Photo courtesy Philadelphia Union II comunications

On a quite warm North Carolina evening, Philadelphia Union II clean-sheeted Crown Legacy FC — Charlotte’s professional second team — 4-0 in its 16th game of the season. The Union now sit tied NY Red Bull II for first place in the East on 36 points with one game in hand as the race for the top of MLS Next Pro continues.

Union II striker Eddy Davis produced Union II’s winner in the second minute on a feed from Isaiah LeFlore. The pass broke him free behind Crown Legacy’s high restraining line for a worm burner to the far (left) post. Then Carolina center back Assane Ouedraogo scored his second goal of the season for Philadelphia –yes, Philadelphia! — on almost the last touch of the first half.

Forty seconds after the second half’s tap-off, Carolina attacking midfielder Nimfasha Berchimas earned his second yellow card and was sent off. His sending off put the hosts down a man for the rest of the match, which virtually secured the outcome for Philly.

In the 65th Union II captain defensive mid Nick Pariano received a middle third throw-in and, after dribbling scored from distance. Finally, in the 89th in his first goal not taken in stoppage time, 16-year-old Philly II striker Malik Jakupovic tied the absent Cavan Sullivan for the development club’s scoring lead with Jakupovic’s fifth goal (in his fourth game) to punctuate the win.

In advance

The Union and Union II each played away in different cities on the same night. Union II tapped off at 7:00 PM ET and the Union itself began at 8:30 in Houston. Union II starters David Vazquez and Cavan Sullivan featured on the first team bench.

This was the first of three straight away games for Union II.

CJ Olney’s loan to Lexington SC of USL Championship raises the question who will replace him at attacking midfielder. Kellen LeBlanc and Willyam Feirrera are the leading candidates. Leblanc currently has greater endurance and therefore is the more likely to start, as he did on the night. Ferreira replaced him in the 82nd minute.

First half

For the first 22 or so minutes of the match Davis’s early strike, Union II’s press, and the heat made Crown Legacy’s effort suggest that they did not want to be there. Philly dominated. Slowly thereafter some of the Carolinians began to rise to the challenge.

But the three-minute hydration break at the half-hour mark restored the visitors’ aggressive edge. And then the unfortunate Ouedraogo became the fourth player currently to have scored two goals for Union II this season. He did the same thing at Subaru Park on June 15th in the 75th minute to open the scoring in that Union II 3-0 clean sheet.

Second half

Crown Legacy head coach Gary Dicker made two substitutions at half time introducing center backs Yves Tcheuyap and Simon Tonidandel for Erik Pena and Ouedraogo. Union II head Ryan Richter made no halftime moves.

Berchimas’s immediate red card gave Richter the opportunity to emphasize his primary mission, player development. In the 58th three first teamers were replaced by their corresponding second-team counterparts. Academy amateur left back Jordan Griffin replaced Isaiah LeFlore like for like. And strikers Stas Korzeniowski and Jakupovic sent attacking mid Markus Anderson and striker Sal Olivas to the bench, with Davis shifting from striker to Anderson’s midfield spot.

After Pariano’s precisely placed edge of the area blow had re-emphasized the unlikeliness of Union II’s three points being jeopardized, coach Richter further juggled his lineup. He moved Oscar Benitez from defensive mid to center back for Rafael Uzcategui who had left for Leandro Soria. Soria became a flank mid. And Richter changed shape. He moved LeBlanc to central attacking mid and left Priano alone as a single six in what amounted to a 4-1-3-2 for the last 23 minutes plus stoppage. Finally Ferreira replaced LeBlanc in the 82nd, seven minutes before Jakupovic scored.

The only Union II field player who did not see the pitch was midfielder Jamir Johnson.

Coach Driver made his final three substitutions five minutes after Richetr had shifted from first team reserve attackers to second team ones, reinforcing the developmental nature of the final quarter of the proceedings.

Next match

Union next play away on the seventh day to New York City FC II at St. John’s University stadium on Long Island Saturday, July 26^th. Tap is scheduled for 4:00 PM and the match should be available on Apple + MLS Season Pass.

Cavan Sulllivan

Sullivan the younger travelled to Houston where he did not play.

We suspect he will now appear only occasionally with Union II, when he needs a tune-up. We should begin thinking of him on the developmental rungs of the ladder’s first team reserves.

Three points, plus a complaint

1. Oscar Benitez starting as a defensive midfielder was a mild surprise, with the additional surprise that he did a decent job.
2. Nimfasha Berchimas’s second yellow card 40 seconds into the second half for all practical purposes ended the match.
3. Malik Jakupovic scored again as a substitute, this time a billiards-like “double doink” from distance. He hit the right post, whence the ball caromed behind the keeper to the left post and in.
4. From the stand point of a paying customer, the technical quality of Apple +’s  livestreams of MLS NEXT Pro games continues to deteriorate year by year. Apple should now be paying substantial fines for the increasingly poor quality of its product, both audibly and visually.

B O X S C O R E

Lineups

 Union II (4-2-2-2, L-R) Head coach Ryan Richter. 1^st – 6+0; U II – 5+5; AA – 0+2.

Starters: Pierce Holbrook^{U II} (22.3); Isaiah LeFlore^1st(22.6) [Jordan Griffin^AA 58′], Rafael Uzcategui^{U II}(20.8) [Andro Soria^{U II}67′], Neil Pierre^1st(17.8),  Gio Sequera^{u II} (19.4); Oscar Benitez^{U II} (20.7), Nick Pariano^1st(22.3); Markus Anderson^1st(21.6) [Stas Korzeniowski^{U II},58′], Kellan LeBlanc^{U II} (17.3) [Willyam Feirrera^{U II}82′]; Eddy Davis^1st(19.1), Sal Olivas^1st(19.0) [Malik Jakupovic^{U II},58′]. Starters’ Ave Age = 20.2

Unused substitutes: Mike Sheridan^{U II}; Jamir Johnson^AA.

Crown Legacy (4-4-2) Head coach Gary Dicker.

Starters: Isaac Walker (25); Jahlane Forbes (23) [Daniel Moore 63′], Wyatt Holt (16), Assane Ouedraogo (19) [Yves Tcheuyap HT], Jack Neeley (20); Nimfasha Berchimas (17), Baye Coulibaly (19), Erik Pena (20) [Simon Tonidandel HT], Emmanuel Uchegbu (20) [Brian Romero 63′]; Adrian Mendoza (17) [Andrej Subotic 63′], Dylan Singh (24). Starters’ Ave Age = 20

Unused substitutes: Nicholas Hollliday; Thiago Rodrigues, Mikah Thomas, Leo Bartolovic.

Goals

Union II             2nd minute           Eddy Davis (Isaiah LeFlore)

Union II           45+3 minute           Assane Ouedraogo (own goal, header)

Union II            65th minute           Nick Pariano (Jordan Griffin)

Union II            89th minute           Malik Jakupovic (Gio Sequera)

Yellow cards

Crown Legacy   16th minute           Erik Pena (foul)

Crown Legacy     21st minute          Nimfasha Berchimas (foul)

Union II             43rd minute          Sal Olivas (foul)

Union II              52nd minute         Isaiah LeFlore (foul)

Crown Legacy    90+2 minute         Andrej Subotic (foul)

Stats

Whistle & flags

Ref: Carlos Rodriguez; AR¹: Jessica Carnevale; AR²: Alexandru Focea; 4^th: Joe Surgan.