Photo @PhilaUnionII

In what was Michael Bradley’s first signature win of his nascent coaching career, New York Red Bull II hosted and defeated Philadelphia Union II 2-0 Monday evening August 11th behind a brace from Panamanian striker Mihajir Jimenez.

In advance

Union II played two days after the first team played Toronto and two days before it will play Red Bull’s first team in the US Open Cup. The usual Union II game roster was available. (Knowledgeable sources indicated in advance that center back Rafael Uzcategui would NOT be suspended for the match, and he wasn’t.)

Before tap Red Bull New York II and Philadelphia Union II were tied for first place in the Eastern Conference on 42 points. Philadelphia held a game in hand. Red Bull II had two more wins but two more losses than Union II. Philly had three more ties and three more penalty kick shootout wins. Both teams were six points behind St. Louis CITY II overall.

New Union II acquisition Noah Probst’s debut was accelerated because the Union Academy U18s and U16s are in Germany on a preseason tour. The integration of new Academy amateurs into Union II cannot happen until they return from Europe. That should begin a few days of travel and recovery after August 20^th, the last overseas game.

As every year, Union II will be trying to make the playoffs while undergoing its annual transition from one Academy year to the next.

David Vazquez’s loan

 Vazquez has started San Diego’s last three games. They were the last two games of its three-game Leagues Cup schedule, and its first upon resumption of play in MLS.

He played 62 minutes against Tigres, the full 90 against Mazatlan, and the first half against Sporting KC. He had an assist against Mazatlan, took four shots, won two-thirds of his aerial duels, and recorded 81 touches. His statistical impact on the Tigres and SKC matches was less. Right now he shows as an adequate player in the middle levels of Liga MX and MLS.

Officially the Milan Iloski signing and the Vazquez loan are not connected because Iloski was no longer a San Diego FC player when Philadelphia signed him. But in effect the Union has swapped the 19-year-old midfielder for the 26-year-old positionally versatile attacker. If San Diego buys Vazquez (they hold an option to do so), aside from the legalities of MLS’s roster rules, there is no pragmatic reason not to think of it as a single deal. Iloski is now; Vazquez may well be the future.

Click here for Sporting Director Ernst Tanner’s Instagram comments on Iloski.

First half

In the 12th minute Andrew Rick received a back pass from Gio Sequera, was pressured after moments after receiving it by Red Bull striker Mihajir Jimenez, attempted a cut back dribble to avoid him, and was cleaned of the ball completely. Jimenez scored the easiest goal of his career into a wide open net.

From that point forward New York was faster to the ball all over the field for the rest of the half. Their passing moved the ball more rapidly than did Union II’s. Their defenders collapsed onto the ball faster. Their supporting runners moved into attacking spaces faster.

New York played for verticality from the jump, which seemed to take Union II by surprise. Their press was more effective. They did a better job of being compact when defending recovering to their positions more quickly.

In the 45th minute a Union II giveaway in the midfield became a second goal as Rafael Mosquera found Jimenez for his sixth brace of the Season. Jimenez began the play feeding Mosquera after collecting a Kellan LeBlanc error.

The hosts were clearly playing with determination and emotion. The question going into halftime was whether they would be able to continue their dominance in the second half.

They didn’t, but the score held.

Second half

Union II head coach Ryan Richter made one change at halftime, bringing on Stas Korzeniowski for Sal Olivas at striker.

Philadelphia did turn the tables after halftime improving their speed of ball movement, their intensity of pressure and their pace, and there was a greater effort to defend as a group of ten. But New York kept working, and held on for the win.

The best evidence of the halftime change is in the list of yellow cards below. Philly was late to the tackle and fouled in the first half. New York did the same in the second. Notable is that 44 fouls were whistled in the match.

Conventional journalism will name Jimenez man of the match for his brace. However, the man of the second half was New York goalkeeper Aidan Stokes who turned away attempt after attempt. Philadelphia ended credited with only one shot on target, since a melee on the three yard line produced two temporarily injured New York defenders including the keeper holding the ball off the goal line, but apparently no shot on target.

Richter made all five of his moves, and the intensity of Philadelphia’s situation produced steps forward in intensity and confidence from several. Jordan Griffin showed more offensive fire and focus than in previous matches after he came on for Isaiah LeFlore at left back in the 80th minute.

Malik Jakupovic joined Korzeniowski at striker in the 68th and showed that he belonged in a situation that was anything but the garbage time of his previous successes.

Nick Pariano, Markus Anderson and Rafael Uzcategui pressed better, anticipated more quickly, and combined much more crisply in their passing in the second half. Several others deserve their own compliments. Developmentally, the match probably counts as a success.

Conventionally, of course it does not. Red Bull II beat Philly II for the first time in a several games and now has sole possession of first place in the east.

Cavan Sullivan

Sullivan has returned from England. Coach Carnell’s pre-Toronto press conference indicates he has stepped up his game in response to his English sojourn. His late game cameo against Toronto backed Carnell’s words with action.

We continue to speculate that Sullivan now classifies as a first-team primary reserve and will see little to no future time with Union II.

He spent roughly a season developing with the second team. It would make sense for him now to spend the rest of 2025, all of 2026, and the first half of 2027 moving further along his pathway. If he progresses rapidly enough, we may discover how “outgrowing MLS” has been defined, and what steps Philadelphia and Manchester have agreed to take in consequence. He could be loaned away from Philly for a short time to a destination whose labor laws are more relaxed than the UK’s and whose soccer is better than North America’s. English language might be a secondary parameter, of course. They do teach Spanish at YSC Academy, so a Spanish-speaking country outside the European Union that plays good soccer might be a place.

The preseason that immediately precedes the English Premier League’s 2027-2028 season is when we should expect Sullivan to arrive in Manchester permanently. Man City found an immigration workaround that allowed him to play for their U21s — aka, Elite Developmental Squad (EDS) — for a couple of weeks this summer. Presumably they could find others until his end-of-September birthday.

Next match

Union II next play on the fourth day, Friday, August 15^th, away to Chicago Fire II at 8 PM ET at Seat Geek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL. The match is scheduled to be streamed on Apple TV’s MLS season pass.

Three points + 1

1. Noah Probst debuted in the 53rd minute preventing Oscar Benitez from receiving a second yellow card. Probst did so in a situation that was anything but a guarantee of an easy debut. His role was to cover Nick Pariano as the captain ranged all over the pitch trying to create miracles.
2. Every field player on coach Richter’s bench played.
3. In the 48th minute Andrew Rick made a reaction save with his left arm against an almost certain goal scoring opportunity to keep Philadelphia’s hopes of a comeback alive.
4. As is becoming a commonplace expectation, the technical quality of Apple TV’s broadcast was atrocious. MLS Next Pro would be fully justified to demand change.

B O X S C O R E

Lineups

Union II (4-2-2-2, L-R), Head coach Ryan Richter. 1^st –7+0; U II – 4+5; AA – 0+1.

Starters: Andrew Rick^1st (19.5); Isaiah LeFlore^1st (22.7) (Jordan Griffin^AA(16.8) 80′), Rafael Uzcategui^{U II} (20.8), Neil Pierre^1st(17.8), Gio Sequera^{U II} (19.5); Oscar Benitez^{U II} (20.7) (Noah Probst^{U II} (21.0) 53′), Nick Pariano^1st (22.4); Markus Anderson^1st (21.7), Kellen LeBlanc^{U II} (17.4) (Willyam Ferreira^{U II} (16.5) 68′); Sal Olivas^1st (19.1) (Stas Korzeniowski^{U II} (22.5) HT), Eddy Davis^1st (19.1) (Malik Jakupovic^{U II} (16.1) 68′). Starters’ Ave Age = 20.0

Unused substitute: Mike Sheridan^{U II}(24.0).

Red Bull II (3-4-3). Head coach Michael Bradley. 1^st –5+1; RB II — 6+5; AA — 0+3. Ages not available.

Starters: Aidan Stokes^1st; Curtis Ofori^1st, Jair Collahuazo, Aidan Jarvis^1st; Andy Rojas (Benjamin Rodriguez^AA.90+5′), Nehuen Benedetti (Dylan Sullivan 90+5′), Adri Mehmeti^1st, Nate  Worth (Ibrahim Kasule 77′); Rafael Mosquera (Sebastian Chavez^AA 63′), Mihajir Jimenez (Roald Mitchell^1st  63′), Dennis Gjengaar^1st.

Unused substitutes:  Austin Causey; Christian Gallagher^AA, Caio Ramalho, Brooklyn Schwarz,   

Goals

Red Bull II           12th minute           Mihajir Jimenez

Red Bull II           45th minute           Mihajir Jimenez (Rafael Mosquera)

 Yellow Cards

Union II                 1st minute             Isaiah LeFlore (foul)

Union II               19th minute            Oscar Benitez (foul)

Red Bull II           35th minute            Dennis Gjenjaar (delay)

Union II               39th minute            Kellen LeBlanc (foul)

Red Bull II           63rd minute            Nehuen Benedetti (intentional hand ball)

Red Bull II           73rd minute            Andy Rojas (foul)

Red Bull II           83rd minute           Roald Mitchell (foul)

Red Bull II           90+4 minute          Curtis Ofori (foul)

Union II               90+5 minute           Gio Sequera (foul)

Stats

Whistle & Flags

Ref: John Matto; AR¹: Matt Trotter; AR²: Eric Schreiber; 4^th: Kyle Averill.