February 25 – Philadelphia Union go into the second leg of their Champions Cup first round tie with a 5-0 lead over Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force.
It was a sobering night for the Caribbean team at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. The return leg at Subaru Park in Philadelphia offers a chance of redemption but very little opportunity to progress to the last 16, such is the gap in the scoreline and the gulf in class between the two teams.
Union followed up their win in Trinidad with their opening match of the MLS season at the weekend in Washington, losing by a goal to DC United.
Defense Force offer them the opportunity to reset with the first game of the new season at home.
A repeat of the goal rush in Trinidad is a very real possibility. Defense Force held out for the first half hour but once Milan Iloski hammered in a free kick for the first goal it was pretty much game over as Union peppered the Defense Force goal with 18 shots, nine on target, and a further 10 corners.
Having broken the early Defence Force resistance goals came regularly. Ezekial Alladoh doubled the lead with an unchallenged header from a Frankie Westfield cross to make it 2-0 at half time.
Olwethu Makhanya headed in a third 19 minutes into the second half before Bruno Damiani, on as a sub, scored with a deflected shot from the edge of the box in the 69th minute, and from the penalty spot on the 81st.
Defense Force do have pace on the counter attack but they lacked discipline in defence and failed to build up passages of possession. Their star player Joevin Jones was dismissed for a second yellow card in added tie at the end of the match and will miss the return.
Philadelphia Union vs Defence Force, second leg, Round 1 (agg 5-0)