Photo courtesy Philadelphia Union II

In its St. Patrick’s Day evening home opener, head coach Ryan Richter’s Philadelphia Union II side took a 1-0 lead at 20 minutes of the first half, went down a man for a clear DOGSO red card in the 82nd, and gave up the equalizer in the first minute of stoppage time to create a second consecutive penalty kick shootout. But this time the other side missed the decisive penalty to let Union II walk away with two points, remain undefeated, and experience the closest thing this season to an outright win without actually winning in regulation.

In PSP’s judgment, goalkeeper Andrew Rick has to be Man of the Match, both for his unbroken successes against Red Bulls II breakaways and fast breaks and the two saves in the shootout that created pressure on New York’s unfortunate fourth shooter Tanner Rosborough causing him to miss high and right above the crossbar.

In advance

Union II tapped off 29 hours after the first team hosted and lost to Nashville. Neil Pierre was called in to the US U-18s by their new head coach, former Union II head coach Marlon LeBlanc, and was unavailable to partner Gavin Wetzel as he had done last week in Foxborough. U II player Kellen LeBlanc was called in to the US U-17s but remained available to play, and he did as a substitute for Cavan Sullivan after Wetzel’s DOSGO red. Otherwise, Coach Richter indicated at his pre-game press conference that his whole squad was available, with no one out due to injury. Recent center back signing Ramzi Qawamsy started in Pierre’s place at left center back.

New York Red Bulls had played two days before on Saturday at home, so they also could have received reinforcements from their first team’s bench. But, while Red Bulls organization professionals do flow between the two sides, they do not flow as freely as Philadelphia’s. Red Bulls II goalkeeper Aidan Stokes had been called up to international duty but remained to play. Otherwise, Red Bulls were often older, often slightly more athletic, and sometimes more pacey.

First half

Red Bulls II came out on the front foot for the first seven or so minutes, their four-man midfield controlling Union II’s box-configured middies. Then about 17 minutes in New York’s pace of play slowed, and Union II’s midfield box dominated until the end of the half.

Cavan Sullivan took a free kick in the 20th minute that bent around the left side of New York’s defensive wall and beat goalkeeper Stokes into the left back corner of the net. The goal stimulated an increased New York effort, but it was ineffective. David Vazquez and Zach Mastrodimos at the double six and Sullivan and CJ Olney at the wide 10s controlled play by anticipating New York’s passes and bravely moving to contest if not intercept them.

Striker Stas Korzeniowski combined well with the mids when he took only one touch after intercepting or receiving and passed quickly.  When he took more touches, he was less effective. New York frequently doubled and triple-teamed him when he did not move the ball quickly. MLS NEXT Pro play occurs faster than does that of the Ivy League, but he is already adjusting. (He still wants the last play of the match back as he had a glorious chance to end it with a goal originating as a free kick, but 90 minutes of effort meant he was a fraction slower to the ball than otherwise and his shot went high rather than in.)

The last five minutes of the first half saw Union II energy lessen and the Red Bulls side get out on one or two breaks. All game long, Union II goalkeeper Rick read perfectly when to come out against breaks and did so decisively, explosively, and successfully.

Second half

Neither coach Richter nor Red Bulls II head coach Ibrahim Segaya made any changes to their lineups at halftime.  The north Jerseyites had the wind in the second half which aided their ability to pressure Philadelphia’s defensive line and restricted Philly’s ability to reciprocate.

Red Bulls II missed on at least three significant second half chances that all came after Coach Richter had fulfilled his player development mandate and substituted debutantes Oscar Benitez and Jordan Griffin for defensive mid Zach Mastrodimos and left back Isaiah LeFlore respectively in the 67th minute. Union II’s previously well organized shape became less organized and the match began to display periods of helter-skelter play.

In the 74th minute Richter changed striker Sal Olivas for striker Eddy Davis and left mid CJ Olney for left mid Leandro Soria, and the underlying patterns of Philadelphia’s play became less organized still. New York promptly score a goal that was clearly offside and disallowed. But the trend of the match was clear.

Wetzel’s DOGSO red both sent Philadelphia a man down and removed their more effective central defender. Ramzi Qawamsy came to Philly from Atlanta United 2 which does not press as intensively as does Philadelphia. Qawamsy graduated from Philadelphia’s academy, but he has not played according to their principles in recent years, and coach Carnell’s principles are braver, more intense, and riskier than coach Curtin’s had recently become.

In the first minute of stoppage time Tanner Rosborough received a pass while shoulder to shoulder with his marker and tied the match past goalkeeper Rick who was helpless to do much about what felt like New York’s first serious shot on target, although they are credited with two on the night.

Rick saved two of Red Bulls’ first three shots in the shootout. Rosborough missed their fourth, and Coach Richter’s boys claimed their second and third points of the year.

Cavan Sullivan

Philadelphia’s youngest first-teamer started on the right side of the advanced midfielders opposite CJ Olney with David Vazquez once again playing as a very offensively minded double six. The threesome combined with Zach Mastrodimos at the other six as captain Nick Pariano was needed to play right back in Frank Westfield’s absence. Westfield had been called up to the US U-20s for the international break, and started for the first team on Sunday.

Sullivan scored his free kick and played 82 minutes effectively and well, being the youngest player on the field chronologically but not in terms of productivity or understanding. He may be called upon by the first team for their upcoming St. Louis match, and Monday evening’s festivities were preparative.

Post-match press conference

Following the match, coach Ryan Richter was available for questions, and we chose to ask him about how new signing Stas Korzeniowski is adapting to the league and Union II’s playstyle. The 22-year-old forward was the 53rd overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, and finished his collegiate career at the University of Pennsylvania prior to joining Union II. 

Coach Richter praised Korzeniowski’s work ethic, saying “he approaches every game and every day in the right way.” The forward comes from the Ivy League, where the style of play is much slower than in MLS NEXT Pro. Richter mentioned some of the improvements he’s seen, including “adjustments he’s making where he plays his back to goal, releasing balls a little quicker, [and] learning about his movements in the box.” 

Korzeniowski played his first full 90 minutes for Union II on Monday night and converted his penalty in the shootout to help the team earn the second point. Overall, Coach Richter says “We’re really happy with him.” 

Next match

Union II next plays on the eleventh day after the Red Bulls II match, on Friday the 28^th of March at 8:00 PM ET having traveled to Huntsville, Alabama to play Huntsville City, Nashville’s professional farm team. Everyone should be returned from international duty by then.

Three points, plus three

1. Sixteen point four year-old amateur Jordan Griffin debuted for the last 16 minutes plus stoppage time at left back. He knew his defensive positioning. And he showed very quick, superbly accurate and weighted feet at least once.
2. Oscar Benitez made his Union II debut at the same time as Griffin but looked less certain of his defensive responsibilities and less clearly integrated into the side’s offensive play. Development requires that he be given chances, and his coaches deserve credit for bravely giving him such.
3. Sal Olivas was called offside several times on precise, minute, accurate calls according to the replays available in the press box. Red Bulls II’s three center backs had sufficient pace to stay with him, highlighting his need to add trickery and combination play to his repertoire. The points of emphasis in his individual development plan would make interesting reading.
4. Leo Soria scored the third and decisive shootout penalty kick lifting his shot over the diving New York keeper but this week keeping it below the bar and into the old onion bag!
5. Former Union II head coach Marlon LeBlanc is coaching the U. S. Men’s Youth National Team U-18s during the March FIFA international break. Unsurprisingly, he called in his old center back from last year Neil Pierre.
6. On Friday (but announced Saturday) Union II signed center back Rafael Uzcátegui, a Venezuelan who in all his 2024 competitions has played 2,465 minutes in 29 appearances for Colombia’s Boyacá Chicó F.C. of that country’s highest professional division. Twenty-six of those appearances were starts. Twenty-two were full 90s, the 15 most recent of which were at center back, while six of the seven earlier ones were at right back. He still awaits his FIFA international transfer certificate and his U.S. P-1 visa. His club finished 17^th of 20 in the 2024 Colombian Apertura and 19^th of 20 in the 2024 Clausera but were not relegated. We speculate he is signed by Union II rather than the first team to learn the Union’s system while being evaluated as a potential future first-team player. Given Uzcategui’s age (20.5), if his salary is less than the Senior Roster minimum of $104,000, he can be signed to a short-term agreement by the first team four times but may play on one only twice. In light of Makhanya’s red card against Nashville, a short-term agreement for the first team’s St. Louis match is possible but would depend on timely completion of his international and US immigration paperwork.

 B O X S C O R E

Lineups

Union II (4-2-2-2, L-R) Sources: 1^st – 8; U II – 7; A – 4. Pro-Am ratio – 15:4

 Starters: Andrew Rick; Isaiah LeFlore (Jordan Griffin 67′), Gavin Wetzel, Ramzi Qawasmy, Nick Pariano (c); David Vazquez, Zach Mastrodimos (Oscar Benitez 67′); CJ Olney (Leandro Soria 74′), Cavan Sullivan (Kellen LeBlanc 83′); Stas Korzeniowski, Sal Olivas (Eddy Davis 74′) . Pro-Am Ratio – 9:2. Starters’ Ave Age = 19.9.

Unused substitutes: Mike Sheridan; Henry Bernstein, Gio Sequera.

Red Bulls II (3-4-3, L-R)

Starters: Aidan Stokes; Mathew dos Santos, Jair Collahuazo (Dennis Nelich 90′), Aidan O’Connor, Juan Gutierrez; Dylan Sullivan (Christian Gallagher 60′), Aiden Jarvis, Aimar Modelo; Steven Sserwadda, Tanner Rosborough, Ibrahim Kasule (Rafael Mosquera 60′).

Unused Substitutes: Austin Causey; Davi Alexandre, Brooklyn Schwarz, Ciao Ramalho, Copeland Berkley, Timothy Logan.

Goals

Union II          20th minute           Cavan Sullivan (free kick)

NYRB II          90+1 minute          Tanner Roseboro (Aiden Jarvis)

Yellow Cards

Union II          38th minute           Zach Mastrodimos (foul)

Union II          55th minute           Gavin Wetzel (foul)

Union II          88th minute           Nick Pariano (dissent)

NYRB II          90+3 minute          Aimar Modelo (violent conduct)

Red Cards

Union II          82nd minute          Gavin Wetzel (DOGSO)

Stats

Whistle & Flags

R^ef: Lauren Aldrich, AR¹: Mateusz Dulski, AR²: Robert Cordrey, 4^th: Joshua Encarnacion.

Shootout