Julián Carranza’s hat trick powers historic night for the Union against D.C. United

Everyone involved with the Philadelphia Union needed Friday night’s 7-0 win over D.C. United.

Julián Carranza scored a hat trick to lead an emphatic attack that also saw two goals out of captain Alejandro Bedoya and Mikael Uhre. It was the largest margin of victory in Union history and tied the MLS record. It also tied the record for second-most goals in MLS history. The Los Angeles Galaxy set that mark with an 8-1 win over the Dallas Burn on June 4, 1998.

The Union held a 24-10 edge in shots and put 12 on target to D.C. United’s three.

Carranza’s hat trick was the fifth in Philadelphia Union history, and it occurred on a night in which the club’s all-time leading scorer, Sébastien Le Toux, was honored at halftime along with other players from previous seasons.

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Le Toux had another current Union player join him in the record books, when Bedoya opened the scoring in the ninth minute.

Bedoya’s opening goal was his 20th MLS goal for the Union, and he became the third Union player to record 20 goals and 20 assists in regular season play. Le Toux and Ilsinho are the other Union players to achieve the feat.

Bedoya’s goal in the ninth minute also served as a welcome end to the Union’s 189-minute scoreless streak and the start to a party inside Subaru Park after a run of eight draws in 11 matches.

Carranza scored his first two goals in the 22nd and 25th minutes, Bedoya followed with a 37th-minute tally, and Uhre scored right before halftime and then again in the 59th minute.

Believe it or not, the Union could have scored even more goals against the D.C. defense.

Nathan Harriel missed a wide-open net in the first half, and Carranza had a penalty kick saved in the second half by D.C. United goalkeeper Rafael Romo.

Carranza was not to be denied of his first-career hat trick, as he finished the performance off just a few minutes after his missed penalty in the 72nd minute.

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The emphatic offensive performance ended a small run of games in which the Union were shut out against the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew, and it happened after multiple roster moves were made.

Beloved striker Sergio Santos, who was third on the depth chart and often injured, became the fourth former Union player on the FC Cincinnati roster in a trade that was announced Friday. Defender Stuart Findlay is on his way out for a rumored move to Oxford United in England’s third tier. Jack De Vries, who already was on loan to Venezia, signed with the Italian side on a permanent basis.

The moves opened up more playing time for Quinn Sullivan, Paxten Aaronson, and Jack McGlynn, all of whom came off the bench in the second half.

After the 7-0 win, the Union will try to keep the momentum going with a game at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Inter Miami before returning home to face the New England Revolution at 6:30 p.m. on July 16.

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