Photo courtesy Philadelphia Union II

A five-goal first half, including a 15-minute stoppage for an injury to New England attacker Carlos Zambrano and a red card to New England midfielder Makai Wells, followed by a Stas Korzeniowski 84th-minute winner, saw Union II win out over New England Revolution II in an intense, physical matchup. The win puts Philadelphia two points out of a playoff spot with five matches left in the regular season.

Player availability in advance

Both the first and second teams played away from Chester Sunday evening. The Union played in the Bronx, and Union II was in Rhode Island. Swing players went either to one place or the other.

We expected the usual first-teamers to play for Union II against New England Revolution II. Geiner Martinez’s concussion did not change Finn Sundstrom’s availability.  Judging by Ryan Richter’s comments before the Santos Laguna match, we expected Malik Jakupovic to be in Rhode Island. Stas Korzeniowski joined him.

Revolution II lay third in the eastern conference on 42 points from 21 games, currently slated to choose an opponent to host in a first-round playoff game. Union II lay 11th on 30 points from 22 games, three slots below playoff qualification.

Today’s match finished the season’s series between the teams. Union II lost in Chester on Wednesday, May 13th at Kinetic Field #1 at the Sportsplex. They played a man down after Sal Olivas’s second yellow card in the 31st minute but did not give up the winner until the 86th. Union II won the second fixture of the series 4-0 on Sunday, July 5th.

First half

Abdoulaye Diop was planned to start, but picked up a knock in warmups, so Kaiden Moore stepped into the lineup and moved Matheus De Paula to the midfield spot and Rafael Uzcategui to right back.

Malik Jakupovic had the first promising chance of the match on the end of a Matheus De Paula cross. Jakupovic’s header was parried by New England keeper Max Weinstein. Jakupovic tried to center the rebound, but Weinstein did well to get it over the bar and out for a Philadelphia corner.

During that play, New England defender Keegan Hughes was injured and could not continue. He was replaced by Levi Katsell in the 9th minute.

Jordan Griffin scored on the subsequent corner. The service by Willyam Ferreira was flicked on by Finn Sundstrom and headed in from the top of the six by Griffin.

New England equalized in the 15th minute when Myles Morgan was left unmarked inside the box and received a well-placed pass on the ground.

The hosts had two scoring opportunities in the two minutes after their equalizer, but both ended in shots off-target.

Stas Korzeniowski received a yellow card in the 26th minute for an unintentional hand to the face of a New England player.

Kellan LeBlanc put Union II ahead in the 28th minute on the end of an excellent passing play involving Malik Jakupovic on the wing and Stas Korzeniowski in the middle, who earned the assist. LeBlanc took a touch to beat his man and placed it into the side netting.

Rafael Uzcategui was defending Carlos Zambrano on the near sideline in the 32nd minute, and while attempting to clear the ball, Uzcategui caught Zambrano in the leg, and the Union II bench immediately rushed to help the player. It appeared to be a very serious injury, but Uzcategui was not cautioned. New England head coach Pablo Moreira and midfielder Makai Wells received a yellow card for protesting the lack of a card to the Union II captain.

Play was stopped for fifteen minutes to allow appropriate treatment to be given to Zambrano. Aarin Prajapati entered in his place at the 45-minute mark before 15 minutes of added time were indicated by the 4th official.

Makai Wells saw a second yellow in the 4th minute of stoppage time for a foul on Kellan LeBlanc, putting New England a man down for the rest of a lengthy first-half stoppage time and the entire second half.

Rafael Uzcategui went down with injury a short while later, and Timo Mendoza went on in his place. Mendoza played defensive midfield and moved De Paula back to his previously planned right back position.

Mendoza got a yellow card a minute after coming on.

New England equalized in the sixteenth minute of added time after Cristiano Oliveira got an open header on the back post.

Union II somehow pulled ahead on the next play. Jordan Griffin and Willyam Ferreira worked the ball down the left flank and found Kellan LeBlanc in the center for his second on the night.

Second half

Play continued to be very physical when the second half began. Matheus De Paula was fouled and injured, requiring Oliver Pratt to enter in his place in the 53rd minute.

Pratt was asked to defend right away and had an awkward block on a New England cross that made Holbrook scramble to pick it up before an onrushing attacker could get there. Had the goalkeeper reacted a second late, it could have easily been 3-3. Holbrook had another big save moments later.

New England maintained attacking pressure despite being down a man, forcing Union II to try to attack quickly on the break. Those attacks were not coordinated by the visitors and often they sent the Revolution immediately back the other way.

Finn Sundstrom earned a yellow card in the 62nd minute after a collision with a New England player.

New England once again pulled level in the 66th minute.

Oliver Pratt drew a foul and another yellow card to New England in the 69th minute.

Stas Korzeniowski had the ball on a breakaway in the 73rd minute, but was tripped by the turf and fell to the ground, ending the run. On the next attack, Korzeniowski played it out to Kellan LeBlanc, whose shot went through the American football uprights above the goal.

Mamoutou Berthe and Sal Olivas entered for Willyam Ferreira and Oscar Benitez in the 77th minute.

New England was awarded a penalty in the 80th minute after a Jordan Griffin foul. Myles Morgan stepped up to the spot, and Pierce Holbrook saved his shot.

Stas Korzeniowski had a shot blocked and then hammered in his own rebound to make it 3-4 in the 84th minute. It was his 8th goal of the season. He has played for Union II seven times.

Kellan LeBlanc then drew a foul and a yellow card to a New England player in the 90th minute before six minutes of added time were announced.

Mamoutou Berthe was cautioned in the 5th minute of stoppage time. Union II had a free kick in the 90+6′ to try to go two ahead, but Kellan LeBlanc put it wide. The Boys In Blue still emerged victorious.

Next Match

Union II host CT United on Sunday, August 23rd at 3 p.m. at Subaru Park, the seventh day after the New England game. Preceding the results of this weekend’s play, CT United lay eighth in the conference in the final playoff spot, so next week’s match could well be a literal six-pointer.

Three points

1. Outside of his hockey assist on the night, Malik Jakupovic still appeared snakebitten in build-up play.
2. Pierce Holbrook had another quality match between the posts.
3. Stas Korzeniowski has scored eight goals in six of his seven appearances this season. 
4. Union Academy and US U-16 goalkeeper Abram Judy made his first bench appearance with Union II.

B O X S C O R E

Lineups

Union II (4-2-2-2, L-R). Interim head coach Chris Harmon. Roster sources: 1st team — 3 + 1; Union II — 6 + 3; Academy Amateurs — 2 + 5. Starters avg age = 19.6

Starters: Pierce Holbrook; Jordan Griffin, Kaiden Moore, Finn Sundstrom, Rafael Uzcátegui (Timo Mendoza— 45+12′), Matheus De Paula (Oliver Pratt— 53′), Oscar Benitez (Mamoutou Berthe— 77′); Kellan LeBlanc, Willyam Ferreira (Sal Olivas— 77′); Malik Jakupovic, Stas Korzeniowski. 

Holbrook	Griffin	Moore	Sundstrom	Uzcategui	De Paula
U II	U II	U II	1st	U II	AA
23.3	17.8	18.8	19.7	21.9	17.8
Benitez	LeBlanc	Ferreira	Korzeniowski	Jakupovic
U II	U II	U II	1st	1st
22.2	18.4	17.5	23.5	17.1

Substitutes: Abram Judy; Tyler Gladstone, Theo Reed, John Ruf.

Judy	Pratt	Berthe	Mendoza	Gladstone	Reed
AA	U II	U II	AA	AA	AA
16	22.8	19.6	17.1	17.1	17.8
Ruf	Olivas
AA	1st
17.3	20.1

 Revolution II (3-5-2) Head coach Pablo Moreira. Per Transfermarkt, full squad avg age = 20.9

Starters: Max Weinstein; Keegan Hughes (Levi Katsell— 9′) (Sharod George— 90′), Jake Shannon, Gabe Dahlin, Cristiano Oliviera, Logan Azar, Carlos Zambrano, Javaun Mussenden, Myles Morgan, Matthew Jean Baptiste (Shuma Sasaki— 90′), Makai Wells.

Substitutes: Ryker Fauth, Zach LaPierre;  Josh Macedo, Schinieder Mimy, Daniel Dixon. 

Goals

UII: Griffin— 9′

RII: Morgan— 15′

UII: LeBlanc— 27′

RII: Oliveira— 45+16′

UII: LeBlanc— 45+18′

RII: Dahlin— 66′

UII: Korzeniowski— 84′

Yellow Cards

RII: Zambrano— 11′

UII: Korzeniowski— 26′

RII: Wells— 33′

RII: Wells— 45+4′ (second caution, ejection)

UII: Mendoza— 45+13′

UII: Sundstrom— 62′

RII: Oliviera— 69′

UII: Berthe— 90+5′

UII: Azar— 90+6′

Whistle & Flags

REF: Colby Johnson; AR1: Amilcar Sicaju; AR2: Sarieni Vasquez; 4TH: Danielle Cornetta

Stats

R II	Statistic	U II	R II	Statistic	U II
28	Shots	13	3	Offsides	3
12	Shots on goal	6	2	Goalkeeper Saves	9
10	Blocked shots	3	1	Clearances	8
413	Total Passes	296
84.0	Pass Accuracy %	79.4	19	Fouls	19
8	Corners	2	5	Yellow Cards	4
12	Total Crosses	3	1	Red Cards	0