Four things we learned in the win over the Montreal Impact

The Union returned home Saturday to face a team that has troubled them mightily at home in the past but ended up with a convincing 3-0 win. Here are three things we learned from the game.

Monteiro has proven himself

Jamiro Monteiro was excellent during Saturday’s match. Not even talking about the gorgeous penalty he put past Montreal’s Evan Bush, the 25 year old was on fire. With 36 accurate, connected passes, multiple successful tackles, and the aforementioned goal in the 57th minute.

What more can really be said about Jamiro? He fought and earned his spot in the side over the past few weeks, and I can’t think of anyone who can really take him out of the starting 11. It’s been quite a while since Philly has had a truly solid two-way midfielder. I for one am already a fan, and can’t wait to see what more he can bring.

Haris Medunjanin has forced me to eat my words

Welcome to my new one-time mini-column: Eating my words! Haris Medunjanin has SERIOUSLY stepped up his game in the past few weeks, proving me totally wrong. I was calling for him to be taken out of the side for weeks, now I can’t exactly argue for it anymore. Haris had himself a very solid match on Saturday against Montreal. With a phenomenal 80 completed passes, he controlled the ball for the Union throughout the entire match, and helped propel the team’s attacking moves forward all day. One small note, he did receive a yellow card in the 62nd minute but shhhhhh, it’s okay. (Small note: I, as has been stated before, am not a coward and have never been wrong and will never be wrong about any player except this ONE time.) ((That was sarcasm for those who are ready to murder me.))

This is Bedoya’s team now

Alejandro Bedoya, Philly’s captain, the savior of Cory Burke and the rest of the squad. What else is new? Say what you will about Bedoya’s tenure as a Union player, when he’s played correctly his positioning and instinct are top notch. We’re seeing him flourish as the player he really is at his core this year. When Burke missed an absolute sitter on an entirely open net off a Kai Wagner cross in the 57th minute, it was the captain Bedoya who cashed in with a much tougher shot to put the Union up 3-0. While it was wonderful to see, and I love that Ale is so clutch, the attacking forces HAVE to improve their finishing ASAP. I loved Cory’s earlier goal, but there’s no reason to miss there.

Kai Wagner’s tackle was unacceptable

It feels like week in, week out now I’m mentioning a Union’s players totally ridiculous lack of composure and discipline. It is the 90th minute, your team is up 3-0 and about to win, you have proven yourself a surprisingly effective and valued member of the starting 11, so naturally you fly in on an opposing player with both feet and take out his legs. Wait, what? I couldn’t believe my eyes. Clearly a red on even the first glance (not sure how the ref didn’t give a red card immediately but okay), Kai Wagner is now suspended for the Union’s next match. Unacceptable. Silly. Obviously a sign of inexperience, but none the less unacceptable. The situation did not call for a desperation tackle like that, the technique and timing of the tackle was poor, all signs point to a lack of discipline. Two weeks in a row where a key member of Philadelphia’s defense makes an incredibly poor decision, but this is what you get with a young core. More growing pains. I suppose this means we may get a rare Matt Real first team appearance though, so that’s fun!