Philadelphia Union came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory over CF Montréal on Saturday at Stade Saputo, overturning a first-half deficit with a sharper and more assertive display after the interval.
Montréal looked set to take control when Iván Jaime opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, rewarding the home side for an energetic start. The hosts were organized without the ball and carried a clear threat whenever they moved forward, edging in front before halftime and taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
That first half, though, only told part of the story. Philadelphia steadily grew into the fixture and emerged from halftime with greater urgency, asking more questions of Montréal’s back line and moving the ball into dangerous areas with more consistency. Their pressure paid off in the 55th minute when Japhet Sery rose to score with a header, bringing the Union level and shifting the momentum decisively.
From there, the visitors looked the more likely side to find a winner. Philadelphia finished with 15 shots to Montréal’s 7 and put 6 efforts on target compared to the home side’s 4, numbers that reflected their improved control in the second half. With possession essentially even, it was the Union’s extra incision in the final third that made the difference.
The winning moment arrived in the 70th minute through Jesús Bueno, who completed the turnaround with Philadelphia’s second goal of the afternoon. Montréal pushed to respond, but the Union managed the closing stages well, even in a physical contest that produced a string of bookings on both sides.
There was plenty of bite to the match throughout. Montréal saw Thomas Gillier booked in the 22nd minute, with Prince Owusu following in the 37th and Victor Loturi in the 43rd. Sery, despite his equalizer, went into the book in first-half stoppage time, while Olwethu Makhanya, Bruno Damiani and Jovan Lukic were also cautioned for the visitors after the break.
For Montréal, the defeat stung because the platform was there after Jaime’s 23rd-minute opener. But the second half belonged to Philadelphia, whose response showed resilience and attacking purpose on the road. Sery’s 55th-minute header restored parity, and Bueno’s 70th-minute strike ensured all three points headed back with the visitors.
In the end, this was a comeback built on second-half authority. Montréal struck first through Iván Jaime in the 23rd minute, but Philadelphia Union answered through Japhet Sery in the 55th and Jesús Bueno in the 70th to leave Stade Saputo with a deserved 2-1 MLS win.
