Philadelphia outlasts St. Louis 1-0

Chester, PA

March 22, 2025

With St. Louis City S.C. taking on the Philadelphia Union in their first-ever match-up, it was bound to be a physical game, even without the likes of Olwethu Makhanya (red card), and Daniel Gazdag, Tai Baribo, Jesus Bueno, Frankie Westfield, and Andre Blake (international duty) in the line-up. If 25 is the average number of fouls called in an MLS game, Saturday’s game was well above average with a total of 36 called for the game. In this type of match, it would be entirely unsurprising to see a red card issued.

There was but one goal in the game and it was owned by the Philadelphia Union. It occurred early on, scored in the 8th minute by the Argentine, Ian Glavinovich. The back story is that Saturday’s game was the first start for the center back, who is on a one-year loan from Newell’s Old Boys. For 2025, Glavinovich has logged a grand total of 77 minutes in two games for the Union. Glavinovich’s goal was his first for the Union and the MLS – a header to the center-left side of the goal off of a corner and assist from Kai Wagner. The Union spent the remaining 82 minutes trying to hold onto the one-goal advantage, and hold on they did.

The game would not have been complete without some sort of refereeing controversy. The spat occurred at the 66th minute when red was shown – following a second yellow card – to St. Louis’s Eduard Löwen. Lowen’s second transgression was a kick of the game ball after a called St. Louis foul although, being down a goal, Lowen’s intent could not have been to delay the game.

The game ended with Philadelphia the victor with a score of 1-0. With that result, Philadelphia returned to first place in the MLS East table.

Photographs of the game appear below:

Philadelphia’s Glavinovich is all smiles after scoring his first MLS goal.