Photo Kevin Barrett
After spotting their hosts Philadelphia Union II the go-ahead goal in the 51st minute, Red Bull New York II came back with two goals in six minutes, in the 67th and 72nd, to defeat Union II 2-1 in the sunshine at Subaru Park on Sunday.
In advance
Union II played in Chester the afternoon after the first team had drawn 0-0 with first place Nashville, also in Chester. Therefore, Finn Sundstrom, Stas Korzeniowski and Malik Jakupovic were able to “play down” Sunday afternoon for game minutes, joining usual first teamers Sal Olivas and Eddy Davis..
As an organization Red Bull New York has made a commitment to join Philadelphia as a player development program. They have opened a youth player developmental campus of their own within the last month. It does not integrate the entire operation into one locale as does Philadelphia’s. But the money invested strongly implies a serious commitment to the strategy.
The match commentator, who obviously knew much more about the New York team than he did the Philadelphia one, described a New York side drawn from first-teamers, second-teamers, and academy amateurs in a fashion easily understood by long-time followers of Union II. New York is paying Philly the sincerest form of flattery, imitation.
Transfermarkt’s estimate of the Red Bull II overall squad’s average age (see boxscore below) reinforces the idea of Red Bull being committed to youth development. It is clear that New York’s access to a worldwide scouting system helped populate their roster with more than one Panamanian, a Costa Rican, and a Belgian among the players on their game day roster.
First half
The first half remained scoreless in spite of clear scoring chances on both sides. Red Bull had a goal called back for offside on a free kick in the 12th minute when a training ground free kick set piece hit the back of the net.
As happened with some frequency throughout the match, New York was subjected to Philadelphia’s press. But they often defeated the tackles through a combination of physical athleticism and technical skill. This year’s Union II midfield has had trouble making the press “bite,” so to speak.
The half remained scoreless, although Philadelphia began to assert more control as time went on.
Eddy Davis started and played as an attacking midfielder, as position of some newness to him in actual games. His role resembled the one Markus Anderson played for coach Richter in the second half of last year. Davis did so with enough effectiveness that a repeat would not be a surprise.
The disparity in athleticism was reflected in the boys in blue receiving three of the half’s four yellow cards. They were fractionally late on some tackles and hence fouled.
Second half
Union II began the half with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Willyam Ferreira had replaced Davis. But the energy was team-wide. In the 51st Striker Stas Korzeniowski (see photo) got free on the left side of the box deeper than the penalty spot and beat New York’s keeper by going for the near post when that young man had shifted his weight towards the far one.
New York had swapped strikers at halftime. The change paid off when Panamanian striker Mijahir Jimenez interrupted an overly casual back pass among Philadelphia’s defenders, avoided goalkeeper Andrew Rick’s attempted defense, and tapped the ball just across the goal line ahead of a desperate Union defender’s attempt to clear it.
Six minutes later, again from the right channel, Dennis Gjendgaar crossed the ball into the path of on-rushing left channel attacking midfielder Dennis Nelich who gave Rick no chance from close range.
Union II head coach Ryan Richter had remained true to his player development mandate between the two New York goals. He brought on Sal Olivas for attacking mid Kellen LeBlanc and Oscar Benitez for defensive mid Mamoutou Berthe at the 70th minute.
The wind, so to speak, was somewhat spilled from Union II’s sails for the rest of the match. In the 93rd Korzeniowski tickled the back of the net but had started from a slightly offside position, match the visitor’s disallowed goal in the 12th. No one gave up, but belief shrank.
Red Bull’s worldwide soccer resources had put a physically superior side on the pitch, in spite of Philadelphia’s credible best efforts to overcome those advantages.
Next match
Two upcoming matches deserve mention, not just one.
Philadelphia and the Ocean City Nor-easters of USL League Two, an amateur summer league for collegiate amateurs, have announced they will play an exhibition at the WSFS Sportsplex in Chester on Friday, May 8th at 1 PM five days after the Red Bull II match. Fans are welcome to attend. Union II head coach Ryan Richter is a Nor’easters alumnus. There will be no video livestream or broadcast. It will be the opening match of Ocean City’s preseason as it was last year.
We assume that for Union II it would be a dress rehearsal for having to play an actual match on the Sportsplex’s Championship Field. They might possibly have to do so later this summer while sharing the campus with extra outside visiting sides during the World and Leagues Cups.
Five days after the Nor’easters’ exhibition, Wednesday, May 13th, Union II will return to MLSNEXT Pro regular season play and host New England Revolution II at Subaru Park at 7:00 PM.
Three points
- Postgame coach Richter praised the play of defensive midfielder Matheus De Paula who has become a fixture as a “six.”
- Korzeniowski nów leads the team with four goals in three 90-minute games played out of the season’s total of eight. When asked during his pre-Nashville presser first-team head coach Bradley Carnell described the gap between MLS and MLSNEXTPro as “vast.”
- Captain and left center back Rafael Uzcategui has played every minute of every game, even scoring a goal.
- Postgame coach Richter was politely incredulous that all four match officials had missed Red Bull striker Andy Rojas’s elbow to Finn Sundstrom’s head. Rojas already had a yellow card. It is telling to note that Richter’s opposite number Dominik Wohlert protectively took Rojas off the pitch at halftime.
- Richter’s use of Sal Olivas and Eddy Davis as attacking midfielders deserves commendation as an attempt to strengthen Union II’s attacking midfield, the team’s clear weakness this season.
B O X S C O R E
Lineups
Union II (4-2-2-2, L-R). Head coach Ryan Richter. 1st – 5+2; U II – 7+3; AA – 1+4. Starters’ Ave Age = 19.0
Starters: Andrew Rick; Jordan Griffin, Rafael Uzcategui, Finn Sundstrom, Gio Sequera; Matheus De Paula, Mamoutou Berthe (Oscar Benitez, 70′); Eddy Davis (Willyam Ferreira, 49′), Kellan LeBlanc (Sal Olivas, 70′); Stas Korzeniowski, Malik Jakupovic.
| Rick | Griffin | Uzcategui | Sundstrom | Sequera | DePaula |
| 1st | U II | U II | 1st | U II | AA |
| 20.3 | 17.5 | 21.6 | 19.4 | 20.2 | 17.5 |
| Berthe | Davis | LeBlanc | Korzeniowski | Jakupovic | |
| U II | 1st | U II | 1st | 1st | |
| 19.3 | 19.9 | 18.1 | 23.3 | 16.8 |
Substitutes: Pierce Holbrook, Alex Smith; Oliver Pratt, Kaiden Moore, Andrew Craig, , Nehan Hasan.
| Smith | Pratt | Moore | Holbrook | Benitez | |
| AA | U II | U II | U II | U II | |
| 18.1 | 22.5 | 18.5 | 23.1 | 21.9 | |
| Hasan | Craig | Olivas | Ferreira | ||
| AA | AA | 1st | U II | ||
| 17.8 | 18.6 | 19.8 | 17.2 |
Red Bull II (4-1-4-1). Head coach Dominik Wohlert. Full Squad average age per Transfermarkt = 19.8.
Starters: Tobias Szecwyk; Joyeux Bungi (Connor Faello, 59′), Aimar Sanchez, Julian Bazan, Aimar Modelo (Benjamin Rodriguez, 59′); Dennis Nelich (Cameron Harper, 86′), Deven Cadigan, Nate Worth, Dennis Gjendgaar; Andy Rojas (Mijahir Jimenez, HT), Roald Mitchell (Paul Sokoloff, HT).
Substitutes: Austin Causey; Christian Gallagher, Sekou Kone, Jason Bori.
Goals
Union II 51st Minute Stas Korzeniowski (Kellen LeBlanc)
Red Bull II 67th MInute Mijahir Jimenez (Julian Bazan)
Red Bull II 72nd MInute Dennis Nelich (Dennis Gjendgaar)
Yellow Cards
Red Bull II 13th Minute Andy Rojas
Union II 14th MInute Gio Sequera
Union II. 20th Minute Matheus De Paula
Union II 39th Minute Finn Sundstrom
Red Bull II 65th Minute Dennis Gjendgaar
Red Bull II 79th Minute Paul Skoloff
Whistle & Flags
REF: Calin Radosav; AR1: Amilcar Sicaju; AR2: Justen Lopez; 4TH: Gurhan Dolgun.
Stats
| U II | Statistic | RB II | U II | Statistic | RB II |
| 14 | Shots | 11 | 7 | Offsides | 3 |
| 8 | Shots on goal | 6 | 4 | GoalkeeperSaves | 7 |
| 1 | Blocked shots | 3 | 1 | Clearances | 3 |
| 417 | Total Passes | 491 | |||
| 75.8 | PassAccuracy% | 82.1 | 13 | Fouls | 23 |
| 4 | Corners | 0 | 3 | Yellow Cards | 3 |
| 5 | Total Crosses | 1 | 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
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