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Ordinarily, an opponent getting a straight red card with a half hour to play would be consider a lucky break but the red card shown to Jonathan Perez in the 63rd minute in Nashville Saturday night proved to be the opposite for a Union team that returns home with zero points from their last two after spending most of May and June unbeatable. It wasn’t quite Leo Afonso scoring in stoppage time at Subaru Park but Hany Mukhtar’s penalty in the 11th minute of second half stoppage time still stung.

In the email today:

1. 🪄 Union Come Up Empty in Nashville

By Quentin Hall

The Philadelphia Union dropped their second straight game, falling 1-0 to Nashville SC in a hard-fought battle at GEODIS Park. Just like the first meeting between these two sides earlier this season, it was another frustrating loss for the Union. This time, the match was sealed by a Hany Mukhtar penalty deep into stoppage time.

It was a physical and scrappy game from start to finish, exactly what you’d expect from two teams built on grit and defensive effort. Possession was split 50/50, and both teams showed flashes but struggled to find a consistent rhythm. Nashville had 12 shots with 4 on target, while the Union managed 11 shots and 3 on target. The big difference came in quality chances. Nashville created five big chances, while the Union only had two.

The decisive moment came in the 100th minute. Union defender Olwethu Makahnya tried to break up a play that would’ve left Mukhtar 1-on-1 with Andre Blake. At first, the foul wasn’t called, but after a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot. Mukhtar stepped up and buried it straight down the middle with power. It was a heartbreaking end to a game that the Union had battled in all night.

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2. 🏆 Union II Home Today, USMNT Go for Gold, U.S. Open Cup Wednesday

Following the bad taste of a road loss when up a man in Nashville, Union II will have a chance to bring back the good vibes to Chester in a busy week for the Philadelphia Union organization that also includes a chance for hardware for Quinn Sullivan and Nathan Harriel tonight with the USMNT.

Union II hosts Toronto FC II today at 3 p.m. at Subaru Park.

Though Sullivan, Harriel and their fellow academy alums have not gotten the kind of minutes you would hope the U.S. has a chance to cap a successful Concacaf Gold Cup and add to their trophy cabinet in the final kicking off at 7 p.m. in Houston. The match will be broadcast on FOX.

Wednesday night brings the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup and the Red Bulls traveling down I-95 for the first of two games in Chester this week. A win could set up a quick rematch with Nashville, which hosts D.C. United in the other quarterfinal on the Union’s side of the bracket.

The quicker the Union put Saturday’s night disappointment in the rearview, certainly the better.

3. 🛀🏻 Social Post of the Day: Relax

4. 💧Water Cooler: Reactions

5. 🔗 Link Roundup

• The NPSL Playoffs kick off this week with two games of local interest on Wednesday. West Chester United hosts Electric City Shock and Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals host PA Classics in the Keystone West Conference semis.

• PA Classics topped SJEB FC in an eight-goal thriller at Rowan University on Saturday night to capture the WPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference championship.

• Malik Jakupovic and Jamir Johnson will be representing the Union in the MLS Next All-Star Game on July 21 in Austin. Allentown, Pa. native Andrei Chirila is representing FC Cincinnati.

• Ocean City Nor’easters host long-time rivals Reading United tonight at the Beach House in need of points to keep pace with West Chester United in the Mid-Atlantic standings in USL League Two. The Nor’easters are six points back of first but have two games in hand.

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