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Union Fight Back For 2-2 Draw With FC Dallas

Sebastien LeToux scored twice from the penalty spot as the Union came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw

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Philadelphia Union Fight Back For 2-2 Draw With FC Dallas

The big story of the night was the Union debut of Fredy Adu, but it was Sebastien LeToux who made the headlines with two goals from the penalty spot as the Union fought back for a 2-2 draw with FC Dallas. It was a fairly exciting and chippy affair and while the Union will be happy about the fight back, they'll rue the fact that they've failed to earn three points for the fourth time in as many games.

The first Dallas goal came from a woeful mistake from the usually sound Carlos Valdez, whose miscommunication with goalie Faryd Mondragon gifted a goal to Maicon Santos. The Union would respond quickly when Ugo Ihemelu who brought down Justin Mapp for the first penalty of the night. LeToux would bury that to even the game at one. Dallas got it back however as Brek Shea, who played so well for the USMNT in Philly on Wednesday, scored in stoppage time to make it 2-1.

The Dallas defense kind of lost the plot in the second as defender George John was sent off with two yellows after a needless challenge and then Zach Lloyd needlessly brought down Gabriel Farfan right on the edge of the box, which the ref judged to be a penalty. LeToux also buried that one to even it up.

If the first half wasn't entertaining enough, the second half sure didn't lack drama. FC Dallas was battling to hold on to a 2-1 lead when first defender George John was issued a second yellow card to end his night early and then Zach Loyd brought down Gabe Farfan in the box for the game's second penalty kick. Sebastien Le Toux stepped up and scored the game-tying goal, his second of the night from the penalty spot.

Danny Mwanga had a chance from close range saved in the waning minutes as the Union were forced to settle for the draw once again.

Freddy Adu played about 60 minutes in his debut and did look lively despite only one afternoon of training with the team. That said, no would will find anything about his performance particularly special, which is understandable considering he's been on the team for a little over 24 hours. Peter Nowak called him over to the sidelines at least once during the game to explain where he wanted Adu on the field. Clearly, Adu will become more accustomed to the system with time.

The draw moves the Union into a tie atop the Eastern Conference with 34 points.

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Philadelphia Union Introduce Freddy Adu

The Philadelphia Union introduced their newest signing this afternoon, former Benfica and current USMNT member Freddy Adu. The club acquired Adu on a free transfer from the Portugese club and noted that he will not count as a “designated player.” The move re-unites the former phenom with coach Peter Nowak, who was the head man at DC United when Freddy made his professional debut. Their relationship at the time was not ideal and Adu often butted heads with him over playing time. Speaking to the media this afternoon, Freddy says he learned a lot from his time under Nowak, even if he didn’t realize it at the time.

“You really appreciate who the real people are in your life, who really care about you and want you to succeed,” Adu said. “I didn’t see it that way when I first came into the league. I thought Peter was just on me all the time. He was trying to make me better and I saw that when I went to Europe. When you realize that, you appreciate everything he tried to do.”

It’s worth noting that when he made his debut with DC United, Adu was just 14 years old.

“It’s difficult being young and a little bit immature,” Nowak said. “You don’t realize the big picture in life. Right now, he has shown great commitment in coming back and finding out what is important in his life. I welcome him back with open arms. We know each other very well and over time, after DC United, we felt closer to each other and under each other more and more.”

To say a 14 year old was “a little immature” and didn’t realize the big picture would be understating it… Even now, when people see him as a veteran he’s still only 22. As for where he fits into the Union setup? The remains to be seen. He’s chiefly an attacking midfielder, but could play on the wing or at forward.

“I’m here to help the team, whether it’s at forward, midfield or wherever, even on the bench." Adu said, "I’ve learned a lot from the last few years and you have to be ready to go anywhere on the field. Wherever they feel is best to help the team, so be it.”

Nowak would only say that Adu’s position was “in the starting 11.”

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