The Red Bulls struck first, as midfielder Wikelman Carmona opened the scoring in the 8th minute. Philadelphia responded quickly, with Tai Baribo equalizing five minutes later after a precise assist from defender Kai Wagner. The match remained tense until the 71st minute, when New York regained the lead through Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, set up by Daniel Nealis. The Union answered immediately: new signing Milan Iloski scored his first goal for the club in the 74th minute, assisted by Baribo, leveling the contest once again.
The decisive moment arrived in the 89th minute, when defender Olwethu Makhanya found the net, sealing a 3-2 victory and sending the Union into the semifinals. Both Baribo and Makhanya recorded their first career goals in U.S. Open Cup play. For Iloski, it was his fifth career goal in the competition, but his first in Union colors. The Union’s unbeaten streak against the Red Bulls now stretches to 16 matches across all competitions, a run dating back to 2019.
On the disciplinary front, six yellow cards were shown, with Red Bulls’ Kyle Duncan, Raheem Edwards, Wikelman Carmona, and Sean Nealis cautioned, and Philadelphia’s Jovan Lukic and Cavan Sullivan also booked. The match was played under rainy conditions with a temperature of 77°F.
The Union’s victory sets up a semifinal clash against Nashville SC on September 16. Historically, the Red Bulls have never won the Lamar Hunt Trophy, despite two runner-up finishes, while Philadelphia continues to assert itself as a Cup contender. The teams will face each other again soon in MLS action at Sports Illustrated Stadium on August 16.
For more on the match and tournament history, see the U.S. Open Cup official page and follow @PhilaUnion for updates.