Union II Scrapes Past Cincinnati II in a Hard-Fought Battle

In a tense and hard-fought first round of the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs, Philadelphia Union II battled their way to a 2-1 victory over FC Cincinnati II at Subaru Park. Union II came in riding a five-match winning streak and carrying the confidence of having beaten Cincinnati in all three regular-season meetings. Cincinnati entered as a dangerous seven seed on a four-match win streak, but Union were not interested in postseason surprises on home soil. The night also marked the final appearance for Kellan LeBlanc before he departs for international duty. This means Union II will continue its playoff run without one of its key midfield engines.

Union II struck first inside the opening ten minutes after earning a free kick on the right side of the pitch. LeBlanc whipped a driven in-swinger toward the near post, and Stas Korzeniowski attacked it with full commitment. He powered a header through traffic and into the back of the net to give Union the early advantage. Korzeniowski continued to cause problems throughout the match, finding space and creating chances with his movement. On another day, he could have easily added to his tally.

Despite Union II controlling much of the first half, Cincinnati punished a lapse in concentration in the 37th minute. A quick restart caught Philadelphia asleep, and a simple sequence of one pass down the right and a whipped cross led to a headed finish, which brought the visitors level. It was a frustrating moment for Union II, who had dictated the tempo but failed to react defensively in transition.

Philadelphia came out in the second half with intensity and immediately pinned Cincinnati back. The opening 15 minutes were a siege of corner kicks and second balls around the box. Markus Anderson came inches from restoring the lead when he smashed a loose ball off the post after a scramble in the area. The rebound from Markus Anderson rolled just wide. The breakthrough finally arrived down the right flank when CJ Olney created the chance with a composed run and a cutback into the box. Korzeniowski showed smart timing by delaying his run while the defenders dropped toward the goal. The pass found him in rhythm, and his left-footed strike was driven low to restore the Union lead at 2-1.

From there, Union II managed the match with discipline. The back line stayed organized under pressure, and the midfield worked to kill the tempo and limit Cincinnati’s rhythm. Substitute legs helped secure the result in the final minutes, and a committed defensive effort saw out the win. It was a gritty playoff performance that fit the identity Union II has built all season.

The victory sends Philadelphia into the next round and extends its unbeaten run to six matches. The next match for Union II will be played against the winner of NYRB II vs. Carolina Core. Given the strength of NYRB II, the Union will most likely be preparing for a matchup in which they failed to win last time out. An early clash between the two best sides in the Eastern Conference will surely be spicy, but Carolina could sneak their way in, too. Regardless of the result, Union II is well-equipped to deal with anything that is thrown at them. Their strong defense, prolific attack, and creative midfield will be tested again in the next round.