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Philadelphia Union II’s captain, left center back Rafael Uzcategui, scored an own goal for Toronto FC II Friday night in York, Ontario, Canada and evened the season’s series at one game apiece. The rubber match will occur May 29th also in York.

Toronto had one meaningful chance to score a goal of their own, securing a breakaway in the last third of the second half. It was saved excellently with a strong right hand by Union II goal keeper Pierce Holbrook. It was Holbrook’s first game action since being injured in Chicago in first team warm-ups last August 23rd.

Otherwise Toronto generated six shots for the match to the Union’s 13, although neither team placed many of their efforts on target.

Philadelphia did not begin to play their normal aggressive attacking style until the last half an hour of the match. Before then they played a patient possession game conceding Toronto possession in the Toronto defensive third.

In advance

Union II played away in York, Ontario, Canada. They played Friday, April 17th the night before the first team hosted D. C. United on Saturday. That schedule detail meant no last-minute extra reinforcements were available from the first team. Only two first teamers travelled north. Earlier Saturday the Union Academy U18s were scheduled to play the Red Bull Academy U18s in Chester. they are ranked first and second respectively in the mid Atlantic division of the Allstate home grown standings departed by two points.

The second team’s game north of the border was played with fewer than its usual players and several usual names were missing.

Union II had defeated Toronto II in the season opener February 28^th 1-0 at Subaru Park. A goal in the 8^thminute from Union II striker Malik Jakupovic was the only score. Jakupovic has since been signed to a first-team contract as a homegrown player. Union II seemed younger than the junior Reds back in February. They were more tentative in their play than they might have been. Toronto II coach Gianni Cimini seemed frustrated that his side had not managed to get a result out of their efforts in Chester, so they may be making a special effort against Philly at home. Starting Adisa De Rosario in goal suggested as much.

While Union II lies third in the table and Toronto II lies 12^th, players available should mean that it will be a close match.

First Half

Toronto had one shot in the first half, inside the first minute. After that they may have possessed the ball roughly 60:40 for the half, but the Philadelphia defense denied them any shots.

Philadelphia’s stalwart defense was counteracted by Toronto’s equally stalwart midfield which repeatedly intercepted entry passes from defensive midfielders intended for attacking mids and forwards.

Head coach Ryan Richter started two academy amateurs as strikers, both of whom have appeared with Union II before. But one was a complementary forward rather than the creator, and the other was usually a late-game substitute at attacking midfield. These two made no serious attempts to pressure Toronto’s defenders in a deviation from the usual Union II style of play.

Had Uzcategui not scored for the hosts, Toronto would have dominated possession but Philadelphia would have controlled the half.

Second Half

The match stayed the same for the first 15 minutes of the second half.

Only when Richter introduced Eddy Davis in the 63rd minute, after Willyam Ferreira had replaced Tyler Gladstone and Oscar Benitez had replaced Mamoutou Berthe in the 54th, did the boys in cream and light blue begin to play aggressive, pressing, fast-breaking, Union-style soccer.

But in that last half an hour they lacked pacey threats down the flanks. Searching, deep penetration service from the defensive midfield remained noticeably absent. And the strikers available were not individually creative enough to compensate for the lacks.

The just reflection of the match’s character would have been a draw of mutual clean sheets. But Philly and its captain were unlucky.

Our final thought is that Union II’s midfield misses Markus Anderson and CJ Olney. Their potential replacements have not yet asserted themselves.

Next Match

Union II next play nine days later on Sunday April 26^th in Bridgeport , CT against CT United, the other side who has beaten Union II (in Chester 2-1 on the Ides of March).

Three points, plus one

1. Matheus De Paula for the first time in his recent run of play did not seem to have much positive influence on the match.
2. Lennon Harrington‘s absence meant the usual late game spark he has recently been providing was also missing.
3. Eddy Davis has been out for sixty days according to Bradly Carnell in his press conference Thursday, and his lack of practice time with Union II’s midfielders was obvious.
4. Former Union II Alumni Gavin Wetzel (Pitt) and Henry Bernstein (Maryland), and current YSC academy senior Ronan Sullivan ( St. Joe’s – PA) will be playing this summer for West Chester United Predators in USL-2 and the various other competitions in which Blaise Santangelo’s team participates.

B O X S C O R E

Lineups

Union II (4-2-2-2, L-R) Head coach Ryan Richter. 1^st – 1+1; U II – 6+4; AA – 4+2; Starters’ Ave Age  = 18.9.

Starters: Pierce Holbrook; Jordan Griffin, Rafael Uzcategui, Finn Sundstrom, Gio Sequera; Mamoutou Berthe (Oscar Benitez 54′),Matheus De Paula; Tyler Gladstone (Willyam Ferreira 54′), Kellan LeBlanc (Theo Reed 77′); Nehan Hasan, John Ruf (Eddy Davis 63′).

Holbrook	Griffin	Uzcategui	Sundstrom	Sequera	Berthe
U II	U II	U II	1st	U II	U II
23.0	17.5	21.5	19.4	20.2	19.3
De Paula	Gladstone	LeBlanc	Hasan	Ruf
AA	AA	U II	AA	AA
17.4	17.2	18.1	17.8	16.9

Substitutes: Matthew White; Oliver Pratt, Kaiden Moore, Oscar Benitez*, Willyam Ferreira*, Theo Reed*, Eddy Davis*.

White	Pratt	Moore	Benitez	Ferreira	Reed
AA	U II	U II	U II	U II	AA
17.?	22.5	18.4	21.9	17.2	17.4
Davis
1st
19.8

Toronto II (4-3-3) Head coach Gianni Cimmini. Entire squad average age per Transfermarkt is 20.2.

Starters: Adisa De Rosario; Micah Chisholm, Stephan Kapor, Dekwon Barrow (Spencer Sappleton HT), Edwin Omoregbe; Antone Bossenberry, Timothy Fortier, Bryce Boneau (Daniel Stampatori 66′); Fletcher Bank, Jahmarie Nolan (Elias Knodri 66′), Damar Dixon (Shyon Pinnock 88′).

Substitutes: Zacharia Nakhly; Josh Nugent, Elias Knodri*, Daniel Stampatori*, Demitre Adamson, Tristan Blyth, Shyon Pinnock*, Spencer Sappleton*, Diego Nue-Brito.

Goals

Toronto II: 35th minute  Rafael Uzcategui (own goal)

Yellow Cards

Toronto: 18th minute.   Antone Bossenberry

Union II: 34th minute.  Finn Sundstrom

Toronto: 38th minute.   Dekwon Barrow

Union II: 48th minute.   Mamoutou Berthe

Union II. 53rd minute.   Jordan Griffin

Union II. 69th minute.  Oscar Benitez

Union II. 90 + 2 minute.  Willyam Ferreira

Whistle & Flags

Stats

T II	Statistic	U II	T II	Statistic	U II
6	Shots	13	4	Offsides	3
2	Shots on goal	3	3	GoalkeeperSaves	2
1	Blocked shots	5	0	Clearances	1
432	Total Passes	409
78.9	PassAccuracy%	79.7	13	Fouls	21
1	Corners	4	2	Yellow Cards	5
4	Total Crosses	6	0	Red Cards	0