Carranza brace helps Union survive furious Atlas rally | OneFootball

Carranza brace helps Union survive furious Atlas rally

GUADALAJARA – Julian Carranza scored twice to help the Philadelphia Union survive a furious comeback attempt from Liga MX side Atlas in a 2-2 draw in the second leg of the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday night at the Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Thanks to their 1-0 home win in the first leg, combined with Wednesday night’s result, the Philadelphia Union advance to the SCCL semifinals for the second time in their history with a 3-2 victory on aggregate. Philadelphia Union will meet fellow MLS side Los Angeles FC in the semifinals.

A roaring crowd in Guadalajara greeted the two teams and the support of the home fans had Atlas flying.

The players repaid the favor almost immediately in the 11’, as the red-hot Julian Quinones scored his third goal of the 2023 SCCL by finishing off a one-two-combination with Jonathan Herrera for a 1-0 Atlas lead that evened the aggregate score at 1-1.

The Union would respond with a massive away goal in the 28’ thanks to an inch-perfect pass from Jack McGlynn into Carranza, who did well to control and finish to make it a 1-1 affair.

The Philadelphia goal meant Atlas needed two goals and they came within a whisker of pulling a goal back on aggregate and taking the lead in the game in the 35’, but Philadelphia Union GK Andre Blake saved when left one-on-one with Quinones.

It was a breathtaking pace between the two teams and minutes after the Union spoiled a chance in front of the Atlas goal, a fantastic run from Herrera set up Julio Furch, who pushed the ball into net to make it 2-1 to Atlas at the break.

The tempo was just as intense to start the second stanza, and right when it looked like Atlas would get the decisive goal in the series, Philadelphia came up with a big moment, as Leon Flach slipped a pass into Carranza, who finished to even the score at 2-2 in the 78’.

Atlas refused to go down without a fight and Quinones looked set to score his second in the 86’ via header, only to see the ball sail wide. Another Quinones chance fell by the wayside in second half stoppage time, bringing an end to the scoring chances on the night and sealing Philadelphia’s semifinal place.