A satisfying win for the Union
The Union played by far the better soccer against Celtic. That's quite a statement for a team that's only been together for just over four months.
Let's be honest: the Union's 1-0 win over Celtic last night shouldn't be considered anything historic. Yes, it was a shutout, but against what was clearly Celtic's second team. It says a lot that even many of the Celtic fans who were in the game chat didn't know much about the players on their squad.
But there is one thing you should take away that should be really satisfying: the Union played by far the better soccer. That's quite a statement for a team that's only been together for just over four months.
It was impressive to see the Union control long stretches of the game last night. They had the overwhelming majority of the possession, especially during the first half.
Celtic nearly stole a draw with two late surges in the second half, but Brian Perk made some big saves to keep the clean sheet after Brad Knighton played the first 45 minutes.
The only downside was the injury to Roger Torres during the first half. The word after the game was that it was a sprain, though we weren't told what body part. It seemed like everything we saw after Torres left the field was precautionary, and it hopefully won't be too big a deal.
In the audio player below, you'll hear from both teams' coaches and players. There's quite a bit from Union goalscorer Sebastien Le Toux and assistant coach John Hackworth about the team's style of play.
I will not be at the game against Toronto on Saturday. I will be out of town, but my Philly.com colleague Matt Hoffman will be at PPL Park, and there will be a Rank and File ballot. I'll be back next Wednesday for the Manchester United game.
As for where I'm going, you'll find out soon. There's a special story I'll be working on while I'm away, so stay tuned.