The Philadelphia Union brought a depleted squad to Columbus to face the Crew and the result was a predictable 4-1 Crew victory over the struggling Union. Columbus swept the season series last year and it looks like we can expect similar results this season. The Union were missing leading scorer Fernando Aristeguieta and midfielder Vincent Nogueira due to injury and midfielder Zach Pfeffer is in Austria with the U.S. U-20 team. The match was played in cold and rainy conditions and aside from a decent opening fifteen minutes it was not a good night for the Union.

Kei Kamara opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a goal that seemed to deflate the Union, and Columbus began seizing control of the match for good. Ethan Finlay scored the first of his two goals in the 32nd minute and Justin Meram scored in the 44th minute, effectively ending the contest. Meram’s goal was particularly tough as Union goalkeeper John McCarthy was able to get his hands on the shot but awkwardly deflected it into the net.

Jim Curtin tried changing the Union’s fortunes by inserting rookie Eric Ayuk Mbu for Andrew Wenger to start the second half. The move paid dividends as Ayuk’s speed and energy provided a new spark and resulted in him scoring his first career goal in the 64th minute. Ayuk, just 5’7, out-jumped the Columbus defense to head home a C.J. Sapong cross, and Ayuk proceeded to celebrate in style with several backflips. Finlay would finish off the scoring in the 73rd minute, ending any hopes of a Union comeback.

Union coach Curtin implied there could be several lineup changes for next week’s game against Toronto FC, including replacing McCarthy with Andre Blake. This move would hardly be a reflection of McCarthy’s performance, though he has made some rookie mistakes. Philadelphia falls to 1-5-3 (6 points) and is in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, ahead of Toronto and Montreal. Philadelphia has played as many games as Toronto and Montreal combined (nine) due to scheduling and other reasons. Poor play from key players and a severe lack of depth are quickly threatening to derail a season in which the Union had hoped to return to the playoffs. A win Saturday at home over Toronto is almost a must at this point.