Photo @PhilaUnionII

Philadelphia Union II won the penalty kick shootout 5-4 after a 1-1 draw in regulation at Subaru Park Monday evening against the Columbus Crew 2. Cavan Sullivan scored for Philly in regulation and Brent Adu-Gyumfi equalized for Crew 2.

Sullivan scores the decisive penalty kick in the shoot out. (Courtesy of Philadelphia Union II Communications)

Sullivan secured the extra point for Union II with the sixth shot of the shootout, after Andrew Rick saved the sixth Columbus penalty in the first half of the first round of sudden death.

In advance

Union II played at home the day after the first team also played at home, thus maximizing the opportunities for first team deep reserves to play down and get game minutes. Several did so. Columbus’s situation was the exact opposite, playing away the day after its first team played at home minimizing the opportunities for last minute double duty. Crew 2 brought only 17 players. Only their reserve goalkeeper remained on their bench at the end.

Before the match only ten points separated the top ten teams in the East. Three separated places five through ten. The Eastern conference playoff situation was tight before the game and is now even tighter.

In the final match of the weekend, second place Philadelphia played third place Columbus. A Columbus win would have vaulted Crew 2 into second. All other results (including Crew 2 getting two points from a draw plus a shootout win) would have maintained the table’s status quo because Union II had played one more game and had one more win in regulation than Columbus, as well as one more point. Cincinnati remains in first because they have one more win in regulation than Philly. That is the first tiebreaker.

First half

For the first ten minutes, Columbus dominated. Their midfield controlled the middle third and the Ohioans exerted pressure on Union II’s defense.

Then the match turned. Someplace between the 11th and 13th minutes, the Philadelphia midfield began to assert itself. The word dominance is too strong, but preponderance works to describe who had more of play for the rest of the half. Columbus was more often defending in its defensive third than not.

Off a strong defensive clearance of a Union corner kick, Cavan Sullivan picked up the rebound at least 25 yards out and fired for the far upper ninety. Columbus goalkeeper Stanislav Lapkes had no chance against the youngster’s left foot laser. (Click here and scroll for the video.)

Philly had seven shots with three on target in the half, while Columbus had only two with one on frame.

We cannot confirm that the early Union II reticence was deliberate to let Nicholas Pariano find his feet as a single six.

Second half

Columbus head coach Kelvin Jones brought on striker Giberto Rayo for Anthony Alaouieh at halftime. Union II head Marlon LeBLanc made no halftime moves.

For the first 10 to 13 minutes the patterns that had dominated most of the first half continued for Union II. But as they approached the hour mark, significant separation began to emerge between Philly’s attacking five and its defending six, and fairly quickly thereafter the boys in blue began to pickup at midfield and concentrate on defending.

Correspondingly, Columbus began to attack more and to maintain possession in their attacking third, something they had not done since the first 10 minutes. In the 64th a Union II foul gave the Ohio boys a free kick from wide left about 35 yards out, and while Andrew Rick managed to punch the initial shot away, a melee produced an equalizer from Brent Adu-Gyamfi. Chase Adams was credited with the assist.

After the goal the two subs LeBLanc had had on the sidelines entered the game, but the damage was done. Gavin Wetzel came on for Nick Pariano and moved Carlos Rojas to the single six after he replaced Jamir Berdecio. Sixteen-year-old year-old Jamir Johnson replaced Eddy Davis III as a striker at that point as well.

Columbus remained dangerous throughout the half. Wetzel deserves full credit for blocking a Columbus shot that was targeted for the empty net, Rick having vacated to punch away an immediately preceding shot.

In the 73rd Sal Olivas came off for Diego Rocio, and in the 79th Kellan LeBLanc came off for Giovanny Sequera.  The Union finished the match with a striker combination that two months ago was playing for their U17s, Johnson who is 16 and Rocio who is 17.

Union II had one opportunity for a breakaway in stoppage time, but Sequera could not outpace his marker to the ball.

The drawn match went to penalty kicks by rule. Each side’s first three shooters scored, Columbus shooting first. Then CJ Olney was saved by Crew 2 keeper Lapkes. Owen Presthus however missed his shot, and Jamir Johnson tied it, sending the shootout to sudden death. Columbus’s Rayo, who had scored the PK that won the match in Columbus about a month ago, was saved by Rick.

And Cavan Sullivan beat the correctly guessing keeper, to tie FC Cincinnati on points and make himself man of the match.

Cavan Sullivan 

The youngster turns 15 at the end of next month. He scored his third goal for Union II and won the extra point for the shootout.

More significantly, after looking distinctly gassed after 60 or 65 minutes, he found a second wind and finished the 90. He puts good pressure on his mark when pressing throughout the 90. He intercepts balls, but does not strip opponents who are in possession, at least not yet at this level.

Digging deep to complete the full 90 with only one real period of lull is a clear step forward. Old Bethlehem Steel coach Brendan Burke would have paid him a full compliment for it at the end of the game. Fighting past that barrier was one of Burke’s markers that a youngster was becoming an adult player.

Sullivan is doing his best to help Union II make their playoffs and possibly advance towards MLS NEXTPro  Cup.

Next Match

Philadelphia now has five matches remaining n its regular season.

The next one is the day after the FIFA September international window closes, at expansion side Carolina Core on Wednesday, September 11th at 6:30 PM. Closer to the day, check Apple Plus to confirm that the game is still scheduled for that platform.

Three points, plus one

1. With Damion Lowe apparently gone to Saudia Arabia, Olwethu Makhanya becomes the first team’s third center back and is less likely to play as frequently for Union II, we are guessing. We expect Carlos Rojas would replace him as the left center back.
2. With Sanders Ngabo gone auditions are being run at the single six backed up by the defensive-minded Randy Meneses from the bench. Today’s candidate was Nick Pariano. Given the developmental priorities for the teenage midfielders, we doubt a shift away from the narrow diamond and its single six would occur on any longer-term basis.
3. If the Monday evening match is counted as the last one of week 24, Union II are tied with Cincinnati 2 on points but in second place with one fewer regulation wins. Columbus is three points behind. Both Columbus and Cincy have a game in hand on Union II. The top two are six points ahead of fourth place Crown Legacy (Charlotte’s professional farm team).
4. As should be no surprise, all the younger bench players were sent into the match. The older guys stayed on the bench. It is a developmental squad. The youngsters have to learn how to win.

BOXSCORE

Lineups

Union II (4-1-2-1-2, L-R) 1^st – 6, U II – 8, Acad – 6. Starters’ Average age = 18.4

Starters: Andrew Rick; Frank Westfield, Olwethu Makhanya, Neil Pierre, Jamir Berdecio (Gavin Wetzel 64′); Nick Pariano (Carlos Rojas 64′), CJ Olney, Kellan LeBlanc (Giovanny Sequera 73′); Cavan Sullivan; Sal Olivas (Diego Rocio 79′), Eddy Davis III (Jamir Johnson 73′).

Unused substitutes: Mike Sheridan; Randy Meneses, Kyle Tucker, Leandro Soria.

Crew 2 (3-4-3)

Starters: Stanislav Lapkes; Christopher Rogers, Xavier Zengue (Ibrahima Sy 72′), Jacob Greene (Terron Williams 90+1′); Tristan Brown, Adrian Gonzalez, Giorgio DeLibera (Owen Presthus 72′), Brent Adu-Gyamfi; Anthony Alaouieh (Gibran Rayo HT), Jayden Da (Nicholas Rincon 58′), Chase Adams.

Unused substitute: Cole Johnson;.

Goals

Union II           29th minute           Cavan Sullivan

Crew 2              64th minute            Brent Adu-Gyamfi (Chase Adams)

Yellow Cards

Crew 2              51st minute             Jacob Greene (foul)

Union II            72nd minute            Gavin Wetzel (foul)

Stats

Shootout

Sudden death

Whistle & Flags

Ref: Gary Gutierrez, AR¹: Nicholas Seymour, AR²: Jennifer Dumaine, 4^TH: Ricardo Montero Araya.