Union II Fall 3-1 to Revolution II - Match Recap

Credit: Philadelphia Union

Philadelphia Union II fell 3-1 to New England Revolution II on Sunday afternoon, undone by a poor first half and costly defensive errors that they were never able to recover from.

Union II created more shots than New England in the early stages, but lapses at the back quickly shifted the match. Liam Butts, one of the Revolution’s more experienced players, punished the Union II defense with a first-half brace. His movement and finishing ability stood out against the younger Union defenders. Neil Pierre, who had a tough night, committed a costly mistake that directly led to a goal. New England struck three times in the space of just four minutes, with goals in the 35th, 38th, and 39th minutes that left Union II trailing 3-0 at halftime. Pierre was substituted at the break after his errors, a decision that underlined the harsh learning curve for Union II’s youthful squad.

In the second half, Union II tried to find a response. Eddy Davis came closest in the 58th minute when his effort rattled the crossbar. Cavan Sullivan's return to the lineup added some much-needed creativity in midfield, and four substitutions in the 63rd minute were made to inject fresh energy. Despite their efforts, New England’s experience showed, as they managed the game well and closed down space to protect their lead. Even after going down to ten men in the 78th minute following a second yellow card, the Revolution stayed mostly organized.

The Rev's organization was only briefly broken as Malik Jakupovic capped the night with a 90th-minute strike. Malik cleaned up a loose ball in the box for Union II as desperate crosses flew in. It was a familiar sight, as Jakupovic has built a reputation for scoring off the bench. His sharp instincts in the final third often put him in the right place at the right time, and he once again delivered late to punish the Union defense.

Union II’s aggressive style of pushing their outside players high up the field has left them vulnerable defensively, and New England took advantage of the open channels. What was once the league’s best defensive unit has slipped in recent weeks. Union II has now conceded nine goals in their last four matches and has gone winless in that stretch. As a result, they no longer hold the top defensive record in MLS NEXT Pro, with Huntsville overtaking them by conceding one fewer goal at 25.

This loss also highlighted the contrast in experience between the two sides. New England’s roster featured older, more seasoned players like Butts, while Union II remains one of the youngest teams in the league, with many players still teenagers. That inexperience showed in the critical moments of the first half, and while the Union youngsters continue to show promise, the learning curve at this level can be unforgiving.

Union II will now turn their attention to Sunday, August 31, when they travel to face FC Cincinnati 2. With the dropped points, Union II has fallen as low as sixth place in the standings after recently sitting in second. Cincinnati has struggled this season, and Union II already beat them 1-0 earlier this year. They will look to use that matchup to regain their form and bounce back from this shaky stretch.