Match report: Philadelphia Union II 0 – 0 [5-3] Huntsville City FC

Photo Philadelphia Union Communications

Philadelphia Union II went toe-to-toe with former Union homegrown Nick Pariano’s Huntsville City FC 0-0 in regulation, and goalkeeper George Marks came up with a goal and a save in the consequent shootout to secure the extra point.

Player availability known in advance

Union II played a friendly four days before its Huntsville match. It used its bench primarily. The Union itself scrimmaged New England the following day, three days before the Huntsville match, using some Union II players on its bench to complete the scrimmage. None of the usual Union II players played more than 45 minutes on either day, so we assumed they would be available against Huntsville.

If Union beat colleague Joe Tansey is correct, Quinn Sullivan seems unlikely to use Union II for any rehabilitation appearances.

Union Academy graduate Lennon Harrington has matriculated to Cornell University. Andrew Craig is also expected to leave for college, heading to the University of Michigan after this match.

Before tap, Union II lay ninth in the Eastern Conference table on 24 points from 17 games. Huntsville lay 13^thon 21 points from 16 games. Last season’s Union II captain Nick Pariano frequently starts in the midfield for Nashville’s professional-level developmental farm team.

First half

Union II came out with their foot on the gas, driving play down the right sideline through Matheus De Paula and Giovanny Sequera. De Paula delivered a well-placed cross to Eddy Davis in the ninth minute, but the forward’s header went just high of the bar.

Both Sequera and defensive midfielder Oscar Benitez were called for fouls in quick succession and were told by the referee to calm down before they received a caution. Benitez’s offense could have been worthy of a yellow card, but referee Nicholas Strednak let it go.

Huntsville fouled Gio Sequera in the 16th minute in retaliation, giving the Boys In Blue a free kick opportunity in the final third. LeBlanc’s delivery found Malik Jakupovic on the back post, but again, the header went wide.

Union II’s press dominated the midfield and the flow of the first half. When Huntsville brought the ball forward, they did well to keep numbers back and prevent the hosts from counterattacking with a low block. Union II and the first team have historically had a difficult time breaking down low blocks and playing with possession.

The match paused for a cooling break in the 30th minute. Union II came out quickly to bring the ball down the right sideline and played it to the foot of Malik Jakupovic, whose one-time attempt went wide.

Timo Mendoza received a yellow card in the 41st minute.

Huntsville had a decent chance before stoppage time when Nick Pariano played a long ball across the field to Gabriel Alonso, who had beaten his man on the run at the far post, but he put the shot a little too far to the right.

Second half

Andrew Craig entered for Finn Sundstrom at the break. As mentioned earlier, Craig graduated from YSC Academy at the beginning of the summer and is moving on to play collegiately for Michigan. Huntsville made no halftime personnel changes. They did come out of their low block and begin to attack however.

Gio Sequera got his long-overdue yellow card in the 47th minute after an unnecessary foul at midfield.

Huntsville started piling on the attacking pressure over the next ten minutes, but could not find the net.

De Paula then broke down the wing and connected with Jakupovic in the box, who missed the net for the third time.

Tyler Gladstone and Willyam Ferreira entered for Gio Sequera and Kellan LeBlanc in the 61st minute. Sequera was at risk of a second caution.

Andrew Craig and Rafael Uzcategui shut down a 2v1 scenario in the 69th minute to force a corner.

Abdoulaye Diop entered for Oscar Benitez in the 70th minute. Benitez did well to keep himself from entering the book.

Jakupovic had another chance a minute later, this time saved by Huntsville’s keeper for a corner kick.

Craig made another big block in the 73rd minute, followed by an acrobatic save from goalkeeper George Marks.

The match paused for the second cooling break in the 77th minute. Malik Jakupovic had made way for Sal Olivas when play restarted. Huntsville made three changes at the same time.

Sal Olivas played a cross into Eddy Davis in the 84th minute, but the Huntsville keeper parried away Davis’ diving header.

Huntsville’s Malachi Molina was cautioned in the 90th minute for getting into it with Willyam Ferreira after a decision went in favor of Union II.

Huntsville gave Nick Pariano a curtain call in front of his boyhood club during stoppage time.

The match ended scoreless and went into kicks from the spot. Marks took the fourth kick for Philadelphia and saved Huntsville’s in the same round. Andrew Craig came up and sealed the extra point with his last kick of the ball in a Union II shirt.

Next Match

Union II next play on the sixth day after Huntsville, away to Columbus Crew 2, who go into matchday 19 tied at the top of the conference table. They play at 6 PM on Saturday, July 11^th, at historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Three points

The match was controlled by Matheus De Paula and Giovanny Sequera on the right flank. Interim head coach Chris Harmon spoke about the decision to move those players into those positions and praised them both.
Andrew Craig was a stalwart at center back when he came in, consistently putting out defensive fires. He may not have had a ton of opportunities with Union II, but he will certainly be missed.
After scoring four goals in their previous match, Union II had just one third of their nine shots on frame. Deliveries from the wings were prevalent, but the forwards could not get the ball towards the goal.

An update on Jose Riasco

According to Venezuelan reporter Mario Roberto Sanchez, Union II striker Jose Riasco, who signed with the club in 2022 but was on loan to Boston River of Uruguay from September 2023 to August 2024 and was most recently on loan to Carabobo FC in Venezuela from February 2025 and extended for another year this past January, will not continue with the Venezuelan club. Sanchez reports that Riasco will instead move on loan to Metropolitanos FC in the same league. Union II still holds a 2027 contract for the 22-year-old forward, but it seems clear he will not return to Philadelphia.

B O X S C O R E

Lineups

Union II (4-2-2-2, L-R). Interim head coach Chris Harmon. Gameday squad composition by source, starters & bench: 1^st Team – 4+1; U II – 5+2; AA – 2+6. Starters’ Av Age= 19.6

Starters: George Marks; Jordan Griffin, Rafael Uzcategui, Finn Sundstrom (Andrew Craig— 46′), Matheus De Paula; Timo Mendoza, Oscar Benitez; Gio Sequera (Tyler Gladstone— 61′), Kellen LeBlanc (Willyam Ferreira— 61′); Eddy Davis, Malik Jakupovic (Sal Olivas— 79′).

Marks	Griffin	Uzcategui	Sundstrom	De Paula	Mendoza
1st	U II	U II	1st	AA	AA
26.7	17.7	21.8	19.6	17.7	17.0
Benitez	Sequera	LeBlanc	Davis	Jakupovic
U II	U II	U II	1st	1st
22.1	20.4	18.3	20.1	17.0

Substitutes: Charli Lorenz; Abdoulaye Diop, Sam Gallego, Kaiden Moore, Theo Reed.

Lorenz	Craig	Diop	Gallego	Ferreira	Gladstone
AA	AA	AA	AA	U II	AA
17.0	18.8	16.4	16.3	17.4	17.0
Moore	Reed	Olivas
U II	AA	1st
18.7	17.7	20.0

Huntsville City (4-5-1) Head coach Chris O’Neal. Per Transfermarkt, full squad Av Age = 20.8

Starters: Xavier Valdez; Nigel Price, Kessy Coulibaly, Moises Veliz, Aiden Jarvis, Malachi Molina, Gabriel Alonso (Liam Devan— 79′), Maximus Ekk (Zidane Yanez— 79′), Nick Pariano (Klaus Sullivan— 90+’), Misei Yoshizawa (Liam Stribling— 79′), Xavier Aguilar (Jayvin Van Deventer— 63′)

Substitutes: Eamon Schorzman; Angel Iniguez, Andre Krikorian, Brooks Hilger

Goals

None.

Yellow Cards

UII: Mendoza— 41′

UII: Sequera— 47′

H: Molina— 90′

Whistle & Flags

REF: Nicholas Strednak; AR1: Adam Wienckowski; AR2: Ben Pilgrim; 4TH: Pavel Georgiev.

Stats

U II	Statistic	H	U II	Statistic	H
9	Shots	7	0	Offsides	2
3	Shots on goal	2	2	GoalkeeperSaves	3
1	Blocked shots	2	2	Clearances	2
410	Total Passes	410
88.8	PassAccuracy%	86.3	15	Fouls	13
2	Corners	4	2	Yellow Cards	1
11	Total Crosses	8	0	Red Cards	0