The Philadelphia Union dominated their Leagues Cup opener against Club Tijuana, securing a 3-1 victory in front of their home crowd at Subaru Park. Julian Carranza played a crucial role in powering the Union to victory, contributing to all three goals.
The Union had the advantage from the start, playing on home turf against a Tijuana team that had traveled nearly 3,000 miles. Furthermore, Tijuana had only played three games in Liga MX’s Apertura, while the Union were in midseason form.
In the 18th minute, Carranza was tripped in the penalty box by Tijuana’s Nicolás DÃaz, resulting in a penalty opportunity. Dániel Gazdag made no mistake from the spot, converting his 13th goal across all competitions. The incident also led to DÃaz receiving a red card, reducing Tijuana to ten men.
Carranza then found the back of the net in the 23rd minute, capitalizing on a feed from defender Kai Wagner. Initially flagged as offside, the VAR review overturned the decision, increasing the Union’s lead to 2-0.
Carranza completed his brace in the 71st minute, securing the Union’s victory. He almost netted a hat-trick but was denied by a clearance near the goal line and a shot that hit the crossbar in stoppage time.
Despite being down to nine men, Tijuana managed ten shots in the first half, forcing Union goalkeeper Andre Blake to make three saves. Blake made a crucial diving stop just before half-time to preserve the Union’s 2-0 lead.
In the early stages of the second half, Carlos González scored for Tijuana, reducing the Union’s lead to 2-1. However, Blake redeemed himself by saving a penalty opportunity from González after a foul by Union defender Olivier Mbaizo in the box. Mbaizo received a warning earlier, and his subsequent foul led to his substitution.
Tijuana’s woes continued as they received their second red card, with Kevin Balanta being sent off in the 56th minute. Manager Miguel Herrera also received a yellow card in the first half.
The Union will conclude their group stage matches in the Leagues Cup against Querétaro at Subaru Park on Wednesday.
The Leagues Cup, an intercontinental competition featuring the top tiers of American and Mexican soccer, includes all 29 MLS teams and all 18 clubs from Liga MX. The tournament follows a World Cup-style format, with a group stage and knockout round.
The Union’s victory against a shorthanded Tijuana side puts them in a strong position in their group, highlighting their potential to challenge the traditionally dominant Mexican teams in the competition.
