Philadelphia Union Academy's U15s are just two wins away from the inaugural MLS NEXT Cup as they take to the pitch in the semifinals against the New England Revolution. Kick off from Frisco, Texas is set for 10:05 a.m. ET and will be streamed on MLSSoccer.com.
The U15s run to the semifinals began last Friday night with a showdown against fellow MLS Academy, Portland Timbers. It was a strong performance from the Boys in Blue as they grabbed a 2-0 win to advance.
In the Round of 32, the Boys in Blue got a rematch against the LA Galaxy and fell behind 1-0 at the half. The scrappy group fought back with a tying goal from Luke Zielinski in the waning moments of the match. Tied up at 1-1, the match headed to penalties where the Union remained calm and collected to advance via a 5-4 margin. Matt Routzahn provided the winning PK Saturday night as the Union advance to the Quarterfinals of the inaugural MLS NEXT Cup.
Momentum kept rolling for the U-15s as in the got past Austin FC in penalty kicks by a 3-1 margin. After battling to a scoreless draw, goalkeeper Andrew Rick made three saves in the shootout which was capped off by the winning finish from Matt Routzahn.
