The Philadelphia Union faced the Houston Dynamo in a friendly matchup in their own backyard. Philly would be going against an old familiar face in Jack McGlynn.
Neil Pierre and Cavan Sullivan Stand Strong Early
What I saw from this Union team out of the gates was tons of energy. Cavan Sullivan was all over the Dynamo’s defensive zone. He consistently found space on the field, created good looks, and found open teammates. Sullivan picked up a nice goal, unleashing a missile into the back of Houston’s net.
Neil Pierre did a great job on the defensive end, using his size to his advantage. He tracked down Houston players on the break to disrupt their scoring chances. Pierre also used his height to provide excellent vision, making a long stretch pass to Frankie Westfield, who put Philadelphia up 2-0 in the first half.
Change in the Weather
As the rain moved into the game, so did Houston’s momentum. Philadelphia made a change in goal, with Andre Blake starting before George Marks took over at halftime. Houston began applying more offensive pressure to the Union defense.
Ibrahim Aliyu found Matthew Arana in front of Philadelphia’s net, and Arana scored to put the Dynamo on the scoreboard. As the game wound down, Houston struck again, this time through Ezequiel Ponce, to earn a 2-2 draw.
Credit also goes to the Dynamo defense, which stepped up after halftime and tightened things considerably.
