BRIDGEVIEW, Ill.— In a fiercely contested match between two teams vying for a playoff spot, Philadelphia Union II and Chicago Fire II gave it their all for 90 intense minutes. Ultimately, it was the visiting Union II who triumphed, overcoming an early 1-0 deficit to secure a stunning 2-1 victory with goals from Kellan LeBlanc and Theo Reed.

Chris Harmon’s starting lineup featured two notable changes from the previous match: Giovanny Sequera stepped in for Abdoulaye Diop in midfield, while Pierce Holbrook took over in goal from George Marks. The back line was comprised Jordan Griffin and Matheus De Paula as left and right backs, respectively, with Kaiden Moore and Finn Sundstrom anchoring the center. In midfield, alongside Sequera were Willyam Ferreira, Óscar Benítez, and Kellan LeBlanc. The striker duo was once again formed by Theo Reed and John Ruf, continuing their partnership on the front line.

The first half began with promising pressure and possession from Union II, highlighted by a Ferreira free kick deep in Chicago’s territory during the 2nd minute; however, his shot was blocked by the wall. Moments later, another deep free kick also faced a similar fate. Holbrook had his first significant challenge in the 10th minute, where he confidently handled a ball that came his way, but overall, Union II maintained control early in the match.

The 11th minute saw a huge chance on a corner where Sundstrom had a chance to knock in the ball, but was unable to finish it. Union II brought continued pressure on the attack, with a missed chance by Reed.

Chicago started to find their footing in the 16th minute as Holbrook had to make a save on Vitaliy Hlyut’s shot, and another several minutes later on Damyan Villanueva after Union II committed a turnover deep in their territory.

Not capitalizing on significant opportunities can certainly haunt a team, and in this instance, it proved true. LeBlanc had a prime chance in the 29th minute following a turnover by Chicago, but his shot rolled wide left. Chicago quickly countered, with Villanueva scoring to put them ahead 1-0. He nearly added another just moments later when his shot struck the post, and Dean Boltz skied the rebound over the goal. After Union II had dominated the early stages, the momentum had unmistakably shifted in favor of Fire II.

While Union II would undoubtedly like to have a few scoring opportunities back that could have aided their efforts, Fire II could easily make the same claim. The match was characterized by near misses, including bounces off the woodwork and significant missed opportunities. In the 39th minute, Villanueva’s attempt soared over the bar, marking a critical missed chance for Chicago, followed by a blocked shot, one that struck the post, and another that went wide after a costly turnover before the first half concluded.

By halftime, Fire II had outshot Union II 10-4, with Union II yet to register a shot on target. The second half commenced without any changes for either team, and Fire II quickly resumed their offensive pressure on the visitors. Barely into the half, Hlyut missed a significant opportunity when his shot rolled just wide of the goal.

Moments later, Reed looked poised to level the match, but his shot was deflected back by the keeper, Jason Nemo. De Paula had a collision with a head injury in the 50th minute, and had to leave the field for a moment, but was able to return quickly, not leaving Union II shorthanded for long.

The momentum seemed to have changed more in Union II’s favor for a time, as Griffin’s shot from distance in the 54th minute was tipped over the goal by Nemo and a prime opportunity came for LeBlanc in the 57th minute, but his shot sailed high. Fire II followed with a couple attempts of their own.

After several missed opportunities, LeBlanc did not miss in the 66th minute. After receiving the ball from De Paula amidst some quick passing, LeBlanc unleashed a powerful left-footed shot from inside the box that soared past Nemo, leveling the match at 1-1 and marking his fourth goal of the season. Shortly after, Tyler Gladstone came on to replace Ferreira, making Union II’s first and only substitution.

With both teams exhibiting a sense of urgency, Holbrook skillfully saved a corner from Fire II, complemented by impressive blocks from the defense. The match, which included a total of 32 fouls, saw Benítez earn the first and only yellow card in the 72nd minute for what could be deemed a professional foul.

Reed, similar to LeBlanc, had squandered an opportunity for a goal earlier in the match but redeemed himself later. The striker put Union II ahead 2-1 in the 74th minute, capitalizing on a well-placed cross from Griffin. Positioned perfectly, Reed tapped in his fifth goal of the season, now tied for second-most on the team with Eddy Davis (Stas Korzeniowski leads with 10 goals but is currently on loan, as is Davis).

Now with the lead, Union II dug deep to preserve it as they fought off Chicago’s attack, including some big blocks by Moore and Benítez. In the end, Philadelphia held on to keep their playoff hopes alive, while simultaneously ending their opponent’s. Fire II outshot Union II 17-8, but it was the two out of three shots on target that Union II scored on that were the difference. Though both teams assuredly would like some of those missed goal opportunities back, it was ultimately Union II who rose above—while perhaps getting a little bit of luck go their way.

Philadelphia controlled what they could control in their playoff race, getting the all-important win. At the time the match ended, they were positioned in 9th place at 42 points, which is above the playoff line, but the Eastern Conference is incredibly close from 3rd place to 11th. At the time of this article, Atlanta was in 3rd at 45 points. With one regular season match left, Decision Day could be very interesting.

Union II will host NYCFC II at the WSFS Bank Sportsplex’s Kinetic Field on Sunday, September 20 at 2:00 PM. Will this scrappy, young team punch their ticket to their fifth consecutive playoffs? Be sure to get out and support them if you can, because it will certainly be worth watching.

Main article photo courtesy of Philadelphia Union II.