Philadelphia Union Academy's U17 squad played well into the night but emerged victories in a nine-round shootout to advance to the Round of 16 at MLS NEXT Cup.
17s defeat Orlando City SC in Thriller
The two-time defending Generation adidas Cup Champions faced a difficult draw and unique circumstances in the build up to the contest. Originally slated to face off against Orlando City SC on Sunday night, weather in the Nashville area forced the postponement of all matches back another day. When the two sides finally faced off, it was a heavyweight battle between two of the prestigous Academys in Major League Soccer with neither side conceding any scoring chances.
With nothing seperating the two teams after 90 minutes, the match went to a penalty kick shootout with a spot in the next round on the line. Orlando City shot first and were perfect through the first eight rounds but the Baby Snakes matched them take after take. In the ninth round, Nehan Hasan coverted from the spot to send everyone at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro, Tennessee into a frenzy.
The U17s will be back in action on Tuesday afternoon as they take on Real Salt Lake with a spot in the MLS NEXT Cup Quarterfinals on the line.
15s fall in tight battle with LA Galaxy
Philadelphia Union Academy's U15 side saw its run for the MLS NEXT Cup come to an end in the Round of 16 on Monday afternoon, falling by a 2-1 margin to LA Galaxy.
The squad under the direction of Henry Apaloo saw a beautiful buildup turn into a spectacular goal in the first half as Samuel Gallego pulled back possession before threading a pass that connected with Willyam Ferreira in stride. The forward was perfect with his strike before turning in a memorable celebration however the California side would battle back with two goals to grab momentum at the break.
The U15s kept the shutout in the final half but couldn't break through as they saw their quest for the title come to an end however they'll have the opportunity to finish their season on a high as they'll face off against SF Glens in a showcase match. Kick off is set for 7PM ET on Tuesday, June 18th.
U16s Quarterfinal Match to be streamed on MLS Season Pass
The Under 16 tournament bracket is already down to the final eight with Philadelphia Union Academy's Quarterfinal contest against the Barça Residency Academy USA set to be streamed worldwide on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV on Tuesday, June 18th at 11AM ET.
The Union U16s have enjoyed a memorable inaugural campaign at MLS NEXT Cup which started off with a 7-1 victory over New England FC in the Round of 32 and tight 1-0 win over Miami Rush-Kendall. Barça Residency Academy USA's march to the Quarterfinals saw they kick off their run with a 3-1 over Diablo Valley Wolves and then a 2-1 win over Tampa Bay United.
