CHESTER, PA – Three second half goals helped steer the Philadelphia Union to a 4-0 victory over Alianza of El Salvador in the second leg of the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday night at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.
With the result, the Union claim a 4-0 win on aggregate and advance to the quarterfinals of the SCCL for the second time in their history.
It was a tight, intense start to the affair, with the two sides feeling each other out, but not managing to create any major scoring chances.
The game would then tilt in the Union’s favor shortly before halftime, as Alianza DF Alexis Renderos was sent off for a second yellow card, reducing the Salvadorans to 10 men.
It was just the lift that Philadelphia needed, as a corner kick swung in met the rising Damion Lowe, who headed into net for a 1-0 lead in the 45+1’.
Philadelphia were keen to find a second goal as soon as possible and it arrived in the 62’ when Daniel Gazdag converted from the penalty spot to increase the lead to 2-0.
With a two-goal advantage and up a man, the Union could play to their liking and continued to pelt the Alianza goal with a bevy of shots.
The third goal arrived in the 81’, with Quinn Sullivan finding an open Andres Perea, who fired back across goal and into net for a 3-0 lead.
Perea then tacked on a second goal just three minutes later in the 84’ to complete the 4-0 scoreline.
