Philadelphia Union Academy’s U-19s made history on Sunday afternoon, defeating defending champions Botafogo in a penalty shootout to capture the prestigious Dallas Cup.
Philadelphia’s path to the title was anything but easy, as the Chris Harmon-led side rallied from a two-goal deficit in the second half to force a dramatic penalty shootout.
Botafogo opened the scoring in the 10th minute, capitalizing on a long ball that created a 1v1 opportunity. The Brazilian side doubled its lead early in the second half, as a left-footed strike from near the penalty spot found its way through in the 47th minute to make it 2-0.
Momentum shifted in the final stages as the Union pushed for a response. In the 78th minute, Jett Harrison delivered a long ball into the box that drew the goalkeeper off his line, where John Ruf was brought down to earn a penalty. Willyam Ferreira calmly converted from the spot to cut the deficit in half.
With the trophy on the line, Philadelphia found its breakthrough in stoppage time. On a short corner, Ferreira played the ball to Tyler Gladstone at the edge of the box, who cut centrally before unleashing a right-footed strike that deflected off the goalkeeper and into the net to level the match at 2-2.
Goalkeeper Alex Smith delivered a crucial save in the third round of the shootout to keep Philadelphia level, as the two sides remained deadlocked through six rounds.
In the seventh round, Nick Greer converted with a confident finish into the side netting, putting pressure on Botafogo’s final taker. The Brazilian captain stepped up but sent his attempt over the bar, sparking celebrations as the Union secured the title.
With the victory, the Philadelphia Union become just the third American club to win the Dallas Cup U-19 Super Group, capping off a historic run in Texas.
