Union crush Houston Dynamo, 6-0, led by Mikael Uhre and Dániel Gazdag

The first-place Union extended their winning streak to five games with a 6-0 rout of the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night at Subaru Park, matching the longest such run in team history.

Dániel Gazdag, Jack McGlynn, Mikael Uhre (twice), Julián Carranza, and Quinn Sullivan scored the goals. It’s the first time that the Union’s star attacking trio of Gazdag, Uhre, and Carranza have scored in the same game.

Here are some observations on the night.

Gazdag looked set to score from the penalty spot after a Houston (7-12-4, 25 points) handball in the 19th minute, but the call was overturned after a replay review. Fortunately for the Union (12-2-9, 45 points), it didn’t take the playmaker much longer to score his 11th goal of the season.

It was a textbook Union goal: Kai Wagner to Gazdag to Jack McGlynn, all on the left side, then a terrific chipped pass by McGlynn over Houston’s back line that Mikael Uhre ran on to. He hit a low centering pass to Alejandro Bedoya, who sent a cushioned through ball for Gazdag — who had sprinted over half the field to the edge of the 6-yard box. Gazdag then slotted the ball to Steve Clark’s far post.

All of this transpired in just 16 seconds, by the way.

» READ MORE: Why Dániel Gazdag's scoring milestones mean more than numbers

The ball was about 25 yards from the goal. It was Jakob Glesnes’ range, but instead, Wagner and McGlynn stood over it. Wagner’s presence wasn’t surprising, since he’s the Union’s main set-piece taker, but it was a surprise when he stepped back to let McGlynn have it.

Well, McGlynn sure had it. The 19-year-old hit a dazzling left-footed strike into the net for the Union’s second tally of the night and his first goal with the Union’s first team.

It helped that Clark, Houston’s starting goalkeeper, had to leave the game injured in the 26th minute. His backup Michael Nelson gave up McGlynn’s goal and all the ones after it. But it still was a terrific free kick.

If you had to pick one goal from the night to be the most important, it would be Gazdag’s because it came so soon after the overturned handball. That could have been a momentum-changer.

But Uhre’s two goals are big deals, too, and they were pretty: a first-time hit at the start of first-half stoppage time, and a breakaway finish of a brilliant Bedoya through ball in the 48th minute.

The most expensive player in Union history now has eight goals and two assists this season. Carranza also has eight goals and three assists, and Gazdag has 11 goals and three assists.

That’s 27 goals and eight assists combined for the Union’s top attacking trio. It hasn’t been often in Union history that the stars have delivered like this.

And what was Uhre’s first goal celebration about, when he ran to the Union’s bench and picked up a jersey with the number 7 and the name Brandhof? It turns out that’s his wife Amalie’s maiden name, and what he took for his middle name when they got married last August. So it was an anniversary celebration, with the bonus that Amalie’s family was in the stands for the game.

All those goals meant that the spotlight quickly shifted off Leon Flach’s start at the base of the midfield diamond. It was expected but not assured, so his place in the starting lineup rightly drew attention.

As such, let’s not overlook him. Flach recorded 51 touches, 11 recoveries, three interceptions, one block and one clearance, won five duels, and completed 36 of 38 passes.

» READ MORE: Leon Flach has improved his contributions to the Union's attack this year

Two area natives who grew up in the Union’s youth academy debuted for their new teams in England’s second division on Saturday. (And yes, the English season started in July this year, because of the autumn World Cup break.)

Downingtown’s Zack Steffen started at goalkeeper for Middlesbrough in the first official game of his loan there from Manchester City. He made four saves and completed 21 of 34 passes in a 1-1 tie with at home against West Bromwich Albion.

Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder told reporters after the game that Steffen, who’s competing to be the U.S. men’s soccer team’s starter at this fall’s World Cup, “made some big saves, which he’s here to do.”

Media-born centerback Auston Trusty started for Birmingham City in a scoreless draw at Luton Town. He registered 48 touches, seven clearances, two blocks, nine duels won, and 22-of-32 passing.

Coincidentally, both games had an American playing for each team. West Bromwich had striker Daryl Dike, who was injured last season and could make a late run to the World Cup team if he gets on a hot streak. Luton had goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, who’s competing for the No. 3 netminding spot on the World Cup team against New York City FC’s Sean Johnson.

Steffen and Arsenal’s Matt Turner will have the top spots as long as they stay healthy.

Medford’s Brenden Aaronson is in line to make his much-anticipated debut for Leeds United in the Premier League next weekend, when the club hosts Wolves on Saturday (10 a.m., Peacock). Aaronson and fellow U.S. star Tyler Adams joined Leeds this summer to play for American manager Jesse Marsch, who has coached both players in the past.

» READ MORE: As Matt Turner begins at Arsenal, he faces uncertainty over his USMNT World Cup fate