(US Open Cup 2014) Philadelphia Union 2v1 New York Cosmos

Tuesday 24th June 2014

PPL Park, Pennysylvania   Attendance 3,846

The Cosmos' US Open Cup run ended in controversial circumstances after an extra time penalty gave MLS side Philadelphia Union a narrow win. The game ended on a sour note with 3 men sent off and 2 members of the Cosmos staff also having to leave the field as tempers flared.

During the 90mins the better chances fell to the home side, Le Toux had the first real chance of the game from a corner, but off balance he fired over the bar. In the early stages the best chances were coming via set pieces and at the other end Roversio had an opportunity  at the far post from a corner, but could not find the target with his header.

The MLS side should have taken the lead on 24mins  after a rare defensive mix up between Mendes and Roversio, but Wenger fluffed his lines when handed the opportunity to break the deadlock. The Cosmos midfield, already missing Senna, was further depleted when Nane went off injured and Union were finishing the half the stronger side and Maurer had to stretch to stop a Maidana effort after Ayoze was caught out of position.

Slightly against the run of play Cosmos took the lead in the 2nd half when Noselli produced a neat dink over the Union Keeper after good work from Szetela. Cosmos had barely stopped celebrating when Wenger made a determined run down the right wing. His low cross was not cut out by Maurer and Le Toux was left with a simple tap in to wipe out the Cosmos goal straight away.

Union's full back Fabinho was spending more time making forward runs, and he should have had an assist when his delivery found Wenger, but again Wenger failed to find the finish.

The game went flat and with no further score moved into extra time. Cosmos had an appeal for a penalty in the only real action of the 1st period of extra time when Stokkelien was barged down from behind, but much to the fury of the Cosmos bench, no penalty was given. A member of the Cosmos coaching staff was sent off after protesting too aggressively, but Cosmos temperatures went through the roof when Union were awarded a let penalty when Ockford was adjudged to have pulled down Edu after a long throw into the box.

Le Toux converted the penalty with just 5mins remaining of extra time to settle the tie.

Another member of the Cosmos staff was sent off and he was joined soon after by Ayoze, Ockford and Lahoud after a scuffle in the corner of the pitch involving several players.