Photo Marjorie Elzey

In the past few days three Union organization youngsters have shown well in matches that lie outside their respective regular season schedules.

David Vazquez has been on international duty away in Celaya Mexico at Concacaf’s U20 youth championship tournament that will qualify four youth national teams into FIFA’s 2025 U20 World Cup in Chile. Diego Rocio and Cavan Sullivan went to Columbus for the MLS NEXT All-star game played Tuesday morning at historic Crew Stadium in Columbus.

Concacaf’s U20 youth championship

The US has secured advancement to the quarterfinals with further details yet to be determined. USSoccer.com has  posted previews with viewing information, FS2 for English and VIX for Spanish. The various Fox Sports channels may have the whole tournament.

*if they advance that far, ** if  they are group winners.

Group stage game one: Jamaica made clearance mistakes in the second and third minutes, and Vazquez scored from each to take a US of A lead that was never threatened. Later in the half he added two assists and in a tournament-savvy, leg saving move was subbed off at halftime with the US leading 5-0.

Groups stage game two: Vazquez did not start, nor did others among the attacking players who had started against Jamaica. Playing every three days suggests preserving legs during the group stage if possible, and the US of A’s second group disposed of Cuba efficiently. Vazquez subbed on slightly after the hour mark on the right side as an inverted winger. He played no direct part in either of the two late goals that secured the match.

MLS NEXT All-Star game

As makes sense for a friendly whose purpose is to showcase young talent, each side played all of its 22 players for 45 minutes. Each replaced its entire eleven at halftime.

Before the 15 minute mark the West had scored twice almost back to back in the 12th and 14th, but the East answered with one at the 19th and a second at the half’s death creating a 2-2 halftime scoreline. The match then turned on a strategic decision taken by the East’s coach Columbus Crew Director of Player Development Dan Lock to exploit the glaring weakness of any all-star team in any of the true team sports.

An all-star side’s players are not used to playing together. But the East had on its bench three attacking players who were. They had played with each other within the Philadelphia Union Academy’s system. That trio took the field together after halftime and the game changed.

The combination of current Union academy attackers Diego Rocio (birth year 2007) and Cavan Sullivan (2009) and their former Academy mate Stefan Chirilia (2007), now an outstanding striker with FC Cincinnati’s youth programs but formerly a center mid like Sullivan with Philly’s, took the field as the attacking midfield line in a 4-2-3-1. They took over the second half. Their familiarity showed itself by their positional interchangeability on the field, and both finding each other and their other temporary teammates with instinctive fluidity.

The West’s second half players were able to produce only occasional counterthrusts, and those only later in the half. The East subjected their defense to constant attacking pressure. The West had a few late chances that tested the East’s defense, but they never sustained lengthy attacking pressure.

Sullivan won a penalty kick roughly midway into the period and scored it himself, successfully deking the keeper for the match winner. Chirila then iced it with a late finish from a counter break and the East won 4-2. Although we write possessing no official statistics, the most consistently dangerous shooter of the three was Rocio, the Mexican youth international, who has the power and audacity to shoot from distance at any time. Rocio also has a knack for being in the right place.

MLS’s hype machinery named Sullivan the match’s MVP, but the key was coach Lock’s lineup strategy. Players must execute a coach’s vision, of course. But Lock’s brain provided them their opportunity.

For a variety of reasons former and current Union Academy Directors, Tommy Wilson and Jon Scheer, should have been swallowing grins at the match’s final whistle.