Photo courtesy Philadellphia Union Communications

In the rubber match of the season series played Friday night in York, Ontario, Canada on artificial turf during a stiff wind with occasional horrendous gusts, Toronto FC II defeated Philadelphia Union II 2-1.

Toronto had clear pace advantages when attacking on the flanks, and controlled the midfield for stretches of the game.

Fletcher Bank and Tristan Blyth scored for the hosts in the 41st and 51st minutes respectively, both times assisted by Raequan Campbell-Denis. Mattheus De Paula got the consolation strike for the visitors from outside the box on the left in the 61st, assisted by Kaedan Moore.

In advance

Union II had a new coach because last Wednesday afternoon and again in a press conference Thursday morning Principal Owner Jay Sugarman announced that Jon Scheer was appointed as Sporting Director, and that Bradley Carnell was fired as first team head coach.  Union II’s head coach Ryan Richter was named interim first team head coach. And Thursday Scheer announced Union Academy U-18s head coach Chris Harmon will become the interim head coach of Philadelphia Union II, we assume once his return from MLS NEXT Cup in Utah allows him to start coaching the team. Assistant coach Henry Apaloo handled the team for the game in Canada (see feature photo).

Coach Harmon takes over as Union II — for the last time — begins the usual summer roster transition that is triggered by graduations from YSC Academy, the academic side of the Union Academy’s academic and athletic process.  It is the last because of MLS’s pending calendar shift.

The first team does not play again until on July 22^nd after the world cup.  And Major League Soccer has decreed that its teams may not resume practice until June 15^th. We assumed that players who have consistently played games in MLS NEXT Pro this year will still be allowed to play, since the league of farm teams is not suspending play. Whether goalkeeper George Marks, or center back Finn Sundstrom were available against Toronto II remained unresolved until lineups dropped before the match.

First team striker Sal Olivas remained suspended. Goalkeeper Andrew Rick is with the U. S. Men’s national team as a training camp goalkeeper, although he is not on the roster and will not play in the world cup. Stas Korzeniowski has a two-week old posterior cruciate ligament sprain in one of his knees. Last weekend for reasons unknown Malik Jakupovic was absent from both the first team’s Miami roster and the second’s one for Atlanta 2 at the Sportsplex. Eddy Davis continued to recover from the hamstring for which he was on a 45-minute restriction last weekend.

The Philadelphia Union Academy U-18s ended consolation play in Utah Wednesday May 27^th with a win. Whether any of them would return for Union II’s bench was unknown until lineup publication on matchday. The U-16s lost a penalty kick shootout Wednesday afternoon to drop into consolation game play, so we assumed Abdoulaye Diop also remained unavailable. We concluded that Union II’s bench would remain quite frugal for the game in Canada.

Philadelphia remained in eighth place n the Eastern Conference on 18 points while Toronto II lay in 10^th on 16.

Most recently Gianni Cimini’s side had won a penalty kick shootout in Columbus against Crew 2 after drawing in regulation 2-2. Philadelphia had won the season opener in Chester against Toronto II 1-0 on February 28^th. Toronto had returned the favor by the same score in Canada on April 17^th.

First half 

Toronto outshot Philadelphia 10-2 in the first half. Toronto had two shots on goal; Philadelphia, none. They came out from the tap with emotional intensity and determination, tended to dominate play as the half wore on and went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

Reds head coach Gianni Cimini seems to have emphasized playing especially hard against Philadelphia this season as this was not the first time they began the Philly game “hot,” as it were.

To this observer the key point was midfield control. Toronto seemed to have it. Philadelphia did not. Not for the first time this year an opposing team’s offense put constant pressure on Union II’s defensive line, and this time that line gave one up.

Second half

Philadelphia did better coming out of halftime. Neither team made changes then, but the wind became more prominent in the match’s second stanza. And Toronto had expended a lot of emotion, while Philadelphia had been called upon to summon up more.

Even though as the boxscore below illustrates the frugality of the Union’s bench, a frugality that should have restricted their second half energy, Philadelphia’s second half performance was clearly improved. The energy was better. And using right outside back Gio Sequera in the right attacking midfield position that he had played when he first joined the club two years ago enhanced that effort and its threat.

Sequera covers ground. And the system the Union plays requires ground coverage from its midfielders. He replaced Kellen LeBlanc in the 67th minute providing less technical flair but better athleticism.

De Paula’s striker lifted the visiting team’s hopes. But the game statistics highlight that with opponents alerted to Malik Jakupovic’s danger and setting themselves to negate it, this Union II side lacks offensive punch, particularly when Stas Korzeniowski is not available.

Next match

Union II next play on the 7^th day, away to conference leading Crown Legacy in North Carolina. Graduated Academy seniors may have begun matriculating at their new soccer homes. Only newly appointed Sporting Director Jon Scheer knows who might be offered professional contracts to continue with Union II.

Three points

1. Pierce Holbrook played his fourth game after his injury recovery has completed.
2. Willyam Ferreira failed to beat his marker on the dribble quite a bit in this match.
3. Mattheus De Paula seems to be asking the question whether he should be offered a professional contract.

B O X S C O R E

 Lineups

 Union II (4-2-2-2, L-R) Interim head coach Chris Harmon 1^st – A+Z; U II – B+Y; AA – C+X. Starters’ Ave Age = 19.6

Starters: Pierce Holbrook; Jordan Griffin, Rafael Uzcategui, Finn Sundstrom, Oliver Pratt; Mattus De Paula, Oscar Benitez; Willyam Ferreira, Kellan LeBlanc; Eddy Davis, Malik Jakupovic. Suspended: Sal Olivas.

Holbrook	Griffin	Uzcategui	Sundstrom	Pratt	DePaula
U II	U II	U II	1st	U II	AA
23.1	17.6	21.6	19.5	22.6	17.6
Benitez	Ferreira	LeBlanc	Davis	Jakupovic
U II	U II	U II	1st	1st
22.0	17.3	18.2	19.9	16.9

Substitutes: Charlie Lorenz; Kaiden Moore, Gio Sequera, Nehan Hasan, Mamoutou Berthe.

Lorenz	Moore	Sequera	Berthe	Hasan
AA	U II	U II	U II	AA
	18.6	20.3	19.4	17.9

Toronto II (4-4-2) Head coach Gianni Cimini. Full squad’s average age per Transfermarkt = 20.2

Starters: Zakaria Nakhly; Micah Chisholm, Stefan Kapor, Reid Fischer, Raequan Campbell-Denis; Fletcher Bank, Bryce Boneau, Marko Stojadijnovich, Tristan Blyth; Antone Bossenberry, Jahmarie Nolan.

Substitutes: Dominic Kantorowicz; Dekwon Barrow, Elias Khodri, Luca Costabile, Damar Dixon, Kervon Kerr, Edwin Omorogbe, Shyon Pinnock, Diego Nue-Brito.

 Goals

Toronto II    41st minute   Fletcher Bank (Raequan Campbell-Denis)

Toronto II    51st minute   Tristan Blyth (Raequan Campbell-Denis)

Union II        61st minute   Matteus De Paula (Kaeden Moore)

Yellow Cards

Toronto II    80th minute   Diego Nue-Brito

Whistle & Flags (assigned by the Canadian soccer authorities)

Stats

T II	Statistic	U II	T II	Statistic	U II
16	Shots	7	2	Offsides	1
3	Shots on goal	2	1	Goalkeeper Saves	1
4	Blocked shots	2	10	Clearances	4
555	Total Passes	354
86.8	Pass Accuracy%	80.8	8	Fouls	13
4	Corners	4	1	Yellow Cards	0
1	Total Crosses	7	0	Red Cards	0