Dániel Gazdag’s hat trick leads Union to Leagues Cup victory over Querétaro

Behind a hat trick from forward Dániel Gazdag, the Union easily defeated Liga MX side Querétaro, 5-1, in Leagues Cup play Wednesday night at Subaru Park. Combined with Saturday’s result over Tijuana, the Union won their three-team group and advanced to the tournament’s knockout stage.

“I think this tournament is a great competition,” Gazdag said. “It’s good to play against Mexican teams. They’re always fighting, as you could see the last two games. It wasn’t easy, even though we won both the games. So I think it’s a good competition, and I think we have a good team, so we can go far.”

Gazdag opened the scoring for the Union in the 30th minute, but, notably, the goal did not come from the penalty spot, where the Hungarian forward has been prolific throughout the season. This time, it was a left-footed strike from outside the box to give the Union a 1-0 lead.

» READ MORE: Julian Carranza powers the Union past Club Tijuana in Leagues Cup opener

Julián Carranza was tripped in the box minutes later, and Gazdag got a chance to score from the area of the field where he has done most of his damage this season. For the second Leagues Cup game in a row, he buried a shot from the penalty spot, putting the Union up, 2-0.

“I never watch penalties,” Union manager Jim Curtin said. “I always look away, and I go by the reaction of the crowd. ... I’m going to continue not to watch them because [Gazdag] makes them all, and he does a great job with it.

“It’s not easy, too, because the way that they scout now, they know your tendencies. ... He’s very deceptive.”

Gazdag completed the hat trick in the 63rd minute, scoring again from the penalty spot after Jesús Bueno was fouled in the box. The striker then was subbed off for Joaquín Torres in the 74th minute.

Gazdag’s three goals gave him 16 this year across all competitions, leapfrogging Carranza’s 14 for the team lead. Fourteen of Gazdag’s goals have come on penalty shots.

“I’m happy that I scored my two PKs again today — and also from an open play. That was important for me,” Gazdag said.

“I think the most important thing [is] just to stay confidently for the PK. I have always an idea where I want to kick it, but sometimes I just see the goalkeeper if they go too early. When I do my run up, I just see them and then just go to the other side. But mostly, I have an idea of where I’m gonna kick it.”

Curtin gave Nathan Harriel the start at right back in place of Olivier Mbaizo. The Cameroonian defender has not seen the field since being pulled in the 55th minute of the Tijuana game on Saturday, after successive fouls led to a penalty shot opportunity that was stopped by goalkeeper Andre Blake.

Harriel rewarded Curtin’s decision in the 43rd minute, heading in a corner chance for his first goal of the season and giving the Union a 3-0 lead before halftime.

“It just feels good to finally get a goal off the header,” Harriel said. “It’s something we work on a lot. For the hard work to pay off tonight, it was just a great feeling.”

Besides Harriel, Curtin made a number of other lineup changes, opting to counteract Querétaro’s 4-4-2 formation with three centerbacks. That meant a starting nod for Damion Lowe, his first since June 11. The Jamaican defender missed time while competing with his national team at the Concacaf Gold Cup, then had an infection upon his return. He nearly got in the scoring column in the 61st minute but was determined to be offside.

In the midfield, captain Alejandro Bedoya and Leon Flach were both unavailable because of injuries. Curtin chose to start Bueno, rather than Jack McGlynn, alongside Bueno’s countryman José Andrés Martínez.

“I think there is something to the fact that they’re both from Venezuela and they don’t want to let each other down,” Curtin said. “That does matter. There’s pride, and they know each other well, and they know each other’s movements, and they complement each other well.”

McGlynn came on in the 65th minute as a substitute for Martínez and scored the Union’s fifth and final goal in the 89th minute.

“It’s honestly frustrating coming off the bench,” McGlynn said. “As a player, you want to start every game. I think just being in that scenario, you have to come on and show why you should be starting. So I’m happy I did that tonight. Jim knows what I can do as a player — he always tells me every week to just keep my head up, and my time will come.”

In Bedoya’s place, Blake wore the captain’s armband.

Mikael Uhre replaced Quinn Sullivan in the lineup at forward after the 19-year-old Bridesburg native started the Union’s last three games. Sullivan entered as a substitute for Carranza in the 74th minute.

» READ MORE: Olivier Mbaizo asks to leave the Union because his family can’t get U.S. visas

70: The number of minutes it took for Querétaro to put a shot on target. Blake was virtually unchallenged for much of the match, aside from apparent cramps in the 60th minute that received attention from the Union’s medical staff.

The Jamaican keeper conceded the clean sheet in the 84th minute on a goal by Raúl Sandoval.

“We’re really disappointed to concede because that’s the game we shouldn’t be conceding, if we’re honest,” McGlynn said. “We’re a team that prides itself on defending, so to concede was a little bit annoying.”

As the winners of the East 1 group, the Union have earned the right to host the round of 32 against the second-place finisher of East 2 on Aug. 3. Possible opponents include MLS foes CF Montreal and D.C. United, as well as Liga MX’s Pumas UNAM.

One match still remains in East 1, as Tijuana and Querétaro will face off at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Subaru Park. The winner will claim second place in the three-team group and join the Union in the knockout stages of the Leagues Cup.