Bridgeview, IL – Getting a plethora of shots in a match is great, but unless they go in, that is all they are. Despite showing a lot better form than their previous match and getting numerous chances, Union II once again could not find the back of the net and were shut out in their second straight match, falling 2-0 to Chicago Fire II at SeatGeek Stadium just outside Chicago.
The lineup for Union II included two new faces amongst the starters. Willyam Ferreira and Noah Probst both got their first starts for Union II, with it being the second appearance for the latter. With Neil Pierre presumably traveling with the first team, and Óscar Benítez sidelined with a dislocated shoulder, some adjustments were necessary within the lineup. A shakeup after the defeat at Red Bulls II would probably not have been a terrible idea anyway, just as an effort to change up the energy.
Pierce Holbook was back in net after having the last match off. Isaiah LeFlore moved over to center back along with Rafael Uzcátegui, and Jordan Griffin and Giovanny Sequera were at left and right back, respectively. Nick Pariano and Probst were defensive midfielders, and Ferreira and Markus Anderson at attacking mid. Rounding out the 4-2-2-2 formation were strikers Stas Korzeniowski and Sal Olivas.
Match notes
Union II were very physical from the beginning. Uzcátegui picked up a yellow in the 3rd minute, and Pariano earned one in the 6th, both for fouls. The first chance for Union II came after a great ball was sent deep by Griffin and received by Olivas, whose shot was deflected out for a corner. Chicago would take the ball down shortly after and make an attempt that was saved by Holbrook, but it did not matter as Claudio Cassano was called offside.
Union II started to really put some pressure on Fire II keeper David Molenda when Olivas made a shot that was blocked, followed by a shot by Ferreira that was saved in the 17th minute. Shortly after, Griffin and Anderson got off shots as well, and then Griffin shot a header just wide off a corner. Korzeniowski went on a run and shot it wide in the 24th minute. The shots continued when Olivas received a ball that was intercepted by Anderson and sailed it over the crossbar. Griffin continued the onslaught with a shot that was saved by Molenda. The 16 year old keeper, who was making his second appearance, had a remarkable night—unfortunately for Union II.
Giovanny Sequera picked up a yellow in the 30th minute for a foul as Fire II went on the attack. Chicago’s Trip Fleming made a shot over the crossbar in the 33rd minute, but other than that, Union II were mostly controlling the match at that point. Justin Reynolds was shown Fire II’s first yellow, leading to a free kick for Union II, but it was quickly turned over to Chicago. Holbook, who was largely untested at that point, got an easy save on a shot by Dean Boltz. Olivas got a huge opportunity on a breakaway, but could not capitalize on it, and much like his chance with the first team a few weeks ago, was one he will probably want back.
Anderson got fouled right outside the box late in the first half, setting up Pariano for a dangerous free kick that was shot on target, but blocked by Molenda. The first half would end scoreless, but Union II looked miles better than they did against Red Bulls II. To their credit, Fire II had done a quality job on defense against a barrage of chances for Union II on the attack, and their keeper was impressive. Shots were 11-3 in favor of Union II, including five shots on target. They only had one shot on target the entire game on Monday, so if anything, they were connecting much better, though nothing to show for it.
The second half began with no changes for either side. A great pass by Ferreira to Olivas looked like it was going to be a huge opportunity for Union II in the 51st minute, but his shot was blocked. Fire II got their best chances of the night up until that point shortly after when Holbrook made two fantastic saves in a row.
Union II saw more chances as the second half wore on, and kept the pressure up. Unfortunately, Ferreira went down and was subbed out of the match in the 63rd minute in favor of Kellan LeBlanc. It was a solid first start for the 16 year old.
The strikers were switched out in the 69th minute as Richter brought on Malik Jakupovic and Eddy Davis for Olivas and Korzeniowski. They made an impact almost right away as Davis made a great run and passed to Anderson, who took a shot that was saved. Anderson, who had picked up a yellow, was subbed out for Leandro Soria in the 74th minute.
Despite seeming to be in control of the game, Chicago found the back of the net in the 81st minute in a crushing blow to Union II who had kept getting chance after chance, but had been unable to finish. They almost had the equalizer when LeBlanc made a great cross to Soria, whose shot was saved. If not for an impressive performance for Molenda, Union II could have had multiple goals, but instead it was Cassano who was able to double Chicago’s lead in the 86th minute- a crushing blow to Union II who were very much in the game.
More chances came during the five minutes of stoppage time, including a last second shot off the left post by Davis, but in the end, Union II could not capitalize on any of their 21 shots (7 on target, and 6 blocked) and dropped a 2-0 decision. Luckily, Red Bulls II also lost on the evening, so they did not lose any ground there, but it was a missed opportunity to gain ground in the standings. They are still in second, but Chicago is now only a point behind them at third, and Huntsville is two points behind Union II for fourth. The race in the Eastern Conference is getting awfully tight, so Union II will need to have a strong push during their remaining seven games.
Glows and grows
While the team is surely disappointed in the loss, some positives can be gleaned from the match. The confidence level was better, the team looked more cohesive, and they were getting chances. This writer was not surprised to see Jordan Griffin have a strong game, as he looked great at training from the portion that was observed, and has been growing into the Next Pro level well. The same could be said for Willyam Ferreira. Eddy Davis and Malik Jakupovic, especially when connecting with Markus Anderson, brought great energy when they came on. And Rafael Uzcátegui has been a revelation this season—so dependable on defense and likely a huge reason why so few goals have been allowed.
The squad does, however, need to finish those chances. It was something that was an issue at the beginning of the season at times, but they learned and got better. Players will need to step up more in the absence of CJ Olney, David Vazquez, and Cavan Sullivan, and they do at times, but there is still work to be done if the team wants to go on a deep run in the playoffs. They have the pieces, they have the talent, and they have a great group of mentors in Richter and crew—time to connect it all to cross that finish line.
Photo credit: Philadelphia Union II
Union II return home to Subaru Park for two matches next week where they have prime opportunities to get back on track, first with Toronto FC II on Wednesday (7:00 PM) and Sunday against New England Revolution II (3:00 PM).
Main article photo credit: Philadelphia Union II
The One Team We Agree On 
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