribo received a second yellow card. Despite this disadvantage, they managed to hold Mazatlán to a 1-1 scoreline, leading to a penalty shootout.

Andre Blake made an impressive save at the start of the shootout. José Martinez then scored what could be his final goal at Subaru Park. Blake followed with another save, and Jesus Bueno sealed the victory with his decisive penalty kick after spending most of the match on the bench.

"The group showed heart, character, whatever word you want to use. Guts, passion. We survived and advanced, and we have the best goalkeeper in our league," Curtin remarked.

The game had a slow start until Baribo's red card in the first half ignited the team's intensity. Curtin noted that this incident served as a catalyst for their performance: "It actually took the red card to happen to wake us up and get to the intensity of the game... When we did wake up, Mikael scored a really good goal in a counter attack."

Philadelphia Union has faced challenges this summer due to injuries and international call-ups for various tournaments like Copa America, UEFA Euros, and Paris Olympics. However, with most players now healthy, they have reached Leagues Cup's final four and are set to face Columbus in their next match.

"We're going to fight like hell," Curtin stated. "We've been close... that's our DNA. I still love my group... I love Andre Blake. I love José Martinez. Jesus Bueno steps up in a clutch way."

Curtin remains optimistic about their chances: "I still think we have more to give, and we're going to make a run at this thing."