(Photo courtesy of concacaf.com)
Down a goal at home to Club América, with four minutes to go in regulation, second-half substitute Indiana Vassilev had the Philadelphia Union’s best chance of the night to score. Milan Iloski forced a rare Union turnover in América’s defensive end, which left Vassilev, among other Union players, with a sitter at the top of the box against reserve keeper Rodolfo Cota.
Once again, the shot went high and wide.
For the third game in a row, the Philadelphia Union failed to score a goal in the run of play.
Meanwhile, Raphael Veiga’s first-half strike handed Club América a vital 1-0 road win in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 in front of pro-América crowd at Subaru Park Tuesday night. Following a recent trend of conceding early, the Union played from behind, attempting to push a faster tempo in a game that was controlled by defensive structure and strategy. It just wasn’t the Union’s.
Spurred on by an energetic fanbase that filled the parking lots hours before kickoff and a majority of the stadium, Club América, Mexico’s most-popular club, responded to the home atmosphere away from home by using a patient, organized defensive structure, then pouncing on the counter attack. But it wasn’t until the 20th minute when the visitors put their stamp on the game. Driving down the left-hand side, Brian Rodriguez broke through the Union lines after a Patricio Salas layoff and slipped a pass to striker Raphael Veiga, the longtime Palmeiras player who joined América on loan a few weeks ago. Veiga’s first touch bounced up, but he still smashed a volley off the underside of the bar and into the upper netting for the game’s only goal.
Club América scores first. Raphael Viega finishes off a strong build up.
— Backyard Pitches (@BackyardPitches) March 10, 2026
pic.twitter.com/Jrzf0kpN1A
U.S. international Alex Zendejas had a chance less than five minutes later, cutting in from the right side, but his curling shot missed the far post. Zendejas, who recently returned from a lengthy absence due to injury, last appeared for the U.S. against Japan in September.
In the 31st minute, the Union had a great opportunity off a free kick from the left. Jovan Lukic curled a delivery to the far post, resulting in a Union touch that skied across the box. América broke free on the ensuing counter and Zendejas finished the drive with a shot that slipped through Andrew Rick’s hands and trickled wide of the goal before Rick could scoop it up.
América keeper and captain Luis Malagón suffered an unfortunate non-contact injury in the 36th minute when he slipped on the turf on an attempted clearance. Medical personnel carried Malagón out on a stretcher, and Coach Andre Jardine later mentioned a suspected Achilles injury, which would rule Malagón out of the FIFA World Cup, a devastating blow for Mexico as they prepare to host for the first time since 1986, when they won their group and advanced to the quarterfinals. Malagón moved into Mexico’s number one position last summer and secured a victory in the Nations League, earning the tournament’s Golden Glove. Rodolfo Cota replaced Malagón and preserved the clean sheet.
The Union’s best attack in the first half came two minutes into stoppage time when Sullivan slipped a ball into the box for Alladoh to make an easy turn, but the striker’s shot deflected high for a corner.
“I’m frustrated for the guys,” Union coach Bradley Carnell said after the game about the Union’s lack of finishing, “they’re working so hard to get these moments. You can see it starting to click, starting to work, and we’re getting some sort of penetration through the sides, and getting some dangerous crosses in, but everything but a goal.”
Trying to inject some life into his team’s press, Bradley Carnell made two subs at halftime. Frankie Westfield replaced Sullivan at the outside ten, a questionable move that did assert more high defensive pressure in the playoff loss to NYCFC last season, but with the front four’s inability to trap the ball in América’s defensive end for much of the game, the change removed an attacking option and the team’s last goal scorer in open play, nearly 270-plus minutes ago. Westfield had the Union’s only shot on target, which came in the 74th minute.
Damiani replaced Alladoh, who aside from his first game in Trinidad and his red card against D.C. United, has been rather quiet since his arrival this season, adjusting to a new team, a new style, and a new environment. Carnell used a 1-3 at the top as opposed to his traditional 2-2 in an attempt to free more space for Alladoh to run in behind the defenders. “He’s still getting up to speed with everything,” Carnell said about Alladoh’s transition. “He’s twenty, let’s not forget that. We know we put a lot of weight on his shoulders, but we’re also realistic with his trajectory and his pathway.”
Throughout the game, América used a tactic proven effective by NYCFC, spreading out the front line and finding the gaps all over the field, which made it difficult for the Union to trap, especially when they needed to raise their hunting and trapping, and América spent much of the second half managing Union’s assertiveness with very few disruptions.
Augustín Anello had a chance in the 60th minute when he cut inside from the left, missing the target high and wide. América had a similar chance from Sanchez two minutes later with the same result. In the 70th minute, Salas put a fine rollback meg on Olewethu Makhanya to break free down the left, and his cross found Veiga in stride, however Rick made the save to keep the hosts in it late. Thirty seconds later, Westfield picked out Damiani in the box, and after a favorable bounce, the Union striker’s volley went high and wide.
Philadelphia 🆚 Club América
— Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) March 11, 2026
📹 Match Highlights pic.twitter.com/Joo9ouRpmC
After Vassilev’s golden chance at the end, the Union played stoppage time ping pong in the box with shots from Harriel, Damiani, and Iloski all blocked and cleared away.
“The game is built in little moments,” Iloski said after the game. “I think we’re doing enough to score goals, and it’s just getting the first one to go in.” Iloski had a great preseason, with multiple-goal games, which carried over into the first road win against Defense Force FC, but he’s also yet to find the net since. “It feels right now like it’s never going to, but we have to believe that it is. There’s probably a lot of frustration from fans and people, but I promise we’re doing everything we can throughout the week to improve and try getting some goals.”
América used up many second half minutes with a series of delay tactics, cramping muscles, extra balls on the field, and the minor foul that looked like a trip to the ER, but in the end they deserved the road win and now have a huge advantage heading into the second leg in Mexico City a week from now.
When asked what the Union will need to do to advance, Nate Harriel said, “First and foremost, we have to keep a clean sheet down there. We can’t give up another one.” Harriel, who wore the captain’s armband kept the distinction simple. “Execute when we have our chance and put it away. Tonight, they had one chance in the first half, and they put it in the back of the net.”
Lineups
Union: Rick, Harriel, Martinez (Danley 63’), Makhanya, Ndinga (Sery 81’), Lukic, Bueno, Sullivan (Westfield 45’), Anello (Vassilev 62’), Iloski, Alladoh (Damiani 45’)
Unused Subs: Blake, Marks, Bedoya, Rafanello, Bender, Korzeniowski, Jakupovic
Club América: Malagon (Cota 42’), Reyes, Caceres, Mejia, Borja, Rodriguez (Zuñiga 80’), Dourado, Sánchez, Salas (Dos Santos 80’), Zendejas (Gutiérrez 67’), Viega (Lima 67’)
Unused Subs: Tapia, Álvarez, Cervantes, Araujo, Espinosa. Juárez, Vazquez
