One striker was suspended due to red cards. Another was thrown out 40 minutes into the match on a questionable call. The third hadn't played a game in two months and started on the bench.
The starting goalie hadn't played much lately, and the backup was a "pool goalkeeper" who isn't even really a member of the team.
It was an incredibly important game played in front of a half-empty stadium at 4:00 on a Tuesday afternoon (here's a quick explanation why) in sweltering heat.
Despite all that, it turned out to be "the biggest win" in Union history, according to head coach Jim Curtin.
The Union beat the archrival New York Red Bulls on Tuesday to reach the U.S. Open Cup semifinals for the third time in four seasons. They will host either Orlando City or the Chicago Fire on Tuesday, August 11 at PPL Park.
Tuesday's game ended 1-1 after extra time, and the Union won the penalty kick shootout, 4-3 (complete replay available here).
That doesn't even tell half the story.
There were countless heroes on Tuesday -- namely goalie John McCarthy, striker Fernando Aristeguieta, and midfielder Vincent Nogueira. But you've probably read about their heroics already. So here's three things you might have missed that led to the improbable win:
3. Massive Maurice Edu:
Edu didn't appear on the score sheet, other than a calmly placed penalty kick during the shootout. But the Union defender was absolutely enormous all afternoon. With his team down a man and defending like hell for nearly an hour of regulation and another half hour of extra time, it was usually Edu making the final clear after a frantic scramble in the box. Whether you were part of the 11 busloads of fans who made the strange weekday trip to NJ, or one of the thousands watching online, your heart attack was saved by Edu on countless occasions. He was a beast in the air on nearly every New York service into the box, and made multiple sliding clearances that saved the day, including at least three in extra time.
Unlike many designated players in MLS, Edu is not your goal-scoring, boxscore-filling star. But he is a workhorse whose efforts often go unnoticed. And without him, the Union would have lost Tuesday's game 4- or 5-1.
2. John McCarthy's Mind Games:
McCarthy was clearly the hero of Tuesday's match. Making multiple huge saves during regulation and extra time, and this insane effort in the penalty shootout.
But the biggest moment may have come before the first kick of the shootout.
With New York's Bradley Wright-Phillips -- last year's MLS leading scorer -- waiting to shoot, McCarthy stood inside his own goal, apparently asking the referee if he could stand there and then move forward as the ball was kicked. Of course, McCarthy knows that's against the rules. But he asked anyway, and then even waved over referee Chris Penso to have a quick 10-second chat about something. When he returned to the net, he dragged his feet getting ready before finally putting his toes on the line. But the time Penso blew the ready-to-play whistle, Wright-Phillips had been standing still for at least 30 seconds, thinking about his shot.
He blasted that shot off the crossbar and the Union had the upper-hand before their first shooter.
1. Sebastien Le Toux's Right Foot:
I love to highlight a part of a play you might have missed, and even I didn't notice this in real time while watching the match.
But Le Toux -- who has had a subpar season so far by his lofty standards -- was integral in the jaw-dropping counterattack goal that gave the Union an improbable second-half lead.
Watch the play once, and you'll obviously notice the self-dummy, counterattack speed and amazing off-the-ball run by Nogueira. Watch it again and you'll see Eric Ayuk's easy finish and well-executed backflip.
But watch it a third time, and appreciate Le Toux's pass that springs Nogueira.
Le Toux takes two touches, looks up, and hits an absurd curling ball with the outside of his right foot that slips Nogueira in behind New York's Matt Miazga. From there, Nogueira makes a perfect first touch and pass to Ayuk. But if that Le Toux pass is off by even two inches, the attack fizzles out. And considering the Union were down a man, there weren't many chances to be had.
In the end, those three things -- and many, many more -- keep hope alive for the Union to salvage what has otherwise been another frustrating season.