The Union came out aggressive and Toronto sought to win the ball in their own half and take control of play away form the home side. Although Philadelphia played at a fast pace, Toronto’s deep, organized shape meant they had difficulty penetrating to create open looks. Although the Union had four shots to Toronto’s one after the first half hour of play, neither side put a strike on frame until the 32nd minute when Nick DeLeon finally tested Andre Blake.
Diving to his left, Blake made a spectacular stop to preserve the tie, but referee Nima Saghafi whistled for a handball during the post-shot scramble when the ball bounced off the underside of Kai Wagner’s ribcage.