Philadelphia Union II fell 1-0 to Crown Legacy FC on Friday night at Sportsplex at Matthews. Crown Legacy scored the game’s lone goal in the sixth minute, as Nathan Richmond finished a left-footed effort to give the hosts an early advantage.
Union II responded well after conceding, creating several promising looks throughout the first half. Eddy Davis III and Theo Reed each had shots blocked in the 11th minute, before Willyam Ferreira found space for an attempt from the center of the box in the 16th minute. Philadelphia continued to push forward, with Matheus De Paula forcing a save from Lazar Kalicanin in the 25th minute and Rafael Uzcátegui sending a header just over the bar in the 33rd minute.
Goalkeeper Pierce Holbrook helped keep Union II within striking distance, making key stops on Adrian Mendoza late in the first half before adding multiple saves after the break. Philadelphia came out of halftime on the front foot, with Davis III firing a shot over in the 49th minute before Nehan Hasan and Davis III both forced saves in quick succession near the hour mark.
Union II continued searching for an equalizer in the second half, with Davis III again creating danger from distance in the 74th minute and Uzcátegui nearly finding the breakthrough with a late header in stoppage time. Despite a strong push and several attacking moments, Philadelphia was unable to find the tying goal before the final whistle.
