FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In a compelling MLS showdown on Saturday night, Tai Baribo and Jovan Lukic powered the Philadelphia Union to a decisive 2-0 victory over the New England Revolution. Baribo, marking his sixth goal of the season, continued his impressive run, while Lukic celebrated his first career MLS goal.
An impeccable beginning to the season sees Philadelphia triumph in its opening three matches, marking the best start in the club’s history. The Union spearheads the league’s offensive efforts with a ten-goal tally, and their remarkable plus-seven goal differential ranks them among the top four in league history at this early stage.
The New England Revolution, however, have faced a challenging start, failing to score in any of their first three matches while managing only four shots on target this season. Despite these struggles, they maintained a slight edge in possession with 53%, though they were significantly outshot at 18 to 9 and managed only a single shot on goal.
Baribo etched his name alongside Ante Razov’s record from 1999 with a remarkable goal in the 76th minute. A precise ball from Kai Wagner from the right flank found Baribo, who expertly converted it with a header that bounced past the New England goalkeeper, positioning Philadelphia in the lead.
Lukic doubled the advantage deep into stoppage time. Seizing a backward pass from Indiana Vassilev, the Serbian midfielder unleashed a powerful one-touch strike from the edge of the area, ricocheting off the post and into the net.
In New England’s camp, goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic showcased his skills with six key saves. Yet, the Revolution’s offensive woes were compounded by Leo Campana’s unfortunate injury early in the match. The forward, acquired from Inter Miami for a record-setting MLS trade fee of $2.5 million in General Allocation Money, signaled for substitution moments after missing a shot wide, leading to a swift replacement by Maxi Urruti in the 10th minute.
With these developments, Philadelphia continues its commanding streak, leaving New England to regroup and strategize their way forward in the ongoing season.
