Kellan LeBlanc scored early and Pierce Holbrook came up clutch late to lead Philadelphia Union II to a 1-0 victory over FC Cincinnati 2 on Sunday evening.
LeBlanc netted the game's only goal of the match, delivering a perfectly place free kick from 20 yards out with his left that pinged off the crossbar and into the back of the net to set the tone early for the Boys in Blue. The Ohio side kept it tight throughout, preventing Union II from adding to its lead while making a late comeback attempt of their own late. Goalkeeper Pierce Holbrook responded however, making two late saves to extend his shutout streak to four-consecutive appearances.
Union II turns their attention to a top of the Eastern Conference showdown as they take on rivals New York Red Bulls II on Monday, August 11th. Kick off from North Jersey is set for 7PM ET with coverage on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
How The Match Unfolded
Playing just under 24 hours after the first team took on Eintracht Frankfurt in an international friendly, Head Coach Ryan Richter's starting lineup featured a handful of participants in the match. Pierce Holbrook returned between the sticks having collected a shutout in his last three starts and was behind a full-strength backline of a three-game shutout streak Isaiah LeFlore, Neil Pierre, Rafael Uzcátegui and Giovanny Sequera. The midfield remained unchanged for the fourth straight match with Oscar Benitez paired up alongside team captain Nick Pariano as the defensive midfielders while Markus Anderson and Kellan LeBlanc handled the attacking duties in the 4-2-2-2 formation. Forward Malik Jakupovic earned his second straight start, paired up with Leandro Soria who made his fourth start of the season.
2', LeBlanc with a golazo | Seeking to put in their rear view mirror their midweek loss, Union II needed only two minutes to grab the lead with Academy product Kellan LeBlanc firing home a free kick from a difficult angle for his second goal of the season.
24', LeBlanc blocked on brace attempt | Philly continued to keep the visitors pinned to their side of the pitch throughout much of the first half with LeBlanc nearly doubling Union II's advantage in the 24th minute. The midfield cut to his left for a shot but saw it blocked by Andrei Chirilă.
36', First Union II change | After playing nearly a hour against Frankfurt on Saturday evening, Union II made its first planned change of the match sending on Academy amateur Jordan Griffin in place of Pierre. The move saw LeFlore go from left back to center back as a result.
47', Union II come out flying | Fresh out of the locker room, Philly was quickly backs into the attack with Markus Anderson launching a counter attack and finding LeBlanc on the right side. Seeking to rip a quick shot, he lost his footing and opted for a cross to the left side for a one-timer from Soria that was blocked.
57', Two more changes for Union II | Just before the hour mark, Union II made two more changes sending in homegrowns Eddy Davis III and Sal Olivas after the pair helped the first team battle back for a 2-2 draw against Frankfurt.
86', Holbrook preserves the shutout | With the one goal lead late, FC Cincinnati 2 applied pressure late to send the game to a shootout with the biggest test coming from a long-range shot from Peter Mangione that required a diving stop by the Union II keeper.
89', End to end action | The final minute before stoppage time was chaotic with Eddy Davis III seeing his shot inside the box crash off the post. Seconds later the Ohio side was back on the attack with a low shot from Stefan Chirila forcing another reaction save from Holbrook.
