FINAL WHISTLE: A fight to the end

Ninety minutes of all-out effort ended in a night to forget as Philadelphia Union fell 3-0 to Houston Dynamo in the 2018 US Open Cup final in Houston on Wednesday night. The Union worked to penetrate a deep-lying Houston defense, but after an early goal from the home side, chances were hard to find. Philly now turns their focus to a likely playoff run after a fighting their way to a third final in five seasons.

Early goal changes complexion of the game

As a purely counterattacking side, the Dynamo benefited from being able to sit back after going ahead in the fourth minute. Houston’s elite speed on the wings opened the game up and after that the home side could hold bodies in the center and…