April 10, 2010: First League Matchup
The two teams’ first league matchup provided plenty of excitement, and gave early indications that this would be an enticing rivalry for years to come. It was the Union’s home debut at Lincoln Financial Field, and the hosts emerged 3-2 victors thanks to a hat trick from Sébastian Le Toux. Goals from Santino Quaranta and Jaime Moreno leveled the score for the visitors after Philadelphia had gone into halftime 2-0 up, but the Black-and-Red were unable to complete the comeback, as Le Toux scored his third with an 80th minute penalty after a controversial call.
August 22, 2010: First Match at RFK
In a rain-drenched affair, United came out 2-0 winners behind a pair of goals from Australian forward Danny Allsopp, marking the first win for Ben Olsen since his taking over as interim head coach. Former United boss Peter Nowak endured a frustrating night against his old team, as his Union fell victim to a couple of costly defensive mistakes. In the 22nd minute, a misclearance from Philadelphia defender Danny Califf allowed Allsopp to bury an easy chance in the box to put United up 1-0. The Black-and-Red striker added another in the 67th minute with a left-footed strike after a turnover in midfield.
April 6. 2011: U.S. Open Cup United Win on Penalty Kicks
This early-season U.S. Open Cup matchup, played at the nearby Maryland SoccerPlex, was a chippy affair. After finishing 1-1 at the end of regulation, United--who were fielding a number of reserves, compared to Philadelphia’s near-full strength lineup--pulled ahead in the second period of extra time off a goal from Daniel Woolard. But just seven minutes later, in the 118th minute, the Union--who had been playing a man down since Carlos Valdes’ sending-off--equalized through Brian Carroll, sending the match to penalties. United prevailed 4-2 in the shootout, as Bill Hamid made a critical save on Roger Torres’ kick and Branko Boskovic buried the winner.
August 19, 2012: A Fiery Encounter
A contentious 1-1 draw at RFK could have ended differently for United, but will nevertheless be remembered for a wild series of events in the final minutes of the match. With a chance to put the home team ahead, Dwayne De Rosario converted an 87th minute penalty called back for encroachment, and the follow-up kick was delayed due to some tussling in the box, which eventually saw United’s Branko Boskovic sent off. De Rosario missed his retake attempt, but the drama wasn’t over yet. Two more players--United’s Emiliano Dudar and Philadelphia’s Seanon Williams--saw red before the final whistle.
September 20, 2012: D.C. Grab Crucial Away Win
Ex-Philly player Lionard Pajoy was the difference for United, scoring the goal to give the visiting team a 1-0 win at PPL Park after some creative play from teammate Chris Pontius. The win propelled United into 4th place in the Eastern Conference at a key point in the season, helping to put them in a position to qualify for the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs.
May and December 2014: Off the Pitch, Fans Come Together to Remember
In a heartwarming reminder that sport is more than just competition, supporters of both United and the Union memorably came together twice in a seven-month period to honor the lives of two devoted fans. Following the sudden death of Philadelphia superfan Eric Shertz on Easter Sunday of 2014, fan groups of both the Union and visiting D.C. United rallied together to pay their respects before the two teams faced off on the pitch a couple of weeks later on May 10th. That December, Union fans showed the same support for Black-and-Red fan Kenneth Gemmell after a plane tragically crashed into his home, killing three of his family members.