Photo courtesy Philadelphia Union II Communications

Carolina Core defeated Philadelphia Union II 3-2 in High Point, North Carolina Wednesday evening ending Philly’s nine-game unbeaten streak and handing them their second loss of the season.

The most influential participant in the match was referee Promise Adebayo-Ige who awarded the hosts two penalty kicks, one in the 22nd minute and the second in the 49th. He awarded Philadelphia one in the 36th. Ironically, the most violent foul in either penalty box on the night came in stoppage time when the Carolina defender twisted the Philly attacker by the shoulders with both hands and threw him to the ground like a rodeo cowboy felling a steer. That play was called only as a Philly corner kick.

Philadelphia took the lead from Markus Anderson in the 11th after a long, diagonal feed from Kellan LeBlanc. Then came Carolina penalty kick number one, followed three minutes later by a nice close-in finish from Joshua Rodriguez. For both Carolina goals defensive central midfielder Facundo Canete provided key creative service.

Sal Olivas scored an equalizing Union II PK in the 36th.

And then in the 49th Glory Nzingo scored his second from the spot as the match winner.

 In advance

Union II played on the fourth day after it previous match and four days before its next. The first team did not play, so in general its deep reserves in need of game minutes could have been made available, except for Cavan Sullivan who remained absent in England. But no one unusual travelled south.

David Vazquez’s loan to San Diego FC is now official.

Carolina is independent of any affiliation with any Major League Soccer side. They are in their second season of play. Former U. S. national team defender Eddie Pope is the chief soccer officer. They were 12^th in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference before tap-off.

Carolina is based in High Point, NC. They are developing an academy that currently has a U-13 and a U-14 side. The academy’s pattern suggests there is a blueprint for long-term growth via annual expansion of the academy.

First half

Philadelphia did not control the midfield with its press. That is no surprise since three of the season’s previously usual midfield starters have moved on, Cavan Sullivan to the first team, CJ Olney to Lexington SC on loan and David Vazquez to San Diego FC on loan with a purchase option.

As a result a great deal more pressure was placed on Union II’s back line, resulting in Carolina’s penalties and their other goal. The key creative player was Facundo Canete, who delivered the pass that created the PK foul and began the sequence that resulted in the Rodriguez goal.

The other glaring weakness in the Union’s press was Malik Jacupovic. He simply does not yet have the engine to provide the constant unfailing defensive pressure needed from a Union II striker.

While we have no idea what head coach Pat Richter may have said at halftime, we would not be at all surprised to learn that he told his team they had been playing like a bunch of individuals each trying to win the game on their own. (Richter said exactly that of one of the halves played in a scrimmage earlier this season against the Ocean City Nor’easters.)

Second half

Neither coach made changes at halftime.

Jakupovic tried hard to do better on defense, but his first start asked him to play sixty-five minutes after having previously played only 30s or less and most of those in garbage time. It was a midweek game, and last Saturday’s starters needed the rest, especially since there is a third match this Sunday.

When they first began in Philly, none of the first team’s best defensive strikers were excellent constantly relentless defenders , none of them. It is a learned skill. Jakupovic has plenty of time. But on the day his bubble burst.

Jordan Griffin deserves mention for playing his first full 90 minute match as a professional.  He is seven tenths of a year older than Jakupovic, but in a similar stage in the building of his engine.

Kellan LeBlanc made it into the mid 70s of minutes four days after he completed his first full 90.

Carolina played cynically intelligent soccer once they took the lead. They moved as slowly as possible on restarts and made multiple changes in who would serve either restarts or throw ins. And they got their win.

Coach Richter and Union II have to move on from Sullivan, Olney and Vazquez. Anderson, LeBlanc, and Benitez are not yet their equals. But the Union’s philosophy is that they cannot become so until faced with the necessity of actually doing it. On the night they could not quite pull off the coordinated teamwork.

Referee Adebayo-Ige clearly did not like Union II’s aggressive style of play. That curtailed Benitez’s effectiveness. To Benitez’s credit he avoided the yellow card for persistent infringement that had seemed inevitable by the end of the first half.

And the absence of Isaiah LeFlore did not help offensive creativity. Griffin serves accurate long balls, but does not penetrate into the edges of the central channel to win balls from melees the way his older colleague does. In fairness we are comparing a 16-year-old amateur to a 22 year-old professional.

Next match

As mentioned earlier, Union II next play on the fourth day, Sunday August 3^rd at 6:00 PM at Subaru Park hosting FC Cincinnati 2. The match is expected to be streamed on Apple+TV’s MLS Season Pass. After an horrendous start, Cincy has recovered toward the bottom edge of playoff qualification.

Three points plus one

1. Team scoring leader Malik Jakupovic made his first start as a professional and played 65 minutes.
2. Now that August is beginning, the next group of academy players will begin practicing with Union II and perhaps winning places on game day benches.
3. Gio Sequera (see photo) continues to play well as a right back in MLS NEXT Pro.
4. Cavan Sullivan debuted as a substitute for Manchester City’s U21 side against Buxton City’s U21s last Saturday July 26^th. He scored a goal 16 minutes after he entered. Click here for one of the versions of the video.

B O X S C O R E

Lineups

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

Starters: Andrew Rick^1st(19.5); Jordan Griffin^AA(16.8), Rafael Uzcategui^UII(20.8), Neil Pierre^1st(17.8), Gio Sequera^UII(19.5); Oscar Benitez^UII(20.7) (Jamir Johnson^AA(17.1) 65′), Nick Pariano^1st(22.4); Markus Anderson^1st(21.6) (Willyam Feirrera^UII(16.5) 82′), Kellen LeBlanc^UII(17.4) (Leandro Soria^UII(20.8) 76′); Sal Olivas^1st(19.1) (Stas Korzeniowski^UII(22.5) 76′), Malik Jakupovic^UII(16.1) (Eddy Davis^!st(19.1) 65′). Starters’ Ave Age = 19.2

Unused substitutes: Mike Sheridan^UII(23.9) . 

Suspended: Isaiah LeFlore^1st(22.6). Awaiting P1 Visa & ITC: Noah Probst^UII(20.9)

 Carolina (5-4-1, L-R) Head coach former MLS goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.

Starters: Alex Sutton (25); Jathan Juarez (22), Ibrahim Covi (25), Daniel Chica (23), Kai Thomas (22), Pauk Leonardi (25) (Zion Scarlett (21) 80′); Glory Nzingo (20) (Juan Pablo Rodriguez (22) 90+4′), Facundo Canete (25), Msunguchi Alenga Charles(22), Jacob Evans (27) (Aryeh Miller (19) 87′); Joshua Rodriguez (21) (David Polanco (26) 87′).

Unused substitutes: Andrew Pannenberg (26), Robert Bailey (25); , , Drake Hadeed (17), ,, , Cory Lundeen (25).

Suspended: Anthony Sumo (26).

Goals

Union II           11th minute           Markus Anderson (Kellan LeBlanc) (Gio Sequera)

Carolina           22nd minute          Glory Nzingo (penalty kick)

Carolina           25th minute           Joshua Rodriguez (Facundo Canete)

Union II           36th minute           Sal Olivas (penalty kick)

Carolina.          52nd minute         Glory Nzingo (penalty kick)

Yellow cards

Carolina           33rd minute            Alenga Charles (foul)

Carolina            45-1 minute           Daniel Chica (tactical foul)

Carolina            46th minute          Joshua Rodriguez (delay)

Union II            71st minute            Rafael Uzcategui (foul)

Carolina           78th minute            Ibrahim Covi (foul)

Union II           90+2 minute           Gio Sequera (foul)

Union II           90+6 minute            Nick Pariano (probably dissent)

Stats

Whistle & Flags

Ref: Promise Adebayo-Ige; AR1: Kylie Rhodes; AR2: Blanca Diaz Rodriguez; 4th: Celeste Roberts.