Two weeks ago the Philadelphia Union destroyed Sporting Kansas City, 4-0. Sporting sure didn't forget that on Wednesday night at PPL Park, where they took down the Union, 2-0, in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals to move within one win away from their first trophy since 2004.
Sporting's defense was fantastic from the beginning and left the Union without any options on the rare occasion that they did get going forward. It was a far cry from the defense that gave up four to Philadelphia a couple weeks ago, and in the second half it paid off.
After a scoreless first half, Jacob Peterson got Sporting a deserved lead in the 65th minute when he got on the end of a long ball from Graham Zusi. C.J. Sapong then almost doubled that lead right away, but his shot hit the bar and the Kansas City lead was still just 1-0.
Down a goal, Philadelphia remembered what direction they were supposed to attack and finally started to make the Kansas City defense work. But every time the Union came forward Sporting turned them back.
With the Union pressing for a late equalizer, Zac MacMath pushed further and further up the pitch to try to help the attack. That burned him when Zusi spotted him off his line and knocked the ball in from 50 yards to clinch the semifinal win.
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