Photo Kevin Barrett

Philadelphia Union II and Columbus Crew 2 traded first-half goals in quick succession, but nothing could separate them through 90 minutes. The 1-1 draw triggered the mandated penalty kick shootout in which the Union II fell after 10 rounds and lost the extra point to the visitors.

In advance

Union II played Crew 2 in Chester the day after the Union themselves did the same with the Columbus Crew’s first team. Therefore, Union II game minutes could be played by Union II regulars who had been needed for depth on the first team’s bench. Finn Sundstrom was a leading candidate for performing that double duty. Andrew Rick, Malik Jakupovic, and Stas Korzeniowski joined him. Sal Olivas was suspended for his red card in the previous match, and Willyam Ferreira was recovering from an injury sustained in the same match. (We estimate that the first team had only 22 players healthy enough for selection Saturday night.)

YSC Academy graduated its senior class on Friday afternoon, May 15th. Union II’s summer transition looms once the MLS NEXT Cup tournaments are over. (All three Union Academy teams have now qualified, U-15s, U-16s, & U-18s, and will leave for MLS Next Cup playoffs this coming Friday). Union II will begin to see some of its graduated academy players move on to the next stages in their soccer careers.

Going into the match, Columbus Crew 2 lay fourth in the Eastern conference table on 17 points from 10 games. Union II lay eighth on 14 points from ninth.

First half

Giovanny Sequera made himself important on the right sideline early on. He won a free kick almost on the corner of the end line and the 18-yard box within the opening ten minutes. Union II held the front foot through the early portion of the match, and much of that pressure came through Sequera’s movement down the line.

Nehan Hasan caught the Columbus keeper off his line and bravely attempted to chip the ball over him, but his shot went wide to the left of the net.

Columbus started to pressure and found the opener in the 26th minute after getting in behind Sequera and playing the ball into the box. The initial shot was blocked, but midfielder Zachary Zengue played the rebound into the net while Andrew Rick was getting up from the earlier dive.

Stas Korzeniowski equalized four minutes later by getting in front of the Columbus keeper and heading away a Matheus De Paula corner kick.

Columbus almost pulled ahead in the 40th minute when Rafael Uzcategui was dispossessed just outside the Union box, but the shot from the visitors was over the bar.

The half ended in a deadlock.

Second Half

Neither side made changes at the break.

Columbus had two promising chances in the first two minutes of the half. Andrew Rick was forced to save a ball that deflected toward the net after a Jordan Griffin clearance.

Almost immediately after the second visitors’ chance, Stas Korzeniowski won a free kick at the edge of the box on the other end of the pitch. Kellan LeBlanc tried to put his delivery under the wall, but did not get enough power on it to threaten the keeper.

Columbus centerback Rui Aoki was cautioned for dissent in the 52nd minute.

Stas Korzeniowski went down after some contact that was not called a foul. He received treatment and returned to the pitch for less than a minute before going down again this time by himself without contact. He was replaced by academy amateur John Ruf in the 58th minute.

Rick had a heroic save in the 66th minute to deny Columbus after Rafael Uzcategui was beaten on the break.

Andrew Craig and Abdoulaye Diop entered for Finn Sundstrom and Oscar Benitez in the 68th minute. Sundstrom was cramping and Diop is gaining further developmental exposure to professional soccer.

Malik Jakupovic found himself on a break in the 72nd minute, having spun around his defender and created a gold-plated opportunity, but put his shot just wide of the far post.

Tyler Gladstone entered for Nehan Hasan, who had slowed considerably, in the 82nd minute. Gladstone immediately got involved in the Union II attack and won two corners.

Gio Sequera saw yellow in stoppage time for dissent.

The match ended in a draw, and the extra point was decided in a shootout, where Jordan Griffin’s round 10 shot was parried into the posting up off the bar, and Columbus then scored to secure a second point.

Next Match

Union II next play in six days, hosting Atlanta United 2. Once again, they will play at Kinetic Field 1 at the WSFS Sportsplex. The match is scheduled to tap off at 3:00 PM Saturday, the 23^rd of May.

Union II will continue to play during the first team’s World Cup schedule hiatus. MLS NEXT Pro, like other leagues below a “senior level” and being dedicated to player development will continue to play “normal” schedules during the World Cup. The absence of a senior roster player provides game minutes opportunities for second-tier and young players. Continuous year-round development is the underlying idea.

Three points, plus one

1. Matheus De Paula logged his first professional assist on Stas Korzeniowski’s goal.
2. Tyler Gladstone was an electrifying presence on the left wing when he entered the match.
3. Giovanny Sequera had another solid outing. He continues to provide attacking support down the right sideline and has improved greatly in his ability to recover.
4. The Academy U-18s will leave for the MLS NEXT Cup before Union II’s next match, meaning many of the Academy Amateur players will be unavailable.

Tangential postscript: A Union II alumnus

Cavan Sullivan received his high school diploma from YSC Academy on Friday afternoon, May 15th.  Saturday evening, the 16th, he played the full 90 minutes of a Major League Soccer match, his first-ever full MLS 90. (He played a full 90 against Cub America  in the Concacaf Champions Cup on March 18th.)

What makes the first full MLS 90 especially newsworthy is that three days before, the previous Wednesday the 13th, he had played slightly over 60. The combination of midweek and weekend at attacking midfield more than confirms that Sullivan’s current conditioning level  places him firmly within the pool of fully fledged MLS players. He signed as a professional two years and six days ago. He is 16.6-years-old.

B O X S C O R E

Lineups

 Union II (4-2-2-2, L-R) Head coach Ryan Richter. 1^st –4+0; U II – 4+4; AA – 2+5. Starters’ average age = 19.0

Starters: Andrew Rick; Jordan Griffin, Rafael Uzcategui, Finn Sundstrom (Andrew Craig— 68′), Gio Sequera; Matheus De Paula, Oscar Benitez (Abdoulaye Diop— 68′); Nehan Hasan (Tyler Gladstone— 82′), Kellan LeBlanc; Malik Jakupovic, Stas Korzeniowski (John Ruf— 57′).

Rick	Griffin	Uzcategui	Sundstrom	Sequera	DePaula
1st	U II	U II	1st	U II	AA
23.1	17.6	21.6	19.5	20.3	17.5
Benitez	Hasan	LeBlanc	Korzeniowski	Jakupovic
U II	AA	U II	1st	1st
22.0	17.9	18.2	23.3	16.9

Substitutes: Pierce Holbrook;  Mamoutou Berthe, Lennon Harrington, Oliver Pratt.

Holbrook	Moore	Craig	Berthe	Gladstone	Harrington
UII	UII	AA	UII	AA	AA
23.1	19.0	18.7	19.4	16.9	18.0
Ruf	Pratt	Diop
AA	UII	AA
17.0	22.6	16.3

Crew 2: (5-4-1) Head coach Frederico Higuain. Squad average age per Transfermarkt = 20.4

Starters: Luke Pruter; Tristan Brown, Issac Heffess, Rui Aoki (Tarun Karumanchi— 60′), Quinton Elliot, Brent Adu-Gyamfi, Zach Zengue, Johann Chirinos, Nico Rincon (Zach Lloyd— 60′), Kevin Gbamble, Chase Adams (Jamil Danjaji— 60′)

Substitutes: Stanislav Kapkes; Moses Nyeman, Gio De Livera, Immanuel Ewing, Gianmarco Di Noto, Prince Forfor

Goals
CLB: Zengue—26′

UII: Korzeniowski— 30′ (De Paula)

Yellow Cards

UII: Benitez–XX’

CLB: Aoiki— 52′

CLB: Lloyd— 63′

UII: Sequera— 90+’

Whistle & Flags

REF: Drew Klemp; AR¹: Audra Fullen; AR²: Douglas Clayton; 4^TH: Justin Saporito.

Stats

U II	Statistic	C2	U II	Statistic	C2
15	Shots	8	1	Offsides	4
3	Shots on goal	3	2	Goalkeeper Saves	2
5	Blocked shots	2	6	Clearances	8
325	Total Passes	402
78.8	Pass Accuracy%	82.6	10	Fouls	21
4	Corners	4	1	Yellow Cards	2
4	Total Crosses	4		Red Cards

Shootout

Union II			Crew 2
v Pruter			v Rick
LeBlanc	GOAL	1	Adu Gyamfi	GOAL
Craig	GOAL	2	Gbamble	saved
Jakupovic	saved	3	Karumanchi	GOAL
Gladstone	GOAL	4	Chirinos	GOAL
Ruf	GOAL	5	Zengue	GOAL
Uzcategui	saved	6	Danjaji	saved
Sequera	GOAL	7	Elliot	GOAL
De Paula	GOAL	8	Heffess	GOAL
Diop	GOAL	9	Brown	GOAL
Griffin	saved	10	Lloyd	GOAL

Of 20 shots then not one missed the goal.