Philly Leader

Philadelphia Union's key players set the tone early in the first half, leading to a decisive 5-1 victory over rivals New York City FC on Wednesday night.

Tai Baribo, Mikael Uhre, and Daniel Gazdag scored within a 16-minute span, giving the Union a three-goal lead just past the half-hour mark. New York City FC briefly shifted momentum with a stoppage-time goal before halftime. However, Union goalkeeper Andrew Rick delivered an outstanding performance, making six of his seven saves in the second half to prevent NYCFC from mounting a comeback.

Kai Wagner tied the club record for assists (50) in the 74th minute by connecting with Jakob Glesnes. Jesus Bueno added his third goal of the season late in the game, sealing the 5-1 win and pushing Philadelphia back above the playoff line.

Philadelphia Union will return to Subaru Park for a nationally televised match against D.C. United on Sunday evening. The event, presented by Widener University, will also serve as Kick Childhood Cancer Night and Phang's Birthday.

Philadelphia Union fielded a team without Andre Blake for a second consecutive match due to injury discomfort following international duties. Homegrown Andrew Rick started in net for his sixth time as first-team keeper. The defensive lineup included Nathan Harriel at center-back alongside Jakob Glesnes and Olivier Mbaizo at right-back opposite Kai Wagner on the left. Head Coach Jim Curtin also started team captain Alejandro Bedoya while Quinn Sullivan was listed on the bench.

In the 15th minute, Olivier Mbaizo headed toward Tai Baribo who scored with his head past NYCFC's Matt Freese. In the 25th minute, Mikael Uhre extended Philadelphia's lead to 2-0 after receiving a pass from Baribo. Shortly after, Daniel Gazdag capitalized on an error by Freese to make it 3-0.

NYCFC's Alonso Martinez scored their only goal just before halftime, making it 3-1.

Rick continued his strong performance in the second half with notable saves against Mitja Ilenic and Mounsef Bakrar. In the 74th minute, Kai Wagner assisted Jakob Glesnes for another goal that re-established their three-goal advantage and marked Wagner's 50th career assist in MLS play.

Jesus Bueno finalized the scoreline at 5-1 with assistance from Samuel Adeniran and Quinn Sullivan.

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