Photo courtesy Philadelphia Union II Communications

Slighty before 7 PM Eastern Time Sunday evening at Subaru Park, CJ Olney received a cross from right center back Neil Pierre who had penetrated into the central channel on the edge of NYC FC II’s defensive third, and volleyed it home unstoppably off the crossbar from the left to win the match and advance Union II to the second round of the playoffs.

It is the second playoff win in Keystone Sports professional development team’s history, the first having being away to Pittsburgh Riverhounds 8-7 on penalty kicks in 2018 after a 2-2 tie in regulation.

The game was the rubber match of the season between Union II and the junior Cityzens, and is the third of the three to wait to be decided until the end of the match. It is the first clean sheet of this year’s trio.

News in advance

The Union’s season had ended the evening before at home, so logistically Union II’s usual first team participants were easily available for the home game.

NYC’s play0ff-bound first team lost away in Montreal, but the two teams have historically been much less interchangeable than the Union and Union II. NYC FC II’s roster is also noticeably older, although they do have a pair of promising teenagers who play. Earlier this season in the US Open Cup, NYC FC II was the division three entrant that advanced the furthest of any division three side winning $25,000 in prize money in consequence.

In other news, last Wednesday MLS NEXT Pro announced its initial “Best XI” selections. Each category had an honorable mention in addition to its winners, so a total of fifteen players were named: two goalkeepers, four defenders, five midfielders, and four attackers. Union II had two players named to 2024’s Best XI, left back Frank Westfield, and the game winner left midfielder CJ Olney. Western conference regular season winner North Texas SC was the only other club to have two players recognized.

Through research PSP confirmed that no Bethlehem Steel FC or Philadelphia Union II player had ever been named to a “best eleven” or an all-league side.

In his press conference on Friday head coach Marlon LeBlanc explained that amateur players had not been eligible for the Best IX award, only contracted professionals. Striker Eddy Davis III – club record 13 regular season goals – is currently an amateur and was not eligible for selection.

First half

New York played the match in a counterattacking mode, deploying a 3-4-3 shape with heavy emphasis on absorbing pressure to trigger counterattacks, and on spreading the narrowness of Union II’s narrow diamond midfield as widely as possible.

Philadelphia seized control of possession from the opening tap.  It was roughly ten minutes or more before New York developed a serious threat, a pattern that characterized the first 85 minutes of the game when the score was even.

It should be noted that New York developed its attacks with precision when they had them, as they had done in the previous two matches.

The Union’s basic offensive pattern was to create overloads in an outside channel, usually the left. Cavan Sullivan would vacate the center and combine with a striker, the outside midfielder on that side and the outside back to outnumber the defenders. Having seen the tactic twice before, by and large the visitors handled it well.

By PSP’s unofficial reckoning, good chances to score were roughly even between the sides. The most heart-stopping came in the 43rd minute when a cross onto a head forced a point blank reaction save from Philadelphia goalkeeper Andrew Rick that preserved the clean sheet.

Second half

Neither coach made any changes at half time, either to personnel or tactics.

Union II head coach Marlon LeBlanc made the first substitution in the 63rd minute making a like-for-like striker exchange between Eddy Davis who departed and Sal Olivas who replaced him.

None of the Union II’s strikers were able to defeat NYC FC II’s center back Samuel Owusu whose excellent play all match long made it clear why Coach LeBlanc had known well who he was when describing the challenges New York would provide.

Four minutes after Olivas came on, New York had a goal called back for offside, matching the second of Philadelphia’s first half brace of call-backs.

In short order New York’s goalkeeper Alex Rando was called upon to make back to back excellent saves turning away excellent combination play from Union II’s attacking midfielders.

About 75th minute right center back Pierre began to experience recurrent cramps. He managed to avoid on-field treatment thus keeping his side playing 11 v 11. But at least twice more the 17-year-old had his calves and hamstrings stretched out by his teammates. More than once after the cramps had begun, he summoned sprints from his depleted legs to avert promising New York potential breakaways.

In the 83rd minutes coach LeBlanc brought on attacking midfielder LeBlanc for Cavan Sullivan. Three minutes later Pierre advanced forward to enable Olney’s heroics. As soon as he did, New York head coach Matt Pilkington subbed on three fresh attackers after captain Westfield had earned a yellow card for a foul. Coach LeBlanc’s matching subs were not allowed on until the second minute of stoppage time, replacing single six Nick Pariano with a double six of Carlos Rojas moving up from left center back and Jamir Berdecio coming off the bench. Olwethu Makhanya filled in the last three or four minutes at left center back behind repositioned Rojas.

In the fourth minute of stoppage out of the minimum of five, David Vazquez fired a shot from distance than made New York’s right post ring out like struck steel. and a minute and a half later, the referee blew for full time.

Next match

The victory ensures that 2nd seed Union II will host a second playoff game between Friday, October 25th and Sunday, October 27th. The other three teams that advanced to the eastern conference semifinals are fourth seed Chicago Fire II (on penalties 1-1 (pks 5-4), eighth seed Crown Legacy coming from behind late over Cincinnati 2-1, and Columbus Crew 2 over Inter Miami CF II 6-2 in Florida. Union II is the highest remaining seed and will host after it chooses its opponent on Tuesday afternoon. At this writing the day of the match remains unknown.

 Cavan Sullivan

The fifteen year-old attacking midfielder started and played 83 minutes. He was felled once by a blow to the head that the referee must have judged a dive as there was no whistle.

When building from possession he almost never attacked down the central channel. He would move left or right to create overloads from which someone usually generated a feed. To free himself from his initial marker he was dribbling more this match than previously. His dribbling success rate was not perfect but high. Once again he belonged on the field against a good MLS Next Pro team.

For the future observers will need to remember that the jump from the second team to the first team is now higher than it was three and four years ago for the Aaronson brothers. MLS is better and MLS Next Pro is younger and slightly less athletic than USL Championship.

 Three points + one

1. Illustrating the youthfulness of Union II’s side, at tap-off only Union II starter Nick Pariano was legally able to purchase and drink alcohol in the United States.
2. Carlos Rojas played almost mistake free soccer at left center back, and clearly communicated easily with his teammates in English. While he has suffered several minor injuries this year, he may have inserted himself into next year’s center back conversation, if his purchase price is not too high.
3. While conventional analysis will focus on Olney’s goal, PSP judges that Neil Pierre playing through his cramps and delivering his second goal-providing assist in three games is worthy of recognition alongside Rick’s save and Olney’s bar ringer.
4. Attendance was 2,748, the most ever for an MLS Next Pro match at Subaru Park, behind only the Wrexham friendly and the first home opener up at Goodman Stadium in Bethlehem back in 2016.

BOXSCORE

Lineups

Union II (4-1-2-1-2, L-R) 1^st – 8; U II – 8; Acad – 4.

Starters: Andrew Rick; Frank Westfield, Carlos Rojas, Neil Pierre, Gavin Wetzel; Nick Pariano (Jamir Berdecio 9o+2′); CJ Olney, David Vazquez; Cavan Sullivan (Kellan LeBlanc 83′); Eddy Davis (Sal Olivas 63‘), Markus Anderson (Olwethu Makhanya 9o+2′ ).

Starters’ Average Age = 18.7

Unused substitutes: Mike Sheridan;  Jose Riasco, Giovanny Sequera, Jamir Johnson, Zach Mastrodimos.

 NYC FC II (3-4-3)

Starters: Alex Rando; Chris Tiao, Samuel Owusu, Rio Hope-Gund; Christian McFarlane (Stevo Bednarsky 89′), Jonathan Shore, Jake Rozhansky (Camil Ruiz 89′), Drew Baiera; Jonathan Jimenez (Ronald Arevalo 89′),  Maximo Carrizo, Taylor Calheira.

Unused substitutes: Kofi Hope-Gund; Klevis Haxhari, Nicholas Kapanadze, Matthew Leong, Jonathan Lopez. Julian Lacher.

Goals

Union II           86th minute           CJ Olney (Neil Pierre)

Yellow Cards

Union II           87th minute           Kellan LeBlanc (excessive celebration)

Union II           89th minute           Frank Westfield (foul)

Stats

Whistle & Flags

Ref: Nabil Bensalah, AR¹: Zeno Cho, AR²: Nicholas Seymour, 4^TH: Jalen Gray.