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Another Beautiful Call from Dave Leno as Union Score in 98th Minute and Extend Unbeaten Streak to 12 Games
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The Union scored deep into stoppage time on Saturday night to take all three points from Charlotte FC:
Dave Leno should get some love around these parts. He calls these games with enthusiasm you don’t see elsewhere. And the energy is warranted because the Union haven’t lost since April 12th and are now on an unbeaten streak that includes 10 games in league play and two games in the U.S. Open Cup. It’s a stretch of eight wins, three draws, and a draw that saw the Union advance on penalty kicks. Their last defeat was a 1-0 road loss on the fake soccer field at Yankee Stadium against NYC FC.
The goal scorers on Saturday night, by the way, were the third-choice defensive midfielder and a Union 2 player who hadn’t logged a single minute for the senior team before this game. Markus Anderson was signed last year from the Spanish third division and only played three times for the U in 2024. He’s essentially the 5th or 6th forward on the depth chart, depending on how you view some of the hybrid midfielders that would get striker minutes before him, like Indiana Vassilev Saturday night, for instance. Also shout out to Cavan Sullivan for totally whiffing on his shot attempt and “dummying” the ball for Anderson to finish.
This arc is a perfect snapshot of the Union’s 2025 season. They did not have a couple of key guys in this game due to international absences and injuries, and they just plugged and played anyway. Jesus Bueno is not a goal scorer, yet he bangs home a half volley from outside the box. Anderson hadn’t even gotten a minute for the team, and pops up to score the game winner. It seems like no matter who Bradley Carnell puts on the field, they work hard and grind and get results. Now they’re first place in Major League Soccer with 37 points more than halfway through the season, and a serious contender in the Supporters’ Shield race.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com