Philadelphia Union II fell 1-0 to FC Cincinnati 2 in a rainy Friday night battle at Subaru Park. Despite a determined second half, relentless attack, and last-chance efforts following a weather delay, Union II fell short, relinquishing the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
The highly anticipated top of the table clash was a competitive one from the start -- Union II opened with a string of promising chances in the first half taking 11 total shots, but they were met with unluckly finishes.
A close range chance from Markus Anderson went just wide right in the 17th minute, then his teammate Eddy Davis, who's been one of the league's tops scorers in 2024, matched his intensity, finding a shot of his own two minutes later. He took a blast from just outside of the box, but placed it shy of his target as it was stopped by the post.
Head Coach Marlon LeBlanc's first change came earlier than he likely anticipated as Anderson was forced to leave the match due to injury. When he came off in the 27th minute, LeBlanc sent in Sal Olivas to take his place. Four minutes later, University of Pennsylvania alum Ben Stitz opened scoring for FC Cincinnati 2, getting one past Union II keeper Mike Sheridan in the 31st.
A free kick rebound chip from CJ Olney over Cincinnati 2 defenders to Frankie Westfield in the 42nd minute appeared to be an equalizer in the build up, but longtime academy standout turned Union II signee's shot hit the crossbar instead.
A boot toward the net from Olney closed the first half, leaving Union II down a goal before the second '45 began.
The scoreline stayed the same through the second half despite multiple personnel changes from LeBlanc. Nick Pariano entered the match at the half replacing Sanders Ngabo, while Jamir Berdecio went in for captain Kyle Tucker in the 58th. Union II's final changes came in the 80th minute, when LeBlanc took out Cavan Sullivan and Eddy Davis for fresh legs in his son, Kellan LeBlanc, and Leandro Soria.
The first-year Union II Argentine attempted to make the most of his minutes, taking a shot from distance in the 90th minute but the line drive was stopped by Cincy's focused keeper Hunter Morse. Shortly after the official ruled that there would be seven added minutes of play, the match went into a delay due to inclement weather in the area.
After more than an hour pause, play resumed at 6:15 in the 91st minute. Union II's last chance was a corner in the final seconds, but the service didn't find a target. With a 1-0 scoreline, Cincinnati 2 claimed the win and unrivaled top spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
Next up, Union II will host Chicago Fire 2 at Subaru Park on Saturday, August 10th.
