Philadelphia Union 0, New York Red Bulls 2 | 2017 MLS Match Recap

The New York Red Bulls knocked off their I-95 rivals the Philadelphia Union 2-0 at Talen Energy Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as a 53rd-minute red card to Derrick Jones enabled the visitors to dominate the second half before Bradley Wright-Phillips struck for two late goals.

Philadelphia were unlucky not to take a lead into halftime, with Chris Pontius in particular unable to finish two glorious chances. But Jones' ejection forced the home side into a shell and their resistance was broken in the dying minutes as BWP poked home twice from short range.

RBNY's English striker has now scored four goals in his last four league games. The loss is Philly's third straight, leaving May's four-game winning run receding in the rearview mirror.

Goals

87' – NY – Bradley Wright-Phillips Watch
90+2' – NY – Bradley Wright-Phillips Watch

Three Things

BWP on the W-A-Y U-P: It's been an uneven campaign for the Red Bulls, including their star scorer. The only striker in MLS history with two 20+ goal seasons, Wright-Phillips' productivity fell off this spring as RBNY struggled, and for most of Sunday's game it looked like another frustrating occasion. But his resilience paid off, and he's now netted as many goals in the past four games as he had in the previous 12.

FELIPE FLASHPOINT
: What is it about
Felipe
? RBNY's Brazilian central midfielder perennially ranks among the most-fouled players in MLS, and he also tends to wind up at the center of contentious moments like
Sunday's red card
. Is he a master of the dark arts, or just a hard worker at the center of the action?

I believe that's the 5th red (or retroactive suspension) Felipe's earned on an opponent this year. In 16 games. #PHIvNY
— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) June 18, 2017

MORE NEEDED IN PHILLY: The Union attack's reliance on crosses can distort their passing stats in the attacking end (as can a red card). But a glance at Sunday's numbers shows a lack of precision in forward areas. Postgame, coach Jim Curtin maintained that chance creation isn't a problem, but one goal in the past three games suggests that adjustments may be in the offing.

Next Up

PHI: Saturday, June 24 – vs. D.C. United (7 pm ET | MLS LIVE)
NY: Saturday, June 24 – vs. New York City FC (1:30 pm ET | FOX, FOX Deportes in US, MLS LIVE in Canada)

Charles Boehm -

@cboehm