CHESTER —The Bradley Carnell era in Chester began Saturday against the team that ended the Jim Curtin era.
The difference was significant.
A Tai Baribo hat trick gave the Union a second win under Carnell, avenging the Decision Day loss to FC Cincinnati last year that ended their playoff hopes with a 4-1 win in the home opener at Subaru Park.
Bruno Damiani, on his debut, added a fourth in stoppage time to make it six points for the Union to start the season. The Union were the last unbeaten club in MLS to start last season.
Baribo’s hat trick is the 14th in Union history, 12 in MLS play, and his second for the Union. He joins Daniel Gazdag and Julian Carranza as the only players with multiple hat tricks in club history. His seventh multi-goal game moves him ahead of Sebastien Le Toux for third in club history, behind only that same pair.
The Union were aided by having a stiff wind at their back in the first half, and the mentality was right to make the most of it. Like in the season-opening win over Orlando City, the club has shown its embrace of Carnell’s counter-attacking principles, retaining the ball in key moments to prevent Cincinnati from getting forward and counterpressing in selected areas.
And they’ve put the ball in the back of the net in the way they did last year, with each of their first six shots on target becoming goals. That included the first two from Baribo, who is up to five goals on the season and 21 in 23 starts in all competitions since his first start on June 15, 2024.
The first was elemental in design and beautifully executed, Baribo’s near-post run getting past his defender in the sixth minute and tapping home Kai Wagner’s cross, his third assist of the young system.
Baribo made it two in the 31st, with a Wagner throughball aimed at Daniel Gazdag deflected by a Cincinnati defender. It fell to Gazdag, who played it to Baribo checking his run well to side-foot it home. Originally called offside, referee Allen Chapman overturned the decision on video review.
Baribo had the ball in the back of the net again four minutes later, but Mikael Uhre was clearly offside in the buildup. He added the third for real in the 52nd, rewarded for some unselfish play. With space down the right wing, Baribo elected to play into the path of Gazdag centrally instead of going for the hat trick. Gazdag’s shot was blocked, then the midfielder recovered possession and squared it back to Baribo to fire in his third.
Baribo’s hot start made it six straight shots on target to start the season that went in for the Union. Not until the 135th minute of the season did the Union have a shot saved, off the boot of Uhre Saturday.
Cincinnati, which had a midweek game in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, had the slow start to show for it. Evander finally got them on the board in the 58th, falling while he curled a shot from 19 yards out through traffic and past Andre Blake, at full stretch to his right.
The Union navigated a moment of panic when Blake couldn’t collect a shot from former Union defender Alvas Powell in the 78th, and striker Kevin Denkey dinked the rebound off the bar. Jakob Glesnes, making his 150th career MLS start, had to block a shot by Evander to clear the danger.
Quinn Sullivan got the assist on Damiani’s goal in stoppage time, with a run down the right wing that the Uruguayan tapped home.
• • •
NOTES >> Nathan Harriel, still fighting a preseason leg injury, missed the bench entirely. Frankie Westfield started at right back for the second straight game. … Indiana Vassilev debuted in the 82nd minute. That makes six debuts for the club in two games. … The Union held a moment of silence for goalie Holden Trent, who died on Oct. 26, 2024. His mother and sister were in attendance, with former players and goalkeeping coach Phil Wheddon paying their respects. Blake wore a commemorative armband in Trent’s honor.
Source: Berkshire mont