HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky.— Coming off a rough 4-2 loss at home while pushing to stay in the playoff hunt, Union II looked to return to winning form against an eliminated FC Cincinnati 2 squad that they beat in their two previous meetings this season and had not lost to in six straight matches. They made it a seventh with a 3-2 victory to keep their playoff hopes alive as Theo Reed scored a brace and John Ruf netted his first professional goal late in the match, while Pierce Holbrook put up an impressive 10-save performance.
Interim head coach Chris Harmon’s lineup saw the return of Malik Jakupovic to the squad after being with the first team last week, who was paired at striker with Reed. The team’s leading goal scorer, Stas Korzeniowski, of course was recently loaned to Rhode Island FC for the remainder of the season, as was the next highest goal scorer, Eddy Davis, to Loudoun United. It meant it was time for the young guns to step up, and they did.
Union II would be without the services of midfielder Kellan LeBlanc, who was serving a red card suspension after picking up a double yellow in the previous match. Willyam Ferreira was paired at attacking mid with Giovanny Sequera, who was moved up higher into the attack, with Abdoulaye Diop and Óscar Benítez at defensive mid.
The versatile Matheus De Paula started at right back with Jordan Griffin at left back as Finn Sundstrom and Kaiden Moore held it down at center back. Rafael Uzcátegui on the bench as he was returning from injury that kept him out of the previous match, but did not see action. Pierce Holbrook, wearing the captain’s armband, was once again in net.
Union II began the match with a good amount of pressure in front of the Cincinnati goal, including a shot by Jakupovic, however Cincinnati turned the momentum as they forced a nice save by Holbrook in the 6th minute, followed shortly after by a near miss after a ball was crossed dangerously in front of the goal. Holbrook was kept busy as he had another save, deflecting a shot by Stefan Chirila, and followed by a shot by Deiver Mosquera.
Union II finally got to the other end of the field as Jakupovic took a shot that deflected out for a corner, followed by another corner. Though they got some opportunities in front of goal, the threat finally ended with Ferreira sending an attempt out high.
It would be Philadelphia striking first as Ferreira sent a ball forward into the box, where Reed knocked in the ball after it bounced off a defender for his third goal of the season in the 23rd minute, giving Union II the 1-0 lead.
Shortly after the hydration break, Sequera was taken down by Leonardo Orejarena just outside the box, leading to the latter receiving a yellow card and Jakupovic taking a dangerous free kick that would ultimately be blocked. Cincinnati countered moments later, forcing yet another fine save from Holbrook. Union II’s defense then frustrated another push by Cincinnati, and then Charlie Holmes was shown a yellow for kicking the ball away on a Union II free kick.
Sequera received a yellow card for a foul, marking his MLS Next Pro-leading 11th of the season. While this statistic may not be ideal, it’s undeniable that he brings tremendous energy and plays tenaciously for his team. Union II concluded the first half with a 1-0 lead, largely thanks to the impressive performance of Holbrook, who made six crucial saves during that period.
The second half began with no changes to either side. Just three minutes in, it looked like Stefan Chirila had Union II dead to rights as he got by the defense and raced onto Holbrook, but he muffed his shot and sent it high and wide. Moments later, Cincinnati countered after a push by Union II, but the post proved helpful in keeping the home squad off the board.
Union II had a great chance to increase their lead after a well-placed ball was sent in front of net by Ferreira, but they were unable to finish it. Diop was the next booking after a foul in the 56th minute. This was followed by a counter by Cincinnati, but Sundstrom got in the way and cleared it for a corner, and Holbrook and the defense stood tall.
Harmon went to his bench in the 61st minute, bringing in Tyler Gladstone and Timo Mendoza for Willyam Ferreira and Abdoulaye Diop as the heat on the artificial turf was starting to take its toll.
Cincinnati continued to push for the equalizer, and after Moore and Sundstrom were beaten by Stefan Chirila, leaving the Cincinnati striker one on one with Holbrook, Moore got in the way and managed to break up the chance in a huge moment. Unfortunately for Union II, their hosts finally broke through in the 66th minute on a goal by Kristian Fletcher to level the match at 1-1.
That scoreline would not last long. After a poor clearance by Cincinnati’s keeper, Fabian Mrozek, Reed chested the ball in front of goal and finished it into the net to bag a brace and give Union II the lead again in the 71st minute.
Harmon went to his bench again in the 79th minute, replacing Sequera and Moore with John Ruf and Oliver Pratt as they were trying to see out a hard-fought match. The seven minutes of stoppage time that were announced seemed poised to be a battle as Union II were desperately trying to finish it out and take home three points to keep their playoff hopes afloat.
In the 90+5, Gladstone dropped the ball to Reed at the top of the box, who made a shot on target looking for a hat trick. The keeper deflected it out, but straight to a waiting Ruf, who scored with a fantastic finish for his first professional goal and the 3-1 lead. Harmon then replaced Reed with Sammy Gallego as the final substitution.
That goal by Ruf would prove critical as Cincinnati managed a consolation goal right before the final whistle in the 90+8 as Ademar Chávez snuck one by Holbrook in the waning moments. Union II, however, were able to cling to the lead and take all three points back to Philadelphia.
Union II was outshot 23-14, but Holbrook’s 10 saves were crucial, and Sundstrom and Benítez made significant contributions on defense. The squad boasts a lot of promising young talent; it was encouraging to see 17-year-olds Reed and Ruf excel in scoring, replicating their success from the Academy level. Once again, fellow 17-year-old Jakupovic was unable to find the net, which is likely frustrating for a striker eager to score. However, akin to Bruno Damiani with the first team, he played an important role in both chance creation and defense, which ultimately benefited the team.
The Boys in Blue have three matches left, starting with a crucial Friday night showdown at home against third-place Columbus Crew 2, set to kick off at 7:00 PM at the WSFS Bank Sportsplex Kinetic Field. Currently sitting in 10th place, Union II is just three points shy of a playoff position and must secure victories while hoping for favorable outcomes in other matches to boost their chances. Their remaining opponents, Chicago Fire II and NYCFC II, are directly above them in the standings. Get ready for an exciting and pressure-packed finish to the regular season!
Main article photo courtesy of Philadelphia Union II.
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