Philadelphia Union II extended is unbeaten start to three, going the distance and earning a road point at Huntsville City FC on Friday night.
With eight first team players in the starting lineup, Union II found itself in a back-and-forth affair on Friday night that ended in a third-straight penalty kick shootout for Head Coach Ryan Richter's side. After falling behind early in the first half, homegrown Sal Olivas notched the fifth MLS NEXT Pro goal of his career to give the Boys in Blue momentum going into half time. That carried over early in the second frame with 15-year-old Cavan Sullivan finding the back of the net for the second-straight contest for Union II. In the shootout, Oliver Semmle made a big save in the third round but the hosts would claim the extra point with a 4-3 result.
After waiting 11 days for the contest, Union II will have another prolonged gap until its next league match as they return home for a showdown againast Atlanta United FC 2 on Thursday, April 10th. Tickets for the match can be purchased by clicking here.
Lineup notes
With the match taking place before the first team played, Head Coach Ryan Richter turned to this third unique staring lineup for 2025. The changes came at the back with Oliver Semmle between the sticks while Rafael Uzcátegui made his MLS NEXT Pro debut alongside Neil Pierre.
How The Match Unfolded
7', Huntsville opens the scoring | Playing in front of their home crowd for the first time in 2025, the hosts needed little time to get them on their feet. Christian Koffi was the playmaker for Huntsville as he fought off a pair of Union II defenders down the middle of the pitch before laying a pass out wide to Damien Barker John. With numbers in the box, John shot a centering pass right back to Koffi for the one time finish.
19', Union II nearly equalize | The youthful Union II grew into the match as the clock ticked on with an excellent trio of chances coming in quick succession just before the 20th minute. The chaotic sequence began with a Cavan Sullivan shot off the volley that crashed off a defender but the rebound came right to CJ Olney. The Union homegrown quickly attempted to score with the keeper returning to his feet but a defender blocked it but again the ball was right at the boots of Sal Olivas. The forward had miliseconds to fire off a shot but again was denied on the third try for the Boys in Blue.
34', Counter attack denied | Just past the half hour mark, Union II again had a strong opportunity to level the score with a ball played over the top to Stas Korzeniowski where he battled his Huntsville City FC defender into the box. The battle ended with Korzeniowski on the ground but the referee played on with Olivas given a second chance to score with a quick turn and shot from the top of the 18 but it was saved.
45+', Olivas levels. the match before the break | Union II's persistance paid dividends in the first half with a first team combination leading to the equalizer. Isaiah LeFlore began the sequence with a darting solo run on the left side before cutting himself into the middle of the pitch to collapse the Huntsville defense. The left back then slotted a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Sal Olivas for the one time finish that snuck underneath the keeper for the forward's fifth career MLS NEXT Pro goal.
47', Pierre keeps the match knotted up | Both sides came out of the locker room hungry for a second goal with both delivering half chances with the first two minutes of the second frame. After Union II saw their shot blocked, Huntsville City countered up right side that forced Semmle off his line. After setting up a goal in the opening frame, Barker John dribbled around the Union shot stopper but couldn't get his quick shot around Neil Pierre as he timed his stretch perfectly to prevent a goal.
55', Pierre keeps the match knotted up | With momentum on their side, Philly continue to push with a direct build up that the club emphasizes from MLS to the Academy leve. It was a pair of homegrowns showcasing in the 55th minute as Pierre took a pass from the back and blasted a diagonal ball to Cavan Sullivan on the left side of the attack. The 15-year-old went right to work, flying past his defender before taking the inch of space to rip a left footed shot that beat the keper but crashed off the far post.
59', Sullivan caps off a beautiful team goal | The near miss didn't hold Union II down as they quickly got back to work and combined for a stunning team goal. Displaying quick and decisive passing, Korzeniowski turned in the attacking third and shot a pass out wide to Olney on the right side as he ran into the box. With the defense scrambling and anticipating a shot from the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Best XI member, Olney made the extra pass to Sullivan in the middle of the 18 for the easy finish that put Union II ahead.
67', Huntsville finds an equalizer | The back and forth match swung back in the hosts favor shortly after Philly grabbed its first lead of the match with substitute Alan Carleton picking off Barker John at the back post for the 2-2 goal.
76', Olivas denied on the counter attack | Vazquez fired a ball over the defense that Olivas was able to chase into the box. Goalkeeper Erik Lauta at the same time made the decision to race off his line and it proved crucial as Olivas got to the ball shirt and attempted a shot on the first touch but it hit off the keeper's chest.
Penalty Kick Shootout | Union II once again found itself in a five-round penalty kick shootout after the final whistle. With a road point already in their pocket, Union II went back and forth with Huntsville with the two sides converting their first two shots. In the third round, the keepers exchanged saves with Lauta denying David Vazquez while Semmle made a diving stop to his right to deny Carleton. The fourth round saw both teams ring the back of the net before Markus Anderson was stopped to set up the game-winning attempt from Blake Bowen.
