Julian Carranza’s second goal of the night, in the 78th minute, lifted the Philadelphia Union to a 3-2 aggregate victory over Atlas on Wednesday at Guadalajara, Mexico, in the conclusion of a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series.
The Union escaped with a 2-2 draw in Mexico after beating Atlas 1-0 in Chester, Pa., on April 4 in the two-game, total-goal series.
Philadelphia moves on to a semifinal series against Los Angeles FC, with the first leg scheduled for the last week of April and the second legs due to be played in the first week of May.
The Union twice fell behind on Wednesday. Atlas jumped on top in the 11th minute on a goal from Julian Quinones, but Carranza gave Philadelphia back the aggregate lead in the 28th minute.
Julio Furch tallied for Atlas in first-half stoppage time, leaving the series level until Carranza’s winner.
On the decisive play, Philadelphia’s Mikkel Uhre dribbled with the ball toward a backpedaling Atlas defense. His cutback pass went through the legs of an Atlas defender and found Carranza entering the left side of the penalty area. Carranza powered a 12-yard, right-footed shot in the top right corner.
In the 87th minute, Atlas saw its chance of a comeback damaged when Aldo Rocha was sent off for receiving a second yellow card.
–Field Level Media