Dániel Gazdag’s hat trick powers the Union’s latest rout, 6-0, over the Colorado Rapids

The Union delivered another demolition of a visiting opponent Saturday at Subaru Park, routing the Colorado Rapids, 6-0. Dániel Gazdag had a hat trick, and the other goals came from Julián Carranza, Cory Burke, and Matt Real — who scored his first goal for the Union’s first team in three years.

It helped that Colorado’s Gustavo Vallecilla was sent off in the 35th minute for a second yellow card, but the Rapids offered little positive play even at full strength.

Here are some observations on the game:

It started with music from the legendary Celia Cruz on the loudspeakers, and rolled from there into Tyrese Maxey banging the pregame drum. Then it was the Union’s turn to keep the fun going.

In just the ninth minute, Kai Wagner hit a high cross-field pass that Mikael Uhre chested down and forward for Gazdag to run on to. He was just onside and sprinted away to shoot past Colorado goalkeeper William Yarbrough. The Hungarian celebrated his 14th goal of the year by pointing to Maxey in the stands and mimicking a jump shot.

“I really like basketball — to watch — but I cannot play too good,” Gazdag said, adding that he has drawn some polite mocking from teammates during pickup games.

But he has stuck with it, and he called his goal celebration “the Hungarian Harden move.”

Just over 10 minutes later, Gazdag doubled the Union’s lead with a penalty kick, earned after Colorado’s Anthony Markanich grabbed Gazdag by the shoulders in the 18-yard box. It was a no-doubter of a call.

Gazdag finished the hat trick in the 84th with a lovely chip over Yarbrough. That tied C.J. Sapong’s team record for most goals in a single regular season, set in 2017, and is one away from the single-season goals record of 17 in all competitions. Sapong (2017) and Kacper Przybylko (2021) share that honor.

» READ MORE: Tyrese Maxey gave the Union a shoutout while on a Phillies game broadcast

Carranza was itching to score from the kickoff. You might have noticed that he had a chat with Gazdag before the first penalty kick, an international sign for a player having someone in the stands who he wanted to salute. In Carranza’s case, it was relatives from Argentina whom he hadn’t been able to see in some time.

The chance came with the Union’s second penalty kick of the night, in the 30th minute. After converting, Carranza pointed up to the lounge where the players’ families watch games from. And right after that, he went straight to Gazdag and thanked him for the opportunity.

Fans in the River End saluted Carranza by chanting his last name as the punchline to the famed Champs song “Tequila.” They can be satisfied in knowing they were on to the tune before it went viral in the soccer world recently thanks to fans of England’s Arsenal. (It’s a safe bet it will be heard often at NBC’s Premier League Fan Fest at Dilworth Park in October.)

» READ MORE: NBC’s Premier League Fan Fest is coming to Philadelphia on Eagles-Cowboys weekend

While the “6″ at the front of the scoreline understandably gets the most attention, the “0″ at the back deserves its share of attention. It was the Union’s 12th shutout of the year as they chase the record for Major League Soccer’s stingiest defense. Sporting Kansas City set the record for a 34-game season in 2012 with 27 goals conceded. The Union (15-4-9, 54 points) have given up 20 through 28 games.

At centerback, Jakob Glesnes had three recoveries, one interception, and one clearance, and completed a whopping 69 of 72 passes. Jack Elliott had 82 touches, nine recoveries, two clearances and two interceptions.

Right back Olivier Mbaizo, who started for the eighth time in 10 games, had eight recoveries, two blocks, and one clearance. Wagner was outstanding in ways beyond that big play to Uhre: three recoveries, one interception, and 11 passes into Colorado’s third of the field.

Leon Flach, who was a substitute in last Saturday’s rout of D.C. United, returned to the starting lineup and also played all 90 minutes.

Everything was under enough control at the hour mark that manager Jim Curtin was able to withdraw José Andrés Martínez in the 62nd minute to save him for Wednesday’s home game against Atlanta (7 p.m., FS1 and Fox Deportes). Martínez delivered eight recoveries, won five of nine duels, and had 71 touches and 50-of-59 passing — including nine passes into Colorado’s third.

Andre Blake had little to do, needing to make just one save. But the Union knew he deserved his props too, so he got to bang the drum after the final whistle.

» READ MORE: It looks like Kai Wagner will stay with the Union for the rest of the season