PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two Philadelphia sports teams could win major championships within the next six days. Not only your Philadelphia Phillies, but your Philadelphia Union.
The Union came back from allowing a second-half goal to score three of their own in a seven-minute span and defeat NYCFC 3-1 in the MLS Cup Eastern Conference Final at Subaru Park in Chester Sunday night.
This was a revenge grudge match for the Union, who fell to NYCFC last year in the same playoff round. It came before a sellout crowd in a stadium where the Union had not lost all year.
A Dániel Gazdag header in the 17th minute put Philadelphia up early, or so Union fans thought. But the offside flag went up, and replay shows the call was correct.
A dominant Union defense held NYCFC in check for most of a very physical first half, one with 17 fouls called.
The 57th minute brought the defending champions’ onto the scoreboard, as Maximiliano Moralez completed a speedy counterattack with a one-time shot to the left corner of the goal.
It was the first time since July that the Union trailed in a home game.
But in the 65th minute, the Union got the goal back. With the NYCFC defense confused and unprepared for a free kick during a substitution, Julián Carranza made an open run and scored to level the match at 1-1.
Two minutes later, Gazdag took advantage of a fast-break counterattack, easily beat his defender to the goal, and gave the Union a 2-1 lead.
In the 76th minute, Cory Burke completed a four-on-two break through a sleeping NYCFC defense and slammed home the goal that clinched a spot in the MLS Cup Final.
The Union will head to Los Angeles to battle LAFC for its first-ever MLS Cup championship. Kickoff will be on Saturday at 4 p.m.
If the World Series goes to a seventh game, it’s possible that two Philadelphia teams, the Union and the Phillies, would win major professional sports championships on the same day.