After giving NYCFC everything they had with a squad missing five starters and six reserves, the Philadelphia Union’s Eastern Conference final and the ensuing MLS Cup final were always going to be a painful exercise in “what if.”
Seeing NYCFC lift the MLS Cup trophy in Portland yesterday after their goalkeeper saved the first two penalties he faced in the shootout to decide the champion, however, only added more salt to that still fresh wound.
The team the Union had played well enough to grab a 1-0 lead against in the 63rd minute in the conference final were the champions of the league and had earned a berth into the 2022 Concacaf Champions League.