Philadelphia Union advance to Eastern Conference finals

Philadelphia, which is unbeaten at Subaru Park this year, will face the winner of Sunday’s New York City FC-Montreal match in the conference finals.

Associated Press

October 20, 2022

Philadelphia Union's Leon Flach (center) celebrates his goal with teammates during the second half of an MLS playoff soccer match against FC Cincinnati, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, in Chester, Pa. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Leon Flach scored his first goal of the season on Thursday night in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and the top-seeded Philadelphia Union beat fifth-seeded Cincinnati 1-0.

Philadelphia, which is unbeaten at Subaru Park this year (13-0-5), will face the winner of Sunday’s New York City FC-Montreal match in the conference finals.

Flach scored in the 59th minute. Mikael Uhre beat two defenders to a loose ball in front of the net and sent it to the penalty spot for Flach’s one-touch finish.

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Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake recorded his 16th clean sheet of the season. Blake made five saves, including a diving stop of Brandon Vazquez’s breakaway shot in the 83rd.

Cincinnati, coming off a win over the New York Red Bulls, was seeking to become the third expansion team in MLS history to advance in its first two postseason rounds.

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