Union II closed their road stretch with a draw against Toronto FC II at York Lions Stadium in Canada. Their opponent left with the extra point, as Philadelphia converted two at the penalty spot to Toronto’s four.
The first half was a quiet one, with no offensive success from either team. It wasn’t until the 55th minute that Union II put the first points on the board, and forward Jeremy Rafanello did it in style.
The play began with a David Vazquez corner that sailed into a crowded box, bouncing out via header but conveniently meeting Rafanello’s foot. Situated far outside the center of the box, he booted the ball with such force that it soared past all Toronto FC II defenders and goalkeeper Luka Gavran for a beautiful opening goal. The score marked the homegrown from Delran, New Jersey's seventh MLS NEXT Pro goal this season.
Newly signed midfielder Kyle Tucker saw his first MLS NEXT Pro minutes during the match, subbing in for midfielder Alex Perez in the 62nd minute. He made an impact quick, nearly notching a goal in his opening moments with a right footed shot from outside the box following a pass from Rafanello. The attempt was instead saved in the top left corner.
Union II maintained their lead until the final minutes of the game, despite battling against a Toronto team that controlled possession for the majority of the match. Union II’s opponent had the ball for 68.1% off the game, but thanks to relentless defense from the away squad, didn’t score until the 83rd minute. That’s when Toronto defender Antony Curic received a pass in the center of the box and sent it right past Union keeper Brooks Thompson to equalize the score.
Toronto nearly hit the back of the net just minutes later, but two draw-securing back-to-back saves from Brooks Thompson blocked shots from both Curic and forward Dékwon Barrow.
Fulltime finished 1-1, sending the match to a shootout that did not end in the Union’s favor. The battle began with two saves and two goals. Despite converted attempts from Stefan Stojanovic and Hugo Le Guennec, Toronto FC managed to put four goals past Thompson, earning the extra point.
Union II will be back at Subaru Park on Sunday, July 16th to take on New York Red Bulls II at 6:00 pm.
