Union II was back at home on Sunday night, defeating New York Red Bulls II 2-1 at Subaru Park. The match was the first on their home pitch in July following a three-game away stretch that saw the squad earn two wins and a draw.
Philadelphia’s attack started quick – in the fourth minute, forward Stefan Stojanovic put the team ahead with his fifth goal of the season. Forward Chris Donovan drove down the sideline with the ball, spotting Stojanovic in lock-step in the center of the field. Donovan played it across to Stojanovic unmarked, who powered it from the top of the box past New York goalkeeper A.J. Marcucci for the score.
Red Bulls II didn’t put their first points on the board until the 80th minute despite many attempts throughout the match – they totaled 22 shots on the day. Keeper Andrew Rick had an impressive showing, saving six shots on goal. New York’s only score was a penalty shot taken by midfielder Ibrahim Kasule, who drew a foul from Union II defender Daniel Krueger in the box.
The equalizer didn’t hold up for long, though. The Boys in Blue answered fast, scoring their second goal in the 84th minute. Midfielder CJ Olney drew two defenders to the right of the box, allowing forward Luciano Sanchez to sprint toward the goal without an obstacle. Olney sent a beautiful ball toward his teammate, who tapped it past Marcucci for his fourth goal this season.
With the win, Union II jumps to sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 27 points, sitting a point behind New York Red Bulls II and Orlando City B who each have 30.
The squad will head back on the road for a match against Columbus Crew 2 on Monday, July 24. They’ll look to continue their recent rise up the standings at Historic Crew Stadium against a formidable foe that currently sits at third place with 34 points.
