When the 2020 MLS regular season schedule dropped in January, Sporting Kansas City and the Philadelphia Union were set to meet for an interconference matchup on May 16 at Talen Energy Stadium.
The ongoing suspension of the MLS campaign has prompted Saturday’s fixture to be postponed, but that won’t stop us from revisiting Sporting’s best moments in what has been an evenly matched series against the Union. For the record, Manager Peter Vermes’ men own a 7-6-6 edge in the series across all competitions.
On our newest stroll down memory lane, let’s look back at five of the club’s greatest wins over Philadelphia.
Sporting 2-0 Philadelphia Union (July 11, 2012 | Open Cup Semifinals)
Sporting’s 2012 campaign was defined by its historically stingy defensive record—the club allowed a measly 27 goals in 34 regular season matches—as well as its Open Cup championship. The penultimate stop on Sporting’s run to the title was a tricky trip to Philadelphia, which saw Jacob Peterson give the visitors a 65th-minute lead before Graham Zusi’s midfield belter nestled into an empty net in stoppage time to seal the momentous triumph.
Sporting 3-1 Philadelphia Union (March 2, 2013)
The 2013 regular season began and ended in Philadelphia, with Sporting emerging victorious both times. The curtain raiser narrowly beats out the finale for the mere fact that Sporting came from behind and bagged three goals. Zusi, Uri Rosell and Claudio Bieler found the back of the net as Vermes’ side took its first step toward an MLS Cup championship.
Sporting 3-2 Philadelphia Union (April 5, 2015)
This Easter Sunday classic saw Philadelphia take the lead on two occasions, only to succumb to Sporting’s incessant pressure over the course of the night. Trailing 2-1 entering second-half stoppage time, Jalil Anibaba drew the hosts level to set the stage for a dramatic finish. With 94 minutes on the clock, Krisztian Nemeth latched onto Benny Feilhaber’s corner kick and tapped past Philadelphia keeper Rais Mbolhi, netting the 1,000th goal in club history and, more importantly, clinching a wild 3-2 win.
Sporting 1-1 (7-6) Philadelphia Union (Sept. 30, 2015 | Open Cup Final)
Alas, the no-brainer. In 2004, 2012 and 2017, Sporting had the luxury of playing the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final on home soil. That wasn't the case this time around, and a hotly contested match hung in the balance for 120 minutes at Talen Energy Stadium. Sebastien Le Toux had given the hosts a first-half lead, but Nemeth’s curling strike restored parity near the hour mark. The game ultimately ended all square at 1-1, prompting what would become an epic shootout.
Goalkeeper Tim Melia turned away Andrew Wenger's shot in the eighth round of spot kicks, opening the door for newly acquired midfielder Jordi Quintilla to bring the Open Cup back to Kansas City. The young Spaniard, just 21 at the time, had played less than 200 minutes for Sporting the entire season. Yet the weight of the moment did not deter Quintilla, who wrong-footed John McCarthy and calmly slotted low into the net.
Sporting 2-0 Philadelphia Union (March 10, 2019)
An electric home opener at Children’s Mercy Park resulted in a 2-0 win for the hosts, highlighted by an early Ilie Sanchez penalty kick and a late own goal. The Union would go on to enjoy their best season in club history, notably securing their first postseason win, but the trip to Kansas City was less than fruitful for head coach Jim Curtin’s side.
