Philadelphia Union is back in first place after dominant 2-0 win against conference rivals New York Red Bulls on Saturday night, and just two days after the big result at home, the league announced that a pair of Union players had earned Team of the Matchday honors.
Indiana Vassilev and Olwethu Makhanya both earned a spot on the Team of the Matchday bench, each contributing to a home perfomance that nullified Red Bulls' attack and secured all three points for Philly in front of Union faithful.
Vassilev, the team's 24-year-old midfielder who's in the midst of his first season in Philly, played 87 minutes on Saturday, but one of his most impactful moments came early in the match. In the ninth minute, Vassilev finished a corner with service from Kai Wagner, tapping the ball in for a 1-0 Union lead and his second goal of the year.
Olwethu Makhanya, the team's 21-year-old centerback from South Africa, held it down in the backline with six duels won, six clearances, five recoveries, four interceptions, three successful tackles, and a block. With his effort, the team kept another clean sheet, marking their ninth of the season.
Philadelphia Union's 2-0 win kept their unbeaten streak alive against New York, extending it to 15 matches without a loss across all competitions.
The Boys in Blue wrap up their July home stand with a midweek tilt against CF Montreal on Wednesday, July 16th. The match presented by Language Services Associates will kick off at 7:30PM ET with tickets available for purchase by clicking here.
