The midsummer friendly meant little to the Philadelphia Union. The team knew that going in. Their usual stars would not be on the pitch. Neither would the standouts for their opponents, the English Premier League's Crystal Palace, who are in the preseason.
And when Wednesday night came around, neither team could capitalize on opportunities at Talen Energy Stadium. However, the 0-0 draw did provide opportunities for young players to showcase themselves.
After the first half, the highlights of which were three saves by goalkeeper John McCarthy, coach Jim Curtin huddled a group that included rookie midfielder Cole Missimo and rookie defender Taylor Washington, both of whom were selected in this year's MLS SuperDraft but had yet to see minutes for the Union.