TORONTO— The Union’s first team may be on a break for the World Cup, but Union II and the rest of MLS Next Pro remained in action as they traveled to York Lions Stadium to face Toronto FC II for the third time this season.
With Ryan Richter moving to interim head coach of the first team, assistant coach Henry Apaloo was designated as the head coach for the match. Chris Harmon, the Union Academy’s U-18 head coach, is slated to be the interim head coach moving forward.
The lineup featured Malik Jakupovic, Finn Sundstrom, and Kellan LeBlanc returning from being with the first team against Inter Miami at striker, center back, and midfield, respectively. The rest of the lineup, in the usual 4-2-2-2 formation included striker Eddy Davis, midfielders Willyam Ferreira, Matheus De Paula, and Óscar Benítez, defenders Jordan Griffin, Rafael Uzcátegui, and Oliver Pratt. Pierce Holbrook was back in net after a few matches off. The bench was thin with only four field players available (Kaiden Moore, Nehan Hasan, Mamoutou Berthé, and Giovanny Sequera) and Charli Lorenz as the backup keeper.
Union II brought some early pressure to the TFC II box, and earned a corner, but in the 6th minute they almost got caught in transition after they had a corner, leading to a 2v1. Holbrook, however, was able to scoop the ball up after the defense hustled back.
In the 20th minute, Griffin went down, clutching his foot after a challenge, but he managed to walk off the field and ultimately returned to play. At this point, TFC II continued to apply pressure on Union II, registering several shots that either missed the target or were easily blocked. Union II finally created a great opportunity in the 27th minute when Davis passed to Jakupovic at the top of the box; Jakupovic then sent it to LeBlanc, whose shot went just wide.
In the 37th minute, Holbrook executed an impressive save on the goal line from a header by Raequan Campbell-Dennis, though the effort was ultimately ruled offside. TFC II, however, broke the deadlock in the 41st minute when Fletcher Bank scored to put the home side up 1-0. The dangerous striker for TFC II had largely been contained in the previous two matches.
TFC II, visibly invigorated by the goal, kept the pressure coming as the first half was winding down, and came close to scoring again when Antone Bossenberry’s shot hit the side netting just before the halftime whistle. While Union II had some promising buildup a few times during the first half, they were only able to muster two shots, but none on target.
The second half began with Griffin going down again and receiving treatment, then walking off the field with a slight limp and exiting the match. Kaiden Moore subbed on in the 50th minute. TFC II wasted no time after the substitution and doubled their lead in the 51st minute with a goal by Tristan Blyth. Union II seemed to wake up a bit right after as Davis had the first shot on target for Philadelphia and the team forced a corner shortly after.
Union II finally got on the board courtesy of De Paula in the 61st minute. A throw in from Ferreira went to Moore, whose pass found De Paula. The academy midfielder then went top bins from outside the box for his second MLS Next Pro goal, and third straight game with a goal contribution. For Moore, it was his first assist for Union II. They nearly equalized when Pratt crossed a great ball in front of net, but Uzcátegui’s shot hit the side netting. Union II, however, had clearly woken up.
Union II made another change in the 77th minute, replacing Davis with Nehan Hasan. They saw another chance in the 85th minute when Jakupovic attempted to head the ball in, but the keeper negated it. Despite some late pushes, Union II were unable to equalize before time ran out, with TFC II keeping it on the Philadelphia end for the most part in the closing minutes.
The second half showed some improvement for Union II, yet much like the first team, the strikers were unable to find the back of the net. Strikers can be streaky, and Jakupovic seems long overdue for a goal, having gone four straight matches without scoring since his last strike on April 12 against Carolina Core. He showcased some quality plays and positioned himself well at times, but once again was kept off the scoresheet. The wait for scoring will have to continue as Jakupovic (along with Griffin and LeBlanc) will miss the next match after being called up to the US Men’s Youth National Team camp. A good problem, of course, as the call up is an honor and well-earned.
The timing of these absences is particularly unfortunate as Union II heads to Matthews, North Carolina to face Crown Legacy—the top team in the East—on Friday, June 5, with kickoff set for 7:00 PM. Union II, however, have shown they can rise to the occasion even with a depleted squad as they did against Atlanta United, and have a young, scrappy team.
Main article photo courtesy of Philadelphia Union II.
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