CHESTER, Pa. — FC Cincinnati’s night changed in the 16th minute. By the time it ended, there was little left to salvage.

Obinna Nwobodo was shown a red card following a video review, leaving Cincinnati to play most of Wednesday night’s match with 10 men. The Philadelphia Union eventually took full advantage, scoring five unanswered goals in a 5-0 rout at Subaru Park.

Playing shorthanded made Cincinnati’s job considerably more difficult, but the Orange and Blue initially held their own. Philadelphia failed to break through for more than 25 minutes following Nwobodo’s dismissal before being awarded a penalty late in the first half.

Quinn Sullivan converted from the spot in the 43rd minute, and the match quickly began to slip away from Cincinnati. Bruno Damiani added another goal one minute into first-half stoppage time, turning what had been a manageable 1-0 deficit into a much steeper climb before the break.

Any hope of regrouping disappeared almost immediately after halftime.

Damiani struck again in the 49th minute before completing his hat trick in the 61st, giving Philadelphia a commanding 4-0 lead. Milan Iloski closed the scoring with the Union’s second penalty kick of the night in the 89th minute.

The final statistics were every bit as one-sided as the score. Philadelphia outshot Cincinnati 18-1, put six attempts on target and controlled nearly 65 percent of possession. The Orange and Blue did not record a shot on goal and managed only one corner kick.

Playing more than 70 minutes down a man provides some explanation for those numbers, but it does not make a five-goal defeat any easier to accept. Cincinnati offered almost nothing going forward and could not prevent the match from turning into a rout once Philadelphia found its breakthrough.

The loss dropped FC Cincinnati to 8-8-7 with 31 points. Philadelphia improved to 8-10-6 and moved within one point of the Orange and Blue in the Eastern Conference standings.

For Cincinnati, the best thing about Wednesday night may be that there is little time to dwell on it.

What’s Next: FC Cincinnati returns to TQL Stadium on Saturday to host Charlotte FC for Noche Latina. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, with the match airing on Apple TV.