It was a night to remember for Union II at Fifth Third Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia, where Head Coach Marlon LeBlanc’s squad finished with a dominant 5-0 shutout result to claim three points on the road.
They traveled back to Philly still unbeaten, having picked up three wins and two draws since the start of the MLS NEXT Pro season.
Chris Donovan put his team on the board in the 18th minute, scoring a header off a pinpoint cross from David Vazquez for his first goal of the 2024 season. Donovan scored six goals for Union II in 2023 while also contributing on the first team stage. Monday’s match was his first MLS NEXT Pro appearance this year and he made an immediate impact, finishing the night with a two goals after scoring a second in the 65th minute.
His first goal was the only score between both sides in the first half, but in the second 45', Union II hit the back of the net four times while locking down Atlanta on defense for a shutout.
Eddy Davis was the first subsitution of the match, entering at halftime. Four minutes after stepping onto the pitch, he extended the team’s lead to 2-0, finding his own rebound for a header goal in the 49th minute.
Five minutes later, CJ Olney earned a free kick opportunity and capitalized on it, skillfully sending a curling ball past Atlanta’s keeper for the team’s third goal of the night.
After Donovan bagged his brace, fellow former Drexel Dragon Kyle Tucker had his own chance for a free kick in the 81st minute, successfully sailing it to the top right corner. His strike further solidified the win, while marking the team captain’s first-ever pro goal.
Atlanta United took 12 shots on the night, but only two were on target. Andrew Rick saved both, registering his first clean sheet of the season.
Union II are in lockstep with the club's first team, as neither have seen a loss yet in 2024 regular season play. LeBlanc’s squad is one of five remaining unbeaten teams in MLS NEXT Pro, and they’ll look to stay that way as they take on New York Red Bulls II in a Sunday matinee on April 21st at Subaru Park.
