PBP: 2022 MLS Cup: Los Angeles FC vs. Union, November 5, 2022 p/d/p

End of regular time: 2-2 tie
No score in overtime
Union win penalties as Blake stops two
Same effect on Garber - although I might add that in his delirium he declares LAFC the winner for the good of the league and the referee gives him a red card

 

The rest of the team is on their way!

We’re flying out over 180 members of our front office, stadium & academy staff out to LA for #MLSCup #DOOP pic.twitter.com/bio1ryJzjN

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) November 4, 2022

 

Union win 3 - 2.

LAFC get audited after the season and some "irregularities" and creative accounting are found. Garber feigns being shocked. LAFC gets a slap on the wrist that would make PSG and Man City executives smile.

 

I had no idea that the Union had that many people working for them.

 

The Dream Final 🏆

📝👉 https://t.co/Azobqg9Vwc#StartingXI | #LAFCvPHI | #DOOP | @MLS pic.twitter.com/HSxzb3yRld

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) November 5, 2022

 

This match...Holy moley.


Going into extra time. I feel good about our chances, but this could end in heartbreak.

 

this is Philly

 

Step one complete.

 

Is that not a red? I know he is injured but rules are rules

 

Blake substituted for helmet years ago for penalties in the open cup. You can't write this finish.

 

This sucks.

I guess I'll dust myself off and subject myself to 3 or 4 more hours of emotional roller-coaster riding in hopes that I have the opportunity to do it again tomorrow.

 

A man up, they should have kept the ball in LAFCs end. Why Bale could score, I will never understand.

 

4 for 4 on watching this club lose in cup finals. I'll never learn, lol.

 

The best defense in the league couldn't keep a 10 man LAFC from scoring with a minute and a half left.

That's so Union.

 

Brutal....Just.PHUCKING.BRUTAL!

That's so Union.

This hurts worse than the USOC finals losses at Home. They were the legit better team today. They wore LAFC's team of millionaires out, but the Man Bun....the ultimate FU Money mercenary signing of them all....and then to lose to with a former Union cult hero in their goal.....I wish they lost 4-0. That would have been much easier to stomach.

I'm sure there are fans lambasting Martinez on social media right now, and on PSP. The guy plays with his heart on his sleeve. Yes he commits turnovers, and the odd bad foul. I'd rather he's on our team than another team. He had the courage to step up and take a penalty in that spot. It didn't go his way, them's the breaks.

The Union will look different next season. I hope we don't have to wait another 13 years for a chance to win MLS Cup.

 

Pigeon fans are out talking a lot of trash for some reason.

 

The effort was there, but the quality in the end was not. They should have won. The way it ended was indeed so Union, and the day overall was so Philly.

The Union will lose some players in the off-season, but will the front office be left hungry enough after getting this close to overcome their old ways? They’re not just going to need adequate replacements, but some upgrades if they want to take that next step. I’m not talking about taking the Toronto FC approach, but what I do have in mind is not being bottom half of the league in total salary. I would love a deep run into the CCL, but again they will need a step up in quality.

Side note: I’m old enough to remember that every time people say “what a great time it is in Philly for sports” it ends up not turning out well after all is said and done. Withhold that judgement until championships are actually won.

 

I have not read a review of the game and probably never will. Other than Big Soccer I will stay away from MLS / Union news until February.

My brother and I are heading to the World Cup on December 1. I can't wait for the US MNT to disappoint me.

Have a great day everyone.

 

MLS media has been frothing at the mouth LA won. But I know that won’t come to a surprise to you.

 

Let them. With just a small subset of exceptions, MLS media are actually quite lame and small potatoes.

 

This. I would have preferred a 6-0 loss than have hope.

Speaking of the match.

The Philly Sports Trips tailgate was pretty good. The Union fans drank all of the beer, and the liquor pours were pure liquor, with the soda and juice used for coloring only. It was also nice being able to talk about the Union and obscure Union facts and figures with everyone else knowing the exact moment, match, season, etc. you're talking about.

It was just nice having a match on the west coast and being surrounded by other Union fans. I'm so accustomed to being one of the 8 Union fans in a stadium, sitting solo, etc. for the Galaxy, lafc, Chivas USA, Dynamo, Dallas, Rapids matches.



It was funny seeing the Union fans see the 3252 in the flesh. This was my third time seeing the Union at the banc of california stadium (should have been 4th, but was moving during the Union/lafc regular season match this season) and they are the most impressive supporters group in the US. It's loud and the whole stadium is chanting with them (even during the regular season game, not just the MLS Cup). So I think a good amount of fans were mesmerized by them before snapping back to reality and the match.

lafc did something hilarious during the match. At the start of the match to halftime, they had about 50 security guards between the Union fans and lafc fans. At halftime, they all left, and didn't return. So the stadium was quite spicy. Not as spicy as the 2011 Gold Cup Final at the Rose Bowl, but close. Mainly because bottles and cans are banned at the banc of california stadium, where as they aren't at the Rose Bowl.

Also, why our lafc fans the trashiest fans in MLS? The 3252 and lafc fans are continually, the only groups of fans in MLS to throw trash on the field when something isn't going their way, or when they're scored on. Timbers Army, Empires Supporters Club, NYCFC fans, El Batalion, etc. Its always just lafc fans. And nothing is ever done about it, and yet it occurs during every important match when something doesn't go right.

Anyways, I turned off my phone the second LAFC scored the final penalty.

The final 15 minutes inside Banc of California Stadium was the most debilitating, gut wrenching, heartbreaking, painful moment of my life.

I was on the verge of tears from hopping on the bus leaving the stadium to making the 7 hour drive back after the match to Scottsdale and just sitting and eating In N Out with my fiancé.

I think every Union fan thought we were actually going to win the cup after the third goal. Up a goal, up a man, and we're not playing complete bunker defense.

Every Union fan had a 1000 yard stare after the match.

The bus ride back to the pick up/drop off location for Union fans was one of the most depressing experiences in my life. You could hear a pin drop. It was pure silence. The drive back to Scottsdale after the match, I couldn't even listen to the Phillies or the U of A Football game.

Even while sleeping, I had a nightmare about the game.

I genuinely thought we were gonna win.

On the positive side, at least I won "Most Obscure Union Jersey."

Nice meeting some Union fans here. The 2010 gold Michael Orozco Fiscal kit (on the right here) wins my “most obscure shirt” award for the day. pic.twitter.com/MQgTawPvpg

— Philly Soccer Page (@phillysoccerpg) November 5, 2022

But I don't think I'll ever have the strength to rewatch the match or even look an any of the highlights from the match.

4 Cup Finals lost on top of 3 SemiFinals. This team is just cursed. I know PPL/Talen Energy/Subaru Park was built on top of nuclear waste, but we need to see if it was built on top of a Native American burial ground.

We're pretty much the Buffalo Bills, Phoenix Suns, the Flyers (since 1976) of MLS. At least the Revs have won the US Open Cup.

I can't wait for tomorrow's Champions League draw, because I'm a sick person. And I can't wait for next year's schedule to be released, so I can book my next couple of away days and another visit to Chester, because why not torture myself some more.

I really did think we had it won after the third goal.

 

You, me, and every player on the pitch for the Union it seems...

 

Yep.

 

Was great to see the turnout at the Soob. The emotions were overwhelming. When Jacob scored in ET, oh my.
But at the end, as said above - you could hear a pin drop. It was interesting they actually tuned off the sound from the tv feed.
I was just physically and emotionally drained for the rest of the night.
Just gut wrenching.